Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver (1976)

1. What is this film about and what does it reveal about the 1970s? 

 Taxi Driver is about a man named Bickle, who takes to driving a taxi in search of an escape from his insomnia (which maybe he got form fighting in Vietnam) , his empty apartment and his gnawing sense of self-disgust, which threatens to erupt in revenge against the unlovely world through which he travels. He has a very pessimistic view of New York and makes sure to tell us about it, "The city is an open sewer, clean it up." He can be quoted as saying to Senator Charles Palatine when he gets into his cab at one point. They continue to talk, and the reason he recognizes the Senator is because he's trying to pursue Betsy who is on the campaign wagon. He makes small talk some more before dropping the Senator off with his friend. We then see him at one of the Senators talks, and he tries to talk to the secret service agents working. This is important because later in the film we see him practicing with guns that he's bought, and devices he's made to hide the guns and make shooting them off easier.

He plans on trying to kill the Senator when he's giving a speech later. He does this and gets caught which then leads to him not succeeding that and leads onto him killing "Sport" and making him a hero. This movie definitely shows what we talked about in class when we were talking about how "We should take the 1970s seriously." This movie shows the rebellious side of movies being made, the raw emotion that some felt in the 70's and the distrust people had for authority. Bickle takes his time when planning everything out until one night he's at the 7-11 type store. A man comes in to rob the place and he uses one of his illegal guns to kill the man. He is then told to flee, which he does and the shop owner continues to beat the life out of the man. This shows how far people will go to protect something that is their own. The burglar is clearly dead and not going anywhere but he wants his revenge for almost stealing from him. Bickle also spends a great deal of time, and effort on his toys to make his guns come to him quicker. This is also a huge scene because we see how lonely Bickle really is in a sense. He looks into the mirror and keeps repeating the phrase "You talkin' to me?Are you talkin' to me?" This could be taken in so many ways. Betsy, Iris, "Sport", his parents, he has no one that he really keeps conversation with at this time so if someone talks to him I think he would almost jump at that chance for the conversation. If he had someone then maybe we wouldn't see him go on to this downward spiral and plan to kill the Senator. This shows the defiance and the lack of trust in authority in the seventies. He also fits into the look of the Punk Rock music for American's. He wears the surplus army jacket, and he has the working class thought process. 

2. Connect either Iris, Betsy, or Tom to Chapter 7 in The Seventies. Think of how the screenwriter might suggest he is reacting to women's liberation, cultural feminism, or the crisis of masculinity. Use as least two fully described scenes from the film to make your point.

In Taxi Driver the character of Betsy is one of interest to me. She is portrayed as this innocent angel when Bickle first sees her. She's his perfect desirable woman and he pretty much stakes her out to learn about her. She doesn't have the normal job, she works in politics for the campaign of the senator. Not only does she have a leading job, but she also has a lot of respect from her colleges. Women in politics was something that was becoming more and more common in the 1970s. "Women's entry into the political mainstream precipitated substantial policy changes during the 1970s (Schulman 167)." Betsy was definitely taking advantages of the changes in her job. She wasn't the only woman working on the campaign but she was the main character for our story. She told off the man that worked with her, and when on a date with Bickle even though he was stalker-ish. She also didn't enjoy the date that he tried to take her to at the theater to watch porn. She may have thought it wasa joke, since she's a woman who can work for herself and thinks highly of herself that maybe she shouldn't be dating him. "Woman have been socialized to be passive (172)." Betsy, had not been socialized to be passive. She was always a go getter type in the film and she really showed initiative in the campaign. 

The other scene I want to highlight Betsy in is the last scene in the movie. She's in the back of Bickles Taxi and you see a silhouette, and then when she talks we know it's her. She tried to make small talk and congratulate Bickle in a way for his "heroics" which he doesn't want to accept. It's king of like we see her crawling back to him after he has all this fame about him for saving the little girl. She doesn't try to get him back either, and if she made any hints of it Bickle turned her down because of how his character had grown. By the end of the movie we can only speculate as to if Betsy had officially grown up or not. But she did embody the strong willed woman,who knew how to take care of herself in this movie. She was older and successful, attractive and strong. She was what woman of the 1970's wanted to be and were all about. 

3. Do you think this film deserves to be listed as one of the top 100 films ever produced in the United States? Why or Why not? Use as least two scenes (not the same ones you have already discussed) from the film to make your argument. (American Film institute ranking as the 52 greatest film ever made).

To be honest, at first I was absolutely befuddled as to why this movie was a top 100 film ever produced in the United States. But I gave it more thought, and I did some more looking around as to why other people thought it deserved this place and I finally came up with an answer. This movie is raw, and emotional, it shows the dark side to people, and there's never been another movie like it. It was controversial at the time of it's release, and anything controversial is always better in my book. I was reading how Jodie Foster had to undergo therapy treatments to make sure she was okay after the role was finished. How she was almost taken out of the last scene (which is the scene I want to focus on). There were people that thought putting her in the violent bloodshed was a terrible idea for someone so young, and that she would have trouble with it. She wasn't even of age to watch the movie by herself when it was released. When I went back and watched the ending scene with the blood bath of fight I saw why they would think she would need therapy. That last scene shows a lot of blood, and courage on Bickle's part. It shows determination to do the right thing, but it also shows him try to give up. If he had the extra bullets he would have killed himself, and then he wouldn't have been anyone's hero. I think this last scene is a huge reason why the film was ranked one of the top 100 films. Not just because of the epilogue like ending where we find out how everyone is doing and see the kind of person Bickle has become after the shooting.  

