In the Heat of the Night (1967)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?
In the Heat of the Night is a film about Virgil Tibbs, a black homicide detective who is accused of murdering a rich white businessman while visiting his mother in the South. After realizing that Tibbs is a northern homicide expert, the local sheriff, Bill Gilespie, asks him to aid in their murder investigation. Although they have difficulty getting along, Gilespie and Tibbs work together to solve the murder. Chapter 25 of Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty! focuses on the civil rights movements of the 1960s as a response to “black discontent over inequality in education, employment, and housing” (915). In the film, there is a ton of racism towards Tibbs. For starters, he is immediately accused of the murder of the town businessman due to his race and the fact that he is sitting alone at a train station. Then, once he begins working on the case, the villagers constantly harass Tibbs and tell him to leave their town. At one point, a server at the local diner refuses to serve him. Tibbs also find himself being physically attacked by a group of townsmen who hate him based solely on his race. The film shows how black Americans did not enjoy the aspects of freedom that many other Americans enjoyed at the time. Although we can see the lack of equality between blacks and whites throughout the film, there is no real representation of the civil rights movement and therefore the film does not have much tangible correlation to the chapter.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?
The fact that this film dealt so much with the hatred and racism that faced American society showed that it was at the forefront of many American’s concerns. By releasing a film that showed an interest in the realities of segregation, the producers of In the Heat of the Night were showing Americans that the struggle of black Americans was a cause that deserved their attention. The difference in appearance and in mannerism between northerner Tibbs and the southern police officers showed a difference in the levels of sophistication between the North and the South. The North seemed much more advanced and sophisticated in the way that Tibbs was very well dressed and articulate while the southerners seemed uneducated. Something that I found interesting about this film that I hadn’t noticed in any of the previous films we have watched was the incorporation of advertisement into the film. I saw a coke machine in at least three different locations throughout the film; this amused me because it is something that continues to exist to this day. The new idea of sexual freedom was also represented in the film when a sixteen-year old rape victim secretly attempted to receive an abortion.

C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?
This film brought a great deal of attention to the inequality of black Americans. Although the dismantling of segregation was supposedly taking place, this film made it clear that socially enforced segregation was still an issue. At one point in the film, Tibbs drives past a cotton field that is filled up with black workers. These workers look dirty and mal-nourished whereas the white owner of the cotton fields is very clean and wealthy. On the other hand, the successful Tibbs shows that although many blacks were restricted to manual labor, they were capable of so much more. This film exposes whites as treating blacks as inferiors without any moral basis. The only real revelation about class during this film was the comparison between black laborers and white businessmen. Black laborers were forced to work as second-class citizenship while whites more easily enjoyed an upper class lifestyle. At one point of the film, police officer Sam Woods, watches a naked woman parade around her house. Apparently this woman likes to do this to gain the attention of males. Once again, we see women as sexualized objects or “eye-candy” for men. The film also deals with the issue of abortion as an example of the new feminist fight for sexual freedom. Women of the time were fighting for the right to control what they do with their bodies. Secret abortions were clearly a part of society while women pushed for their legalization. I think an important message of this film is the way that despite their difference in race, Tibbs and Gilespie end up working together very well and solving the mystery. This shows that blacks and whites can easily work together in an integrated society.

D) What was the most important scene in the film?
I believe that the most important scene in the film is the final scene when Tibbs and Gilespie part ways before Tibbs takes the train back to the North. This scene revealed a certain level of admiration that Gilespie had developed towards Tibbs for his hard work and achievement despite racial interferences. This scene shows that no matter their race, blacks and whites can still work successfully as a team. Gilespie even shakes Tibbs’ hand which marks a big achievement for the white acceptance of black members of society. When Gilespie tells Tibbs to take care of himself it shows that blacks and whites can overcome racism and gives hope for integration. However, it is also somewhat sad because although these two people were able to overcome societal racism, there was still existed tons of people who could do not accept integration.

