The theory of cultural imperialism assumes that powerful countries on a global scale have economic, political, and consequently cultural dominance over weaker countries. The American film industry has a leading position in the global world. As a global medium, film can reach a huge number of viewers around the world with its message almost simultaneously. American cinematography thus swamps us with content and discourses that openly or between the lines propagate and glorify the American way of life, their values, and ideals. Film awards and nominations contribute significantly to the viewership and earnings of films. The most desirable and recognizable film award is the Oscar, which is awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. One of the more persistent dimensions of American cultural imperialism is the discourse of the American Dream. I was interested in how the diversification of the Oscars affected the presence of this discourse. I analysed the films from the point of view of the discourse of the American dream, which contains elements of individualism, free choice, opportunities for all, individual responsibility, success, hard work, perseverance, patriotism, and some others. With the help of qualitative discourse analysis, I analysed twenty films that received the Oscar for the best film in the years 2003 to 2023. Based on the analysis, we can claim that despite the changes in the composition and preferences of the members of the Academy, the discourse of the American dream remains firmly present in the films, and thus also the support for global capitalism, which creates popular culture in its own image and for its own needs.
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