I think the next scene that makes the movie important is 

4. What do you think the last scenes in the film (from the newspapers on the wall to Betsy's cab ride) signify? Since it appears Travis Bickle has become a "savior" to the New York press and potentially to Betsy, then what, as Bruce Schulman asks, "what kind of nation has America become?"

After looking around at different views that critics give about the ending of the movie, I felt myself relating to the one written by James Berardinelli. In it he says the following about the last scene, "Steeped in irony, the five-minute epilogue underscores the vagaries of fate. The media builds Travis into a hero, when, had he been a little quicker drawing his gun against Senator Palantine, he would have been reviled as an assassin. As the film closes, the misanthrope has been embraced as the model citizen -- someone who takes on pimps, drug dealers, and mobsters to save one little girl." Berardinelli's point of view was one which i found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with. The media did make Bickle into a huge hero, whereas if he had originally killed the senator he would have been a assassin. His fate would have been completely different and he would have been known not for saving a little girl but killing someone who was trying to make a difference. Not to say that his killing of multiple people was something that should be taken as a matter of hero, even if it's for one little girl. He did do something that the police weren't at the time which was taking down the leader of the sex trafficking ring. There are multiple stands one could take on how he went about this issue, he didn't go to the police to tell about what "Sport" was doing, he instead just killed him himself. I also think if he had kept "Sport" alive, he could have helped with opening up about different operations that were taking place at the time too. If there was a drug ring, or a rival sex tracking ring he could have helped bring them down too (that is to say if he cooperated with the police). Betsy at the end is just like a cherry on top of this story. She sees him as a hero and is in his taxi it seems almost trying to seduce him, whereas earlier he would have jumped at the chance to be with her he just shrugs her off. He doesn't want to be seen as the hero in this story, and he's already tried to be with her and failed. It's clear that he's grown a lot since the beginning and actually doesn't see himself as anything more than a taxi driver. What kind of nation as America become? It seems that this is a story that made National headlines by the amount that were shown on his walls, so everyone has seen what he's done. It seems that America is a place where we worship blood shed, even if it involves hurting or killing someone else in the process. We play up the good that happens, and don't try to make the bad as prominent. 

Citation of quote: http://www.reelviews.net/movies/t/taxi.html

In The Heat Of The Night (1967)

In The Heat Of The Night (1967)

1. How does the film relate to Chapter 25 in Foner?

In The Heat Of The Night, covered two themes from Foner's Chapter 25. "In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment, institutions like hospitals and schools, and privately owned public accommodations such as restaurants, hotels, and theaters (Foner 966)." This quote actually talks of two places where Virgil Tibbs isn't accepted. The first is when he's waiting at the train, and Sam, a cop takes him in because he's black and there was a murder in town. It's then doubted that Virgil could really be a top Homocide detective from Pa where he comes from. The next example when the KKK tries to run him out of town, leading into the Diner where everyone goes to talk to the creepy guy that works there. He then says that he refuses to serve Virgil because of his color. Gillespie also doesn't take Virgil to a hotel to sleep while he's there, he takes him to another African American household to stay and live with them for the time being. These are all examples of how the townsfolk of Mississippi treated Virgil even after The Civil Rights Act was passed.

Foner also talked about a city, Birmingham. "Even for the Deep South, Birmingham was a violent city- there had been over fifty bombings of black homes and institutions since World War II. Local Blacks had been demonstrating, with no result, for greater economic opportunities and an end to segregation by local businesses (959)." I find this quote to be relevant because again it shows how hard people were working, yet the South wouldn't listen. It also shows how unfair the blacks were being treated, just like in the movie with Virgil, and the other small black family we meet. Which is another thing, we only meet that one family and Virgil who are African American, and no one else. So it begs the question of did others get chased out of town because of the KKK, or what was the thought process on that?

2. What was the symbolism behind when Police Chief Bill Gillespie told Detective Virgil Tibbs "You're just like the rest of us ain't you?"

The biggest thing to note, before going into explanation about this quote is that, the film reflects a dangerous and hate-filled time which Southerners have finally overcome. This quote is used to describe how Detective Virgil Tibbs, who is just passing through the town, waiting for another train to go see his mother, is exactly like the white folks. It's a hard realization for Gillespie to come to terms with too, because everyone in the South is so relaxed in their lifestyle that doesn't look at African American's as equals. Gillespie realizes as the movie goes on what a normal, intelligent, respectful man Virgil is. He has to hold off on his point of view, and put Virgil first too, especially when it comes to the KKK. He learns that he needs Virgil, and because of that dependancy on him, he's forced to look at him as an equal. This quote is smart in the fact that it says a lot for the South at the time, and how they learned to grow by finally seeing that it's not always someone of a different race that's at fault. In the film the person that ends up being responsible for the murder is the creepy Diner guy, who had stolen the money and everything. It gave way for people to see that it was a new era and they needed to accept it. Because of Gillespie learning to grow, he now has the capacity to teach the rest of the KKK, and the South Mississippi that they are equals.

3. In The Heat Of The Night was released in 1967. Do you think it offers a pessimistic or hopeful vision for the future of race relations in the United States? Do you feel the film's vision is realistic given what was happening during the time period?