The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The Girl Can’t Help it is a film about a girl named Jerri, whose boyfriend, a slot-machine mobster, wants her to become a star so that he can marry her. This film celebrates the new rock ‘n’ roll music culture that had sprung up in the United States. Jerri’s boyfriend “Fats” Murdock enlists the talent agent Tom Miller to promote Jerri’s career. Miller proceeds to bring Jerri to multiple nightclubs where her beauty attracts the attention of the owners. Throughout the film, we see numerous young people performing on stage in their rock groups. In chapter 24, Foner describes this emergent youth culture as “juvenile delinquency… that rejected middle-class norms” (897). One of the main connections that can be made between this chapter and the film was the rise of suburbia and the assumption that “the most important goal of American women” (880) was marriage. Candy’s desire to stay home and take care of her husband reflected the idea that women’s freedom lay in the ability to stay home rather than go to work. Another connection between the film and chapter 24 of Give Me Liberty! was the affluence that was enjoyed by many Americans of the time. We can see in the film that Americans took part in a great amount of leisurely activities as a result of this affluence.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

By interpreting the film as a primary historical document, we can learn that American culture at the time was greatly dependant on leisure. Most of the scenes of the film took place at nightclubs where middle and upper class Americans enjoyed hearing local performers. The rock ‘n’ roll culture is also very evident in the film. We see tons of different bands performing new types of music. We can also tell that the American youth had become an increasingly important member of society; many of the rock bands were made up of young performers. The film also promotes the American thinking of women as being domesticated and not meant to work outside the home. We see this when Jerri says, “I’m domestic. It’s one of my favorite pastimes” and then cooks and cleans for Miller. Jerri claims that all she wants is a husband and kids to take care of. She even pretends like she cannot sing so that Murdoc does not make her become a star. An additional aspect of American culture at the time revealed through the film was the growth of affluence and consumerism. The characters in the film wear stylish, expensive clothing, drive fancy cars, and live in big houses with tons of appliances.

C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?

As in practically every film we have seen this quarter, women were shown as highly sexualized individuals. The female singers in the nightclubs always wore tight, low-cut dresses that made them attractive to men. Miller has Jerri wear sexy dresses and act mysteriously in order to attract the attention of various nightclub owners in order to make her a star. It is funny that she becomes a star based on her looks and not her talents; it shows how shallow some people can be. The film also showed that the main purpose of women at the time was to please men and support their families. Both Jerri and Miller’s previously love interest/client Julie London wanted to stay home and raise a family rather than have a career. In regards to race, this movie showed how the rock ‘n’ roll culture brought together blacks and whites in a non-segregated environment. We see many blacks and whites performing together in all of the film’s nightclubs. The fact that the film’s producer made an attempt to show this meant that whites must have been becoming more accepting of integration. However, there is not much evidence of black-white integration off of the stage, showing that integration was probably a new idea that did not relate to all aspects of life. This film did not show what life was like for lower class citizens at the time, showing that the new consumer culture did not have much concern for the needs of the lower class.

D) What was the most important scene in the film?

I think that the most important scene in the film was the one in which Jerri reveals that she has no desire to be a star or to have a job other than being a housewife. Jerri’s favorite pastime is cooking and cleaning and taking care of her man. I’m not sure whether this portrayed the actual thinking of women at the time but it definitely portrayed the American image of women. Many Americans believed that the only reason for a woman to have a job was to support her husband in maintaining their middle-class status. Other than that, Americans believed that women should find freedom and happiness in their homes. They believed that a woman’s personal freedom could be found at home rather than in the workplace and that her share in the consumer culture came through the earnings of her husband. The lack of feminist dissent to this aspect of culture represented a real backwards movement in the fight for women’s rights.