I think In The Heat Of The Night offers a pessimistic, yet hopeful vision for the future of race relations in the United States. It's something the clearly would take a lot of time. It would win over some, and it wouldn't win over others Not everyone would be as welcoming to Virgil, not to  say at the start of the movie they were welcoming. Since Gillespie put out to look out for Hitchhikers and Virgil was taken in because of being in the wrong place, he was also treated coldly. He is questioned if his money is really his since a white man was killed, he's questioned in the murder, and until his own PA office calls to verify he's fighting to prove that he's a respectable man to them. Then they realize how much they need him to help solve the case, and they try hard to get him to stay. When he gets the results from the autopsy, he withholds the evidence from them which causes  a fight, and it gives him time to prove that the man they put in jail is not guilty. He eventually stays because Gillespie blackmails into it, and he's not happy about it. He's led on multiple car chases because of the KKK, which they make multiple appearances, all trying to kill or cause bodily harm to Virgil. By the end of the movie we finally see some acceptance, which is why i say it's hopeful for race relations. Given some time in close proximity with someone different from you, the two of you could find a way to live together and make it work. By the end it's a bittersweet goodbye because they both were so use to each other. Not everyone was welcoming of Virgil though, and that's the pessimistic attitude of race relations, represented in the KKK and others would didn't try to fight for race relations. 

4. Pick one character from the film and explain what you think he or she "stands for"-- what do you think the filmmakers want the audience to learn from thinking about the character and what does this depiction reveal about the American culture in the 1960s?

The character that I feel had the biggest impact on me from this movie was Police Cheif Bill Gillespie. I understand he also won an Academy award for Best Actor, and I find this to be completely deserving for his role in the film. When we first get use to this character he's just like every other white southern man in the movie. He doesn't approve of Detective Virgil Tibbs, yet he doesn't join the members of the KKK when we see them depicted in the film. He is very wary of Virgil's identity in the beginning too, because he doesn't think that an African American man would 1) hold a better paying job than he does 2) work as a detective in PA and 3) Actually be of real importance in the current homicide case he had, the first in a long time. Gillespie plays his role of the Chief very well, he takes in all angles on the case, he looks into any lead, and he utilizes Virgil's talent eventually. He makes the effort to become his friend, he stands up for him multiple times through out the movie, twice with the KKK. While he tells Virgil he can leave at any time to go, he doesn't really mean it and ends up blackmailing him into staying to help him solve the case. He sets him up in a place to live, and he lets him look over the body. He clearly respects Virgil by the end of the movie and is all for putting aside differences between the two and anyone else that has a problem with him. I think the Chief stands for the fact that some people didn't mind welcoming and trusting African American's into the society. Virgil was hopefully just the start for the Cheif and they even share a heartfelt goodbye at the end of the movie when he leaves on his train. I think the audience could see how over the course of the movie, the time period that goes on there is time to show the growth and start of the friendship between the two men. The biggest thing this stands for is though is that the theme of acceptance is coming into play. Acceptance of African American's to be equal at the time was something not many White folk, lets alone men really wanted at the time. 

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

1. How does the film relate to Chapter 24 in Foner? (at least two themes)

"Thanks to television, images of middle-class life and advertisements for consumer goods blanketed the country. By the end of 1950s, nearly nine of ten American families owned a TV set (Foner 921)." With how easy and common it was for Americans to own a TV set, it made putting advertisements and shows on the TV a must. In the movie, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Rock Hunter is far down on a totem pole of people who work at an advertising agency. He needs to come up with something new and different for their agency, who are possibly losing their biggest client. It's at this time that Foner also wrote, "TV ads, aimed primarily at middle-class suburban viewers, conveyed images of the good life based on endless consumption(921)." Catchy jingles, useful products, and celebrity endorsements were a few of the different approaches advertisers took to sell their products. Celebrity endorsement was shown by Rita Marlowe, a sex symbol of a celebrity. Hunter wants Rita to endorse his campaign selling lipstick, which she agrees to do after they strike a deal.Television was also used throughout the movie to show where Hunter and Rita were, to watch them be in love, and for the advertising messages. Rita also drove her car a lot in the film. This makes for the perfect way as to way the automobile is also so important to advertising in the film. "On the road, Americans were constantly reminded in advertising, television shows, and popular songs, they truly enjoyed freedom. They could imagine themselves as modern versions of western pioneers, able to leave behind urban crowds and workplace pressures for the "open road" (922)." Rita uses the open road to take Hunter for a marriage right away, even though it never ends up happening. But the headlines in the news spread and got the messages across that way.

"Women who worked outside the home remained concentrated in low-salary, nonunion jobs, such as clerical, sales, and service labor, rather than better paying manufacturing positions (922)." This character was portrayed by Rock Hunter's very own secretary, Jenny Wells. The two are in love, and barely scraping by with plans to marry. When she finds out about Hunter going behind her back she makes the change to become more like Rita because that's who she thinks he really wants. Jenny is of average appeal and status in the movie, which is how most women would compare themselves with those of movie star appeal. She takes it onto herself to work harder and try to win Hunter back. "Films, TV shows, and advertisements portrayed marriage as the most important goal of American women (922)." This is shown in just about every female character in the movie. Rita has a long lost love that she can't let go of, her secretary Violet also has a love interest that didn't work out, and lastly Jenny is still fighting for the love of her life who is stuck with Rita. 

2. How can you interpret the film as a commentary on the concept of "The American Dream" and the meaning of success during the 1950s?

The American dream at this time was to own your own home, a car, a TV set, air conditioning, a long distance phone, and other consumer goods. "Consumer culture demonstrated the superiority of the American way of life to communism and virtually redefined the nation's historic mission to extend freedom to other countries (920)."  It was at this time that Americans were all about products that could make their life easier, give them more comfortm and take them places they hadn't been before. Having a car meant you could drive to your destination, jets made it able for you to fly someplace far. Because America was now a place of higher standard of living, higher wages and stable prices people were spending more money to enjoy their freedom. Advertisers helped with spreading the message of freedom around too when telling people to buy their products. In class we called this "The Golden Age" at this time people were set on the idea of making a better life for themselves then their parents and grandparents had. To Succeed during this time you needed to have these products, to other people it signified your success, you were able to afford these items that made life easier. At this time it wasn't all happy times though, there was still the big problem of segregation and how come we aren't dealing with it. Some people couldn't be a part of this success simply because of their race and so the 1950s was still a time to work on our society.

3. How is the workplace portrayed in the film? What does the depiction reveal about life in the 1950s?

The first thing we're told in the opening of "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter" is about the private bathroom only certain privileged employees that are higher up on the ladder get to enjoy. We see how Rock Hunter greets the president and does receive a greeting back because he's not even on his radar. As the movie progresses we see Rock Hunter try to show the corporate CEO's an idea he has for the lipstick they're trying to sell, he wants the celebrity endorsement of a huge start with "kissable lips", Rita Marlowe. After being kicked out of the meeting and essentially fired, he drops the pictures he was working on and goes back to Jenny. He had dropped the pictures in front of the president and he wants Hunter to continue on with his idea and to get Rita to sign on to agree to do the commercial. As the movie continues we see the president trying to say hi to Hunter in the halls, and he ignores him like what happened before. The two men then sit and talk in his office one night about the success and how the president wanted to work on his roses because they mean more to him. By the end of the movie Hunter has moved up the chain, he gets the key to the special washroom, and even his own private one for himself. He realizes he doesn't want any of the success though and quits to become a farmer with Jenny. Throughout the movie we see all the ugly sides to working in a corporation, how you don't matter as much you wish you did, how hard work pays off, but only if that's what you want. What you're going to give up to be on top is huge too. The workplace here is portrayed as an ugly side, but it shows how hard work can take you places. This depiction shows that life in the 1950s was just as hard as life is now. Everyone is always working to do better, to climb the ladder, and do anything they can to get higher. Hunter did was he had to, because he thought it would make him happy if he was successful.. which is what everyone always thinks. If you have more money then you'll be happy. Hunter learned that it didn't matter his position as long as he could be happy with Jenny it was fine. Rita learned that her first love was the right one for her, and no one else can compare to who that person is. It showed a lot of negative sides to work, and how hard it can be to obtain your dreams.

4. How are gender roles and sexuality represented in the film? What do the films various representations of gender and sex reveal about life in the 1950s?

Two words- Rita Marlowe. In the movie Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter she was a huge sex symbol. It was in the clothes she wore- or the lack-thereof. It was in the make up she wore, and the laugh she would give that sounded high pitched and funny. Rita Marlowe worked her sexuality because that was her job, she was successful actress and was all take about men and sex. She nicknamed Hunter "Loverboy" so she could get back at an ex that cheated on her. Which he ex is portrayed as a huge muscled almost Tarzan like man. He has rippling muscles and he's the typical good looking hollywood guy. When Jenny decides she needs to look more like Rita she takes on doing push ups until she's frozen and on the ground which as it turns out when they bring a doctor in is a normal problem. Tabloids in the movie also exploit the sexual appeal of Hunter whenever he's with Rita, that his "kiss makes her faint" and she does nothing to stop this. She wants it out there to show off how happy she is without her first love in her life and how great Loverboy is. Hence his nickname being Loverboy, it gives the media something to call him and make up rumors about. From just seeing this movie one could say that the 1950s was okay with putting sex and gender on display and that it was okay to be open about sex, and your relationship with everyone. It was telling everyone that if you're of celebrity status it's okay to tell the word what's going on with you. Rita was always selling herself and sex. She was the perfect person for Hunter to get for his lipstick campaign since the media had already nicknamed her because of her kissable lips. 

Gold Diggers of 1933

Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933)

#1. How does the film relate to Chapter 21 in Foner?

Two of the questions that come from Foner were addressed in this movie, "Gold Diggers of 1933." The first being "How did the New Deal benefits apply to women and minorities?" The second being "How did the Popular Front influence American culture in the 1930s?"

The New Deal benefits applied to women with examples like Frances Perkins and Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt transformed the position of First Lady into something completely new. She wrote an article and while it sometimes didn't agree with her husband's views, it was still allowed. She spoke out against public issues, and she put work in on the New deal with a concentration on the civil rights, labor legislation, and work relief (820). Women were also able to hold more jobs. This relates to the movie because the women, Carol, Trixie, Fay, and Polly didn't have men to support them at the time. As the film goes on we see that they all get the happily ever after that they want, and even end up with more money then they knew they would. 