Pickup on South Street (1953)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?
Pickup on South Street is a film about Skip McCoy, a pickpocket who steals the wallet of a young woman named Candy. This wallet happens to contain a film with top-secret government information meant to be passed to a communist. The rest of the film follows the attempts of the police and the communist agents to take back the film. This film takes place during the Cold War and therefore corresponds to Chapter 23 in Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty!. At this time, the United States was in pursuit of “a global crusade against communism” (Foner, 847). This resulted in an attempt to eradicate communism at home as well. As Foner states, “Containment… took place at home as well as abroad” (Foner, 861). Being disloyal or unpatriotic was now linked with showing communist tendencies resulting in the “growing anticommunist hysteria” (Foner, 862). Tracking down communists, especially those who were passing information to the Soviets, and throwing them in jail became very important to loyal Americans and to the government. This anticommunist crusade is seen in the film in the way that the detectives were tracking Candy and her boyfriend Joey, who was guilty of passing information. The plot of this film confirms that Americans at the time were convinced that “an army of Soviet spies was at work in the United States” (Foner, 863). During this era of fear, many of the people who were accused and jailed were simply believers of communist beliefs and not necessarily inclined to take part in subversion. However, they were all treated as if this were the case, causing the atmosphere of fear that the anti-communist crusade produced. Foner mentions that “national security agencies encouraged Hollywood to produce anticommunist movies” (Foner, 851), and this film was very much an example of this. Of course, the film confirms the American fear of communist spies rather than showing the less intense side of communist believers.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?
In Chapter 23, Foner states “The Cold War encouraged a culture of secrecy and dishonesty” (Foner, 860). This is very much evident throughout the film. Theft had become an everyday part of people’s lives as is evident through the large web of pickpockets that existed. Skip’s underwater crate of stolen belongings symbolizes the nature of total secrecy. As a result came a new wave of informers, such as Moe Williams, or criminals who worked with police officers by giving information about other criminals. This created a culture in which nobody knew exactly whom they could trust. However, even amongst these criminals, the one group who was seen as the lowest of the low was communists. The Cold War resulted in “the drawing of a sharp line between patriotic Americans and those accused of being disloyal” (Foner, 861). Disloyalty to the United States was not seen in the criminals or immigrants, but in those who were against the status quo or those who supported communism. The anti-communist crusade became a huge part of American culture. The communists were seen as enemies of freedom and communist actions of conspiracy were seen as “worse than murder” (Foner, 862). At one point, Moe says “Even in our crummy business, you gotta draw the line somewhere”, emphasizing the fact that communists were the lowest type of criminals. When Skip McCoy, who shows no sense of morality, becomes angry with Candy and calls her a “Red”, it is again apparent that the anti-communist sentiment was present in all loyal Americans. His inability to trust her also shows the new society of dishonesty and lack of trustworthiness. I definitely believe that this is one of many anti-communist films, even if the director denies it. Joey and his fellow communist agents are completely inferior beings as neither Moe nor Skip will cooperate with them.


C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?
Pickup on South Street was different from all of the previous films we have watched in class. Whereas the other films showed an idealized side of society, this film depicted a society filled with crime and corruption. There were both male and female criminals in the film showing a sense of equality amongst the two genders. However, I do think that some aspects of this film make women seem naturally pure yet easily corruptible, such as Candy’s innocence in the communist scam she was involved in or Moe’s desire to help the police as well as to hinder the communist agents, despite her criminal background. Like many of the films we have seen, women play very sexualized roles. When initially trying to acquire the film from Skip, Candy attempts to do so through means of seduction; the two quickly form an attraction that results in a later relationship. In regards to class, this film reveals that most lower class people at the time were forced to take part in criminal activity as their only means to economic stability. Moe pushes for more money for her information in order to afford a better lifestyle. Rather than disapproving of this trend of criminal activity, I think that the director was trying to show that these actions were necessitated in an attempt to breakout of poverty and achieve true American freedom. It is also obvious that although these actions may be wrong, they are not a sign of disloyalty to the United States; the true sign of loyalty lies solely in the anti-communist crusade. This film does not reveal much in terms of attitudes toward race at the time. When Skip goes to find out what is on the filmstrip, we see a black man working at the front desk. I think that this shows that new opportunities had arisen for African Americans who had previously been restricted to domestic work.

D) What was the most important scene in the film?
I think that the most important scene in the film was the scene where Joey shows up at Moe’s house and threatens to kill her if she does not reveal Skip’s whereabouts. To do so would mean that Moe had helped the communists in their mission and therefore Moe refused to give Joey information. This scene reinforces everything that I have said about the film so far. It shows that although Moe was a criminal and somewhat of a low life, she would never sink so low as to work with the communists. From this, we can see that the anti-communist crusade was a united fight amongst United States citizens. To aid communism would be a complete retreat from democracy and therefore no loyal citizen would do such a thing, no matter their race, class, or gender.