Foner says on page 828, The "common man," Roosevelt proclaimed, embodied "the heart and soul of our country." During the 1930s, artists and writers who strove to create socially meaningful works eagerly took up the task of depicting the daily lives of ordinary farmers and city dwellers." This is the exact message that Barney was trying to depict in the second musical we see him directing.He wanted to capture the depression and everything that went along with it. He had the women who relied on the musical to pay their bills working for him, and music with acting by Brad. Who it is said only spend $25 a week or a month, and is secretly really rich. Another way this connects is the last musical number, "My Forgotten Man", about the speech FDR gave and how it relates to the man at the bottom of the to-dam pole. This musical is one of the most realistic of the movie, it's grim, dirty, and honest. It shows nothing glamorous about the life a woman and a man would lead at the time of The Depression. The woman is left home alone to fend for herself while the man is away, the women is the highlight in this piece, all by herself, looking longingly out a window. Even when he comes back he'd be waiting in line for hand outs because work was hard to come by at the time.

#2. How are gender roles and sexuality represented in the film? (select two characters to use as an example)

Gender roles and sexuality are represented through the manipulative woman Trixie, and J Lawrence portrays the speculative man. Trixie is the ring leader of the girls and is always out to provide for herself and the girls. She is seen as the "comedy" of the girls and makes the decision that Carol should pretend to be Polly, to mess with J Lawrence. She also decides to make the family lawyer Peabody fall in love with her. She manipulates him, and has him buy expensive extravagant things for her, while also stealing little things from him as well. She has a scene in the bath tub too, and it's shot very carefully but it's not lady like to leave the door open when there are guests in the apartment. She also is one of the girls in the play, and is shown very provocatively when the girls are changing behind the screen, and with "Pettin' In The Park". J Lawrence is the epitome of a man of times in the 1930s. He has money, and he's speculative of everyone wanting to use him for it. While he also plays the part of a cocky jerk by stealing his brothers "girlfriend" away from him. He dresses in the best clothes, and seems to look down on most people because they aren't of his ranking. When he's talking to the real Polly he makes a comment about how a girl with her up bringing should be with his brother because he finds her to act and be of a higher standing than the fake Polly. Even though he ends up falling in love with Carol, a show girl he eventually gets over it for love. Women in this movie are generally shown as poor, and in need of work, they dress in clothes of the time, hats are a big thing, and they are on the look out for a man to be with. Men are shown as working hard, rich or of middle class, intelligent and very protective of their money. Sexuality is shown more through the woman in the film, they wear the more provocative clothing and since they are show girls they wear clothes that show more skin then women of a higher class. Men and sexuality isn't shown as anything more than the appeal of a business man.

#3. Pick one of the musical numbers- "We're in the Money," "Pettin' in the Park", or "My Forgotten Man"- and first analyze what is happening in the scene and then explain what you think "message" is to the audience.

The song I want to analyze is "Pettin' in the Park", I picked this song not only because of the sexual nature in it, but because I feel like it gives you new insight into the new type of women that was allowed to be starting in the 1920s-1930s that didn't exist before. The scene starts off with Brad reading a book about love, which sets the mood for the upbeat tempo of the song, and the message behind it. The scene takes place in the park, like it states with Brad and Polly singing to each other on the bench with a quirky tap dance number. We are shown some touching and feeling from Brad, and with Polly's lines "Bad boy" it just leaves room for the idea that it's a sexual line.It then moves to the zoo because of her animal cracker box and shows two chimps being watched while being cute and kissing by the police officers. The scene pans out to multiple couples that are "pettin' in the park" being cute and intimate. It then shows how Polly was going to go home but is directed to a sign for "little girls who skate home" which, while she isn't a little girl she still needs to skate home because she's quite innocent. This then pans out into a skating number with the cops chasing a small child around, cutting to a snowball fight and eventually a large number of people "pettin' in the park".It's at this point a storm comes and drenches the women making them change, and the same mischievous child moves the curtain up trying to show a peak at some skin. This leads to the final scene of all the women wearing a type of armor that would deny the men from any "pettin' in the park" which makes the men throw their hands up in frustration. Brad is then given a small tool that will cut through Polly's armor and the scene ends before any skin is shown. A few line of the lyrics I want to point out include: "Underneath the starry skies, take someone like me along with you for a little exercise", that gives the impression that they'll be doing more than just looking up the stars since "exercise" is involved in it. "Pettin' in the park, (Bad boy!) Pettin' in the park (Bad girl!)", these two lines show that clearly there will be some sexual advance while in the park, and that it's actually going to be somewhat kinky. Then it continues on with "act a little shy; (aw, why!) struggle just a little, then hug a little. . . come on, maybe this i wrong". This whole verse which is pretty long to fit in here is the back and forth of two people sitting in a park pretty much getting it on, while the woman is trying to maintain some dignity and not wanting to partake. She puts up very little resistance clearly.
I found the message of this song to be 100% sexual. I understand that during the depression there were new things like birth control, and flappers. There was more freedom and people wanted to take advantage of that but singing a song about "Pettin' in the Park" is a very dirty way to do it. They also had a small child helping with the pettin' which doesn't seem exactly right. The message here was clear, as stated at the beginning of the song sometimes you need to relax, and yeah sex could be an answer but the song suggests you do it in the park. While it's a musical, it gives a upbeat tempo and it's a catchy song so many people could take the meaning seriously and actually try to do some pettin' in the park. 

#4. Are the issues of class and social status addressed in the film? Are any New Deal values about what it means to be an American reflected in depictions of class and social status?
In the film Gold Diggers class and social status are addressed in the film. The four main girls we meet are poor, and barely getting by. They steal milk from the neighbors, and worry about food and rent because of how little they have. They share clothing, because they only have so much. While on the opposite side of the spectrum we meet Brad, J Lawrence, and Peabody who are all well off. Brad doesn't bask in his wealth or really talk about it, while J Lawrence is pushing his money around. These men are of higher class and don't want to be scene with the show girls, yet they end up going out multiple times and spending a good amount of money on each girl except for Fay, she's not shown that much with the men.J Lawrence even brings up how he would like to pay Polly (Carol) off for not being of a good enough status for his brother. The musical also is able to be put on because of Brad giving $15,000 in it otherwise the girls wouldn't have any form of income.
The movie  does show some the first new deal, in recovery. Everyone is trying to recover from the baking crisis, and that's why the first show gets shut down. The lack of money is huge in this movie, and it's partially because of the banking crisis and partially because the main characters are poor. While the wealth is shown in J. Lawrence and Peabody. While the second new deal could be relative to the theater and other artists becoming more popular. I believe this is shown through Brad's character, even though he's well off, his talent is discovered and it's used in the play in two ways- acting and music. He has a scene in the movie where he's very much involved and doesn't like how the guy playing the lead is singing his song.

The Crowd (1928)

The Crowd (1928)

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#1. How does the film relate to Chapter 20 in Foner?

-The Crowd relates to Foner Chapter 20 in multiple ways. Money was being spent on leisure time activities, the flapper was born, jobs were lost, and hard to find. Also, public opinion was manipulated, and money/ credit was used a lot on material goods now. Sometime money wasn't easy to come by and some families barely made enough to get by. John and Mary are an example of a couple like this. John had first come to New York with big dreams of a high paying job. He ended up at the bottom and couldn't seem to work his way up the ladder though. John and Mary  they dealt with a lot of things that were common during the 1920s. John was unhappy and drank a good amount during the prohibition, so he was smuggling the alcohol. John was also hit on by a Flapper that his friend Bert had hanging out with him. 

"Andre Siegfried, a frenchman who had visited the United States four times since the beginning of the century, commented in 1928 that a "new society" had come into being, in which Americans considered their "standard of living" a "scared aquisistion", which they will defend at any price (763)." I feel this quote reflects the relationship John and Mary have, because John isn't making a lot of money they can't afford a lot of things that they want for their kids, and they don't go out often. When John gets a bonus for a jingle he wrote they immediately spent the money on material goods. Near the end when John can't provide too much, he gives his relationship one more go by buying movie tickets to take Mary and their son out which ends up making her stay. Also during the film Bert is able to get higher on the Corporate ladder which brings us a bigger picture into the Upper class. At the time there was a divide between the classes and it was shown in a lot of ways. Bert stays single and because the "Flapper" is born he's able to have relationships that way, he also is the person that has alcohol during the prohibition and is just a free single man at the time.

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1. #2. Why is this film titled The Crowd ?

In the film The Crowd it shows that life is exactly just that, a crowd. Multiple times in the film we see examples of crowds, New York is packed, the beach is packed, the office is always packed, when you're doing anything someone is always by you looking over your shoulder crowding you.During this time period cities were being overwhelmed by people looking for work, looking to relax at the beach, movies, tour busses. When John and Mary first meet they take a tour bus around the city and there are crowds of people walking everywhere. When John's father dies there are people crowding downstairs in the house waiting to hear the news and to give their sympathies. When John and Mary have Mary's Mother and brother's over for Christmas they crowd him and give him troble for his lack of money, and he doesn't come back to be that crowd. At work the offices don't give much space for anything. There's a bathroom scene where everyone is in there and they all walk by and have something to say to John, it's like he doesn't have any privacy. When their daughter is hit by a car everyone is crowding around her and there's barely any room. Naming this film The Crowd shows just how little space people were given at the time, you were always a part of one crowd, based on class, job, home anything you were never alone and always crowded.

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1. #3. Are John and Mary exemplary examples of the American Dream?

I feel that John and Mary are an attempt at the American Dream. John didn't realize how hard he was going to have to work at the American Dream. He was raised by his father to think that he was special and he would be able to do anything. While that's not a bad way to raise your child his dad died before the Depression hit, and it was harder to make a name for yourself. When John and Mary get married, they go on their honeymoon and they plan out their lives together. That plan doesn't end up happening, because it's hard for John to move up in the company, he doesn't ask for a raise, and he's barely making ends meet. Mary's mother and brothers don't approve of John and they want her to move out form living with him. While they were happy on and off together they also had two children, until one day they lost their daughter. So they had a dark cloud looming over them, then John gets upset at work because of how he's being treated and he quits. Then he's unemployed and trying to live this American Dream. He isn't making any money and he fights with Mary a lot and they just aren't happy. Mary doesn't want to leave John but she tries to leave with their son anyway. While she was getting ready to leave we see how John found a job. The movie bring it full circle because John is working as the clown he made fun of during their bus ride when they were going around the city. We see John and Mary give it their best attempt to be part of the middle class/ high class during this time trying to live the American Dream. Although in the end we see that they learn all they need is each other and whatever income they can get to be happy.

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1. #4. Connect the bus ride John and Mary take at the beginning of the film where John looks down on people and talks about “the poor boobs” and the “poor sap. I bet his father thought he would be President” to the last scenes in the film.