The Purple Heart (1944)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The Purple Heart is a film about a group of soldiers who are captured in Japan during World War II after a bombing raid and put on trial for committing war crimes. They are told that their best chance of being freed is by revealing US military secrets to the Japanese. Similarly to the The Gold Diggers of 1933, it is somewhat difficult to connect this film to the chapter that it corresponds to in Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty, other than the obvious fact that both chapter 22 and The Purple Heart are about World War II. One thing that was noticeable was that this film was one of many war propaganda films of the time. These films “portrayed the Japanese foe as rats, dogs, gorillas, and snaked­– bestial and subhuman. They blamed Japanese aggression on a violent racial or national character” (Foner, 822). This anti-Japanese sentiment discussed in Foner, chapter 22 is shown throughout the film. The Japanese seem cruel and somewhat foolish in many of the scenes. From the start, we see them lying during the trial and trying to using violence and manipulation to get their way. At one point, they receive news of a military victory during the trial and began yelling out and breaking out into some sort of victory dance. Not only does this make them seem cruel but they also appear to be incredibly moronic. It is difficult to link The Purple Heart to Foner’s chapter on World War II mainly because the film takes place overseas while chapter 22 more so discusses life at home as well as the new ideas of freedom. Foner describes that because of the new acceptance of immigrants as ethnic Americans during the war, Hollywood began to create war films whose fighting units “representing various regional, ethnic, and religious background, put aside group loyalties and prejudices for the common cause” (Foner, 819). This was done despite the fact that the actual army was still segregated, however, The Purple Heart does not appear to be this type of film.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

Although The Purple Heart took place in Japan, there are a few aspects of American culture that are revealed throughout it. As the film unravels, we see the soldiers facing all sorts of cruel torture and punishment in attempt to get them to reveal United States military secrets. However, no matter how much pain the men suffer, they still refuse to give in, making it evident that patriotism and loyalty to the United States was very important at the time. After all the hardships they face, the soldiers remain united and optimistic, perhaps showing a propaganda aspect to the film; the government wanted its people to know that the war was being fought for a good cause and that their soldiers were proud to be there. The American’s “unprecedented hatred of Japan” (Foner, 822) was also apparent throughout the film, as I discussed in the first question. The way in which the Japanese savagely tortured the American soldiers and denied them the right to a fair trial in the film would easily make any movie-goer at the time view the Japanese as the un-democratic enemy. The right to a fair trial is an essential aspect of democracy and therefore this denial showed movie-goers at the time how important it was that Americans won the war and spread democracy to such un-democratic nations. The lack of democracy can be seen as being linked to the “uncivilized” as we see the disorder and chaos that takes place in the Japanese courtroom.

C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?

In chapter 22, Foner shows how the Nazi “theory of a master race discredited ethic and racial inequality” (Foner, 818). This caused Americans to realize that those of all races and nationalities should be able to enjoy the same freedoms equally. One group that was left out of the newly accepted “ethnic Americans” was the Japanese. The Purple Heart made a reference to the Japanese internment camps that had sprung up in California. Although there isn’t a specific reference to the changing attitudes towards race in the United States, this did hint at how the Japanese-Americans faced immense discrimination due to the rivalry between the United States and Japan. This was similar to the treatment of the Germans during World War I, but brought to an extreme level that showed just how much a certain ethnic group’s rights can be undermined during a war. Besides the rather exaggerated and racist depiction of the Japanese, there was no reflection of the attitudes toward gender or class that I noticed in this film.

D) What was the most important scene in the film?

I think that the most important scene in the film was the one where the captured soldiers voted on whether they would reveal information about the United States military secrets in order to be acquitted. They do so anonymously by dropping their “wings” into a vase; if any of the pairs came out broken they would reveal the information so as to avoid execution. This scene was very nerve wrecking because I was sure that at least one of the soldiers would vote to reveal the information for fear of death. However, when they reenter the courtroom and have the judge empty the vase, all pairs of wings remain intact. The captain then reveals to the judge that they will not reveal any information and bravely states that even if they are executed, it will not stop the Americans from fighting. One of their main accusers then shoots himself because of his failed attempts and the soldiers are sentenced to execution. Despite their impending doom, the soldiers walk out of the courtroom looking brave and proud of themselves. This shows how incredibly important patriotism was at the time and how brave soldiers were willing to give their lives for the freedom of others. The emotions that this scene stirs up in its audience causes their anger towards the Japanese to become even greater for sentencing these brave young men to death.

The Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The film, the Gold Diggers of 1933, which told the story of four female actresses living during the Great Depression, doesn’t have a huge correlation to chapter 21 of Eric Foner’s book Give Me Liberty due to its evasive nature and general lack of historical reference. Of course, its depiction of unemployment, hunger, and a lack of general needs went along with what we have learned about the effects of the Great Depression during the 1930s. Whilst the film centered mainly on the conditions of the Great Depression, Chapter 21 centers more on Roosevelt’s attempt to combat the Depression. One part of the film that reminded me of the chapter was the beginning, when a group of men, whom I believed to be sheriff officers, barged into the theater during play practice and shut down the rehearsal that was going on. This added to a series of foreclosures that went on during the time period due to an inability to pay for homes, theaters, and the like. Another part of the film that related to the chapter in Foner was when the girls where talking about how they used to live in much better conditions but now lived together in a home that they did not own. This related to when Foner writes about how “the Depression devastated the American housing industry” (Foner, 766). Other than these few aspects, I did not see many similarities between The Gold Diggers and chapter 21 of Foner.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source? 195

In the film The Gold Diggers of 1933, we learn some interesting things about the culture of the time that goes beyond what we learned in Foner. Even as their theaters were being shut down, we saw a “the show must go on” kind of sentiment in the play’s director and actresses. They refuse to be defeated by the consequences of the Great Depression, and therefore planned a new show. The opening song, “We’re in the money” shows the way in which many Americans chose to simply ignore the Great Depression rather than letting it get the best of them. Also, the very evasive nature of the film adds to the idea that Americans were trying to run away from the Great Depression. The film The Gold Diggers portrayed the clear feelings of denial that embodied American citizens during the Great Depression despite the their obvious shortcomings. However, there are many indications in the film that show that completely escaping from the terrors of the Great Depression is impossible such as the inability to afford material goods or even food.

C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race? 317

There isn’t much revealed about race in this film but the attitudes toward gender are certainly reflected. It shows women in a highly sexualized light. The women in the theater shows wore skimpy outfits making them out to be objects. Also, the way that Trixie seduces Peabody in order to get him to buy her things and to marry her, not only makes women out to be sexualized beings, but also makes men seem weak and vulnerable to a woman’s power. It shows love as being impulsive and very sexually based. The way that J. Lawrence Bradford speaks of showgirls, as parasites and gold diggers and not suited for the upper class lifestyle, shows a clear line between classes of the time. Those of the upper class were wary to mix with those of lower classes, believing them to be unworthy, as did J Lawrence Bradford. “Brad Roberts”, who attempted to break away from these class separations, received disapproval from his families for getting mixed up in the theater business rather than his rightful career, banking. However, the film showed love defeating intolerance as Polly and Brad, Trixie and Peabody, and Carol and J Lawrence Bradford get married despite their different classes.

D) What was the most important scene in the film?

Although not a very unique answer, as I assume most of my classmates will have the same one, I believe that the most important scene of the film was the final number “Remember my Forgotten Man”. It was interesting to see such a real and upsetting depiction of society at the time. “Remember my Forgotten Man” described the unfulfilled promises of those who fought in the war. It showed how soldiers returned after fighting a war that they believed would result in freedom, and instead faced immense disappointments such as a lack of compensation and poor social conditions. After a film dedicated to the escape from the Great Depression, it was somewhat shocking to see the film brought back down to earth. I think that this scene showed Americans that although there was a great downturn to the Great Depression, they were in it together and could work together to deal with the hardships that it brought.

The Crowd (1928)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

The film, The Crowd, related in many aspects to Chapter 20 of Eric Foner’s book, Give me Liberty. The early twentieth century acted as a time of great economic growth in the United States. As a result, America became a deeply consumer-based society and access to this consumer culture became the ultimate goal for most Americans. As Foner explains, “new leisure activities and a new emphasis on consumption had replaced politics as the focus of public concern” (Foner, 730). Consumerism became the utmost representation of freedom for American citizens. This change in culture is represented throughout the film; big business workers, such as the main character John Sims, are shown rushing out of work at exactly 5 o’clock to participate in the activities for that night. To these men, “work, once seen as a source of pride in craft skill or collective empowerment via trade unions, now came to be valued as a path to individual fulfillment through consumption and entertainment” (Foner, 724). Many men, including John Sims, moved to New York to take part in the new society, convinced that economic success and prosperity would soon follow. However, many of these men soon found out that success was not as easily attained as they had once believed.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