This is an example of everything coming "full circle" from the start of the movie to the end of the movie. At the end it's seen that John is just like the guy he's talks about and how his dad probably thought he was going to be president or achieve great things. John goes through a lot and it turns out the juggle job of a clown is the only place he's able to get a good stable job and make money. He essentially becomes "the poor boobs" that he's mocking and making fun of at the start of the movie. Before his dad died he too thought John was going to be something big and he ended up barely making a living and passing by in life. John was lucky that by the end of the film that job afforded him movie tickets and another chance to make things work with Mary even though she was really close to leaving him.

Heart of Humanity (1918)

(picture of the infamous rape scene)

#1 How does this film relate to chapter 20 in Foner?

The movie Heart of Humanity covered multiple class topics, the largest being propaganda, followed by women’s freedom and America’s involvement in World War I. This film is an example of evil, portrayed in the evil German Eric Von Eberhard, and liberty shown in Nanette. When the war is announced it’s assumed that all of age men will join and fight in the war. This is an example of propaganda because it’s forced upon the individuals (aka men of the time) that they would go to the war. This was talked about in Foner with the mandatory draft that was held (Foner 726). The media at this time was used for pro war propaganda from every outlet available to them (Foner 728). This manipulation was something that had never been seen before this time. In the movie, widow Patricia eventually sees all of her sons into the war, which kills all but John.  Eric Von Eberhard is wounded during the war and when Nanette comes by with water he forces himself upon her but the red cross dog attacks him, making this attack another example of propaganda. The biggest example would be the next rape scene in the film with Nanette, a child, and Eric Von Eberhard. In the Red Cross nursery she tries to stop the rape, he gets upset at the child wailing leaves her and throws the child out the window.

We also see women’s freedom becoming something bigger in the film. When Nanette reads about how the children are suffering she goes to the Red Cross and volunteers. She takes care of children while her own child grows up at home without herself or the father, because their both helping with the war. In the book it’s said that women didn’t usually get these rights to go off and fight. Women were allowed to join the Red Cross and travel to the war zone to help out as nurses which Nanette does successfully in the movie.

America in this film is shown first as the reason the milk is thrown in the streets instead of given to the children. Next America is shown when they decide to come into the war and help the allies win the war. While we didn't do much fighting the supplies and the men brought to the war did help make the difference. In the movie this is shown very easily but in Foner it's said that even though we wanted to remain neutral, when Germany tried to recruit Mexico we stepped in (Foner 725)

#2 Why are children so significant to this film?

Childen are huge in the film Hearts of Humanity. The biggest scene that sticks out is when the Belgium children are begging for milk from the German guards. A German guard looks at the milk and says that American’s have interfered with it, they should dump it, the milk is then spilled all throughout the streets while the children and mothers cry. While at the Red Cross Nanette is seen as a huge help, she keeps the kids happy and in line. She breaks up all the fights, gives toys, smiles, and helps the other nurses who don’t know what to do out. When John runs into her she even explains how one child saw their parents killed before their eyes. The next big scene involves Nanette going back to the Red Cross nursery for a child that was left behind. When she gets there it’s realized that the evil Eric Von Eberhard followed her in plans of raping her. She protects the child as much as she can but eventually when trying to take her clothes off he gets upset with the child crying. He silences the kid by throwing him out of the window of the building, which makes Nanette snap. Another child that plays an important role is that of Nanette and John’s, the child is left at home with the widow Patricia who is slowly losing all of her children to the war that’s going on. These are both great examples of children in the movie. When Nanette’s child is born and one of Patricia’s sons if taken she says that it’s “the exchanging of two” and she takes care of the child while both parents are gone. Widow Patricia also has a strong bond with her sons so she knows when each one is taken away from her and she moves on each time. At the end of the movie it turns out that Nanette and John live happily with more kids that I believe were adopted.

#3 How are female roles represented in the film? Does WWI require a "new" type of woman?

In the film I would say that two types of woman were portrayed. There was Nanette’s character, who is a woman willing to do anything she can to help. Then there’s widow Patricia who has all her sons in the war and is at home taking care of Nanette and John’s child while holding down the home fort. Nanette’s character is a new type of woman for the time of war. After reading the letter of how children were suffering she needed to do everything she could to help. At the time this was something still new and so she was a volunteer nurse because she couldn’t go into the war and help fight that way. She took care of sick and abandoned children. She was also a great help to other nurses. Her bravery for going back to get the child that was left in the building was rewarded in the end with the military. Widow Patricia’s character stayed at home and waited for any news from the family to tell her how everyone was, and she stayed strong even after losing all but one son. This was a more typical way for woman to react during the war., to stay at home and wait on word from her husbands or sons. I would say in the end that the type of woman that World War I looked for was a motherly, take charge figure. If you weren’t good with children or the war, you wouldn’t have been able to do anything to help. 

#4 What would an audience think of Germans after viewing this film?

After viewing Heart of Humanity  I think an audience at the time of the movie would be very upset with how the German's acted. Since this is a film it plays upon the emotions of the movie goer, so when they show the bad guy who is a German trying to rape an innocent woman not once but twice, and throwing a child out the window I think there would be a lot of anger. People wouldn't be happy with the way the German's acted during war, like they were better then the other side. That they could march into any town they want and take it over. At the time this was a huge propaganda film so people read more into the messages they were seeing and related to it. Emotions would be high because people would be happy they lost the war as well, and take pride in their country for winning (if that's the case). Whereas if German's viewed this film they would be upset because of how they're shown as villains and evil while American's are shown as war heroes.  

Works Cited:

Image:

http://www.silentera.com/video/heartOfHumanityHV.html

Book:

Foner Chapter 20

Film: 

Heart of Humanity

Film: Traffic In Souls, 1913

Q1:How does the film relate to Chapter 18 in Foner?