Interpreting The Crowd as a primary historical document provides us with a great deal of insight into the lives of Americans at the time. Right from the start, we see the American aspiration of becoming successful. John Sims, like many other ambitious young men at the time, moves to New York in order to pursue his dreams. However, also like many other men at the time, he ends up as a “big fish in a small pond”, one of hundreds of workers at a huge business. Like many other men with their hopes set too high, John faces a series of unexpected disappointments. I think that this shows how the idea of the “American dream” was beginning to become irrelevant for many Americans. However, most of them would not give up the idea that success would someday be theirs. Another huge representation of American culture at the time was the diminishing pride in one’s job as demonstrated by the rush of workers leaving at 5 o’clock on the dot. People were now more concerned with leisure time and working was simply a source for attaining the money to pursue leisurely activities. Another reflection of American culture at this time is the scene where a bus advertisement persuades John to propose to Mary. This shows how easily influenced by advertisement Americans were. Although quite exaggerated in the film, Americans certainly were very driven by consumerism and easily manipulated because of it.

C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?

In the very first scene of The Crowd, a young John Sims and some of his friends are talking about what they want to be when they grow up and an African American boy responds “I detend to be a preacher man! Hallelujah!” I thought this was both sad and reflective of the American attitudes toward race at the time. Whites were seen as the dominant race and were treated as so; being white meant having much greater opportunities in life. This was especially true for American born whites. The African-American boy in this case knows that his options are limited and therefore aspires to be a preacher. The film also shows life from the perspective of working class citizens as very ordinary. It shows the daily struggles of a working class family such as tight budgeting and a house full of furniture and appliances that don’t properly work. The film reveals women as being very sexualized and inferior to men. At the end of the work, a bunch of women are shown waiting for men to pick them up and take them out for the night. Although it was a first date, and they say things like “I oughtn’t to let you kiss me”, Mary and Jane quickly give in to John and Bert’s attempts to kiss them. Once married, Mary immediately becomes a domesticated woman whose sole responsibility is to take care of her husband John. In one scene, Bert is shown promiscuously dancing with two women at his home, one of which starts to dance with John despite the fact that he is married. Another observation that could be made about race in this film is the fact that all of the people seen working in the big businesses and taking part in the nightlife were white. This was very common of the time period as most non-white cultures were forced into low-paying factories with poor working conditions.

D) What was the most important scene in the film? 389

I believe that the most important scene in The Crowd is the first scene in which John is at his new job. I think that scene summarizes many of the themes of the film. The large room with rows and rows of matching desks and men doing the same type of work, shows just how monotonous work could be at a large corporation. It also displays the new methods of work centered on mass production in the way that everyone was hurriedly going through their tasks. John’s utter boredom showed how work no longer brought about a sense of pride or skill in workers, but was now simply a compulsory task carried out in order to make a living. The fact that everyone rushed out of the office at the stroke of 5, emphasized this further. The desire to earn a living in order to afford material goods and leisurely activities is also present in this scene. As John exits the building after work, people are meeting up with one another to go out and have fun. One of John’s coworkers, Bert, even says “night life is my speed”, accentuating that people’s main interests involved leisure.

The Heart of Humanity (1919)

A) How does the film relate to the chapter in Foner?

Although released at the end of the war, the film The Heart of Humanity is an example of one of many films of the early 1900s used as propaganda for WWI. We learned in Chapter 19 of Eric Foner’s book, Give Me Liberty, that these types of films were typical of the time period in order to generate support for the war. It was a new government practice of “conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses” (Foner, 692). This film was a reflection of the pro-war sentiment expressed through American culture that came as a result of the government’s propaganda; to oppose the war meant a lack of patriotism for the United States. Foner also expresses the American sentiment of Germans as being the anti-freedom, as “government propaganda whipped up hatred of the wartime foe [the Germans] by portraying it as a nation of barbaric Huns” (Foner, 693). This sentiment was intensely reinforced throughout the film through the cruel and savage depiction of the German soldiers. For example, in a scene where a group of orphans are begging for milk, the German officers refuse to give them any, despite the plentiful amount. They then maliciously pour the milk out onto the street in front of the poor, desperate children, labeling the milk as coming from “those interfering Americans”. Not only does this image make the Germans look terrible for taunting children and wasting valuable goods, but it also displays a favorable image of Americans for generously sending supplies to those in need. This also reflected what Foner described as a desire of American presidents at the time to spread power, not simply through military force, but through the spread of culture as well. In this case, the simple act of supplying foreign war refugees with milk was a way for the Americans to spread their influence as expressed by the popularized slogan “Food will win the war” (Foner, 691). In the introduction to Chapter 19, Foner describes English editor W.T. Stead’s prediction for the United States as becoming the “greatest of world-powers” by promoting “its interests and values through an unending involvement in the affairs of other nations” (Foner, 679). Their involvement in World War I acted as a way for the United States to carry out their spread of influence. In one scene of the film, the quote “think what this restoration work means to future generations” expresses the American hope for post-war American society. Foner also explains this hope when he explains that many Americans believed that “the war would accelerate the movement toward solving the ‘age old problems of poverty, inequality, oppression, and unhappiness’” (Foner, 693). To these Americans, the casualties of the war were well worth the outcome.

B) What can we learn about American culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary historical source?

By interpreting The Heart of Humanity as a primary historical document of the time period, a lot can be assumed about the American culture and thinking. First of all, we can see the large amount of involvement that the war brought from all sectors of society. The gender-class lines were temporarily broken in a time where patriotism and support for the war came first. Nanette’s sudden realization that her help was needed in the war showed that even women, usually given little influence, were greatly involved in the war effort. The war was central to American life at the time; it was on everyone’s mind. We saw this as the film switched from a battle scene to a scene showing the “loved ones at home” who were anxiously awaiting news about the war. Additionally we learn that hope overshadowed despair at the time; although the war would bring much loss it would also create new opportunities, as I described before. This is evident when the cheerful birth of Nanette’s baby follows the death of one of John’s brothers. Americans were hopeful that the war would bring good changes for future generations as is restated in a later quote, “through sorrow great souls are born”. Throughout the film, we are constantly reminded of American patriotism through the waving of the American flag such as when a young Irish-American proudly carries the flag to battle. Germans are seen as evil and cowardly as is expressed in a scene where they fire at a group of women and children, followed by the words “the cowardice of autocracy”. At the end of the film, the words “the heart of humanity throbbed with new hope” and “souls of soldiers are glorified in their sacrifice”, reveal the American expectations of an improved society following the war in compensation for their great efforts. Little did they realize that these expectations were to be crushed and replaced by a time of complete social turmoil, repression of their civil liberties, and economic struggle.

C) What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?

I thought that The Heart of Humanity demonstrated an interesting mindset toward women of the time period. During most of the film, I was quite surprised by the presence of a woman as the main character and as a heroic figure for her involvement in the war. I was surprised by this, because from what I understand, women were usually seen as domesticated and reserved rather than courageous or heroic. The final scene reinforced my beliefs about the attitudes toward women at that time period. Nanette, being violently attacked by a German officer, became the victim and John became the “true hero” when he rescues her. However, I have come to understand that women were very active in the first world war and this is very much shown in the film. Nanette’s service in the Red Cross proved that Americans of the time were able to put aside their ideas of the domesticated woman and accept that she provided a great deal of support in the war effort. The war provided a time where attitudes towards different genders, classes, and races were temporarily put aside in order to focus people’s thoughts on supporting the war. However, soon after the war’s end, society returned to a state of prejudice and inequality and women reassumed their traditional roles. Not much is revealed about attitudes towards different classes and races in the film other than the fact that all who were involved in the war, no matter their background, were important additions to the war effort.

D) What was the most important scene in the film?

I think that the most important scene in the film is the scene in which a German officer is attacking Nanette in the orphanage and John comes to her rescue. I believe that this scene greatly expresses the idea of the Germans as being completely evil. Not only is the officer’s attack on Nanette completely barbaric but also his act of throwing a crying baby out the window is undeniably heartless and vicious. To treat a baby, the symbol of complete innocence, in such a manner can no doubt be a reflection of absolute savagery. To reiterate the idea of Americans as being the civilized, heroic ones, the director has John enter the scene and kill the German soldier, successfully rescuing Nanette despite the fact that she tries to end her life. I also think that this scene subtly depicts the return to normal gender roles that arose after the war. Nanette, once active and detrimental to the war effort, becomes a victim whose only chance of survival is through her husband’s rescue. During the war, the wives and daughters of soldiers had to become more independent and take over the roles once held by these men. Once the men returned, however, it was time for men and women to reassume their traditional roles in society.