Traffic In Souls, relates to what we read in Chapter 18-The Progressive Era, in multiple ways. The first being that in this time women were able to be out in public more, hold their own jobs, and go to places of entertainment unlike before.As in the movie we saw both sisters Mary and Ethel holding jobs at a candy store. Above pictured is a women holding a job with the human trafficking ring making money as well. Another instance we see women in the workplace was with the ring leader himself, Mary was made the private secretary of William Trubus. Immigration numbers grew during this time,and this was also shown within the film. In the film two Swedish sisters and their brother come to the states looking for freedom. The sisters came at a different time then the brother, which gave the people who wanted to kidnap them time to devise a plan. In Foner he talks about how the immigration population was growing during the progressive era. "The new immigrants arrived imagining the United States as a land of freedom, where all persons enjoyed equality before the law,could worship as they pleased,enjoyed economic opportunity (679)". This was shown in the movie with the Swedish sisters being taken to the fake immigration area made for them where they thought they would be able to start over.This relates to the personal freedoms shown in the movie and in Foner (694), not only with immigrants but again with women and the rights they were able to get.The movie also showed a dirty side to politics which is something that is always relevant. The man that was in charge of the white trafficking was also in charge of a citizens league. 


Q2:How are gender roles--the traits exhibited by women and men--depicted in the film? Do these representations offer any insights into popular ideas about what were considered the proper or innate traits of men and women? Do any individuals trangress conventional gender roles? 

Gender roles are shown in the film in multiple ways. One that immediately came to mind was the way that each gender dressed.The above is a picture of how men of the time dressed, and how women of the time dressed, while working in the candy shop, and out to shop. Each gender is represented by certain articles of clothing. Women in dresses or skirts, a hairband, and a a lined top. Men wore hats with suits mostly. Men in the film usually dealt with money, or jobs of importance like the police. While women worked as secretaries, lived off their husbands, or did other miscellaneous jobs. In the film a african american man was shown cleaning windows, and while that's happening Mary and her fiance Officer Burke won't kiss while he's looking. This plays off into gender roles and into the fact that the african american man was still not considered of the same status as them.As well the women that were taken and sold into the prostitution ring they were held against their own will, and were forced to change. If they didn't change into the clothes brought for them then they were going to be whipped or hit. One person I thought that didn't fit the conventional gender role was the woman that would count the money with the men. She also was in charge of the women while they were at the house.  This is something that it hard to fathom as to why she would willingly make money off of the women she knew weren't there out of their own free will. Trubus' wife being left out of everything that involved the business he was in wasn't too surprising for back in that time.Also the fact that Mary went to her bosses office after hours to snoop around was something not many women would have been brave enough to do during that time.


Q3: How is technology represented in this film? What do the various ideas about technology reveal about the Progressive Era?


The film portrays technology in a unique way. One way is with the "secret pen" that allows the man downstairs to write so that the man upstairs could read the amount of money that was being made. The father of Mary and Ethel is also an inventor so when Mary needs to tape things she goes to him and he give her a bunch of tapes and machine to put in his office. This technology allows them to go to the police and show how he has been plotting and making money off of the traffic they have. They also had the lightbulb at this time which allows for street lights and other such things. Technology is also shown in the weapons or lack-thereof that the police carry with them in the final scenes. The progressive era was very imaginative with with the idea of the secret pen that could translate from one floor to the next. They also had hope that maybe people could be more secretive if things like the secret pen did exist. 


Q4:Select one "hero" or "heroine" and one "villain" from the film. Describe what their character symbolizes and what they reveal about the Progressive Era.


The person I pick to be the "heroine" would be Mary. As the head of her family she looks out for her sister in a way that is only natural to those that are close with a sibling. She has that bond with her sister where she would do anything for her, and in the film she eventually does. She starts a job with the man who helped kidnap her sister, and she works against him to get the evidence she needs to prove that he's guilty. While she does have some help from her Fiance, she does most of the work herself. She's the person that can identify the mans voice who took her sister and eventually does that with the man downstairs. To me her role symbolized the good that can come out of women being allowed the same opportunities as men, as well as symbolizing the changing of times.This shows how the role of women was expanding in the Progressive era to me.If she wasn't able to get the jobs that she had or needed she would have never have had the opportunity to meet these people or to able to help figure out who took her sister if women's rights weren't expanding. 
The person I would identify as the "villain" in the film would be William Trubus. Not only does he act the part of a family man, but he is the leader of the human trafficking ring. He goes home to be rich with his wife, and is about to marry his daughter off to one of societies catch of the season. He has friends everywhere with respect but only a handful of people know what he really does. He sells emigrants as well as women from the town in order to make dirty money to live off of. He doesn't show any remorse or feelings that would say that he thinks of these women as actual people, just strangers he and everyone else in the business can profit off of. I feel like he symbolizes the bad that was in the progressive era, and because of things like this we weren't able to progress. When you're selling people to make money you aren't helping us progress farther, you're holding us back. I think he shows the dark side that came with the progressive era and that while people like William did exist they were few and far between for the time. 






Works Cited:
Images:
1.http://dawnschickflicks.blogspot.com/2010/10/traffic-in-souls-1913-ethel-grandin_22.html
2.http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29453/29453-h/29453-h.htm
3. Foner Chapter 18
4. Film: Traffic in Souls