As Jay Cray, one author on The Global Panorama, says, “Historically, film has been used as a way out, to escape reality. When you could only see one film a week, going to the cinema was a big deal. It was a time to get together with friends and family and head to the cinema to be transported into an intriguing plot line with hilarious comedy or a beautiful love story.” [Read the blog post here.] Film and escapism are as pertinent today as they were in the past. During a time period of financial, familial, physical, and emotional upheaval as the Great Depression, finding a way to escape was even more tempting than usual. When you lose your hopes and dreams, when you watch life as you knew it crumble before your eyes – where do you turn to? How do you handle this psychological turmoil? The American Dream, the ideal you work on your entire life, becomes unattainable, and fiction provides an outlet to retreat back into a happier place. Through fiction, especially film, the American Dream gains renewed life. |
Film - A great means of escapeFilm as an art form allows audiences, in any part of the world, to step into a life that is entirely new and unique – a life that is separate and detached from the real world. During that moment when the film begins and the first scene unfolds, reality has been left behind for an experience that is fictional. However, that fictional experience can still provide psychological nourishment – or, on the negative side, a way to completely escape the problems of reality by way of pushing them aside. “Out of sight, out of mind.” Film makes way for the fantastical, and during a grim time as the Great Depression, the fantastical becomes that much more bearable to live in. There is joy and laughter, enthusiasm and excitement. For many people, film was the only source of those positive emotions. When taking in mind the historical context and perspective of film during the Great Depression, the beginning of the film and leisure time era arises: “Significantly, people living at the time of the Great Depression may have only been the first or second generation in their families to experience leisure time and the options it afforded. Despite the economic devastation of the 1930s, people were not to forego what they had so recently come to take for granted. In fact, popular culture—and the amusements and entertainment associated with it—may have been crucial to public well being during the period. Attending movies, listening to the radio, dancing to live music, and reading cheap magazines or books containing sensational or gruesome material, popularly known as pulp fiction, allowed people to escape from the uncertainties, anxieties, and loss of self esteem associated with the Depression years.” [Read the article here.] |
With this backdrop in mind, there are two films that encapsulate escapism during the Great Depression.
The Purple Rose of Cairo |
A 1985 film by Woody Allen, The Purple Rose of Cairo follows a woman who uses the cinema experience as a means to escape from the hardship and trouble plaguing her reality. The film’s story takes place during the Great Depression itself, providing a meaningful backdrop on the connection between the difficult time period and how films played such a vital role for the American citizens.
As the story progresses, the line between reality and fantasy is blurred – a character from a film miraculously comes to life and forms a love interest with our protagonist. The very concept of escapism, and the reality and fantasy elements that it entails, are played with by Woody Allen, even more so when the actor behind the fictional character comes into the picture and forces the protagonist to choose between reality and non-reality. An important theme that is explored in the film is the very fine line between escaping for pleasure and escaping with no intention of returning. The troublesome times for the protagonist at home are very real and very relatable issues, and she is faced with the decision to return back to the world and face life for all that it is, or to continue living in denial and in the dreamlike fantasy – a crisis that can manifest for anyone pursuing their own American Dream ideals. One blog author summarizes the theme of escapism in the film: “In The Purple Rose of Cairo, the anti-heroine, Cecelia, relies heavily on the movies to escape her life, but when her fantasy world becomes her reality, she realizes escape is impossible, as escaping only exists because of reality; without reality there would be no need to escape. Although miserable at times, reality is the only option and the escape into a fantasy world can never last.” [Read the blog post here.]
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The Wizard of Oz |
The Wizard of Oz from 1939 has since become a film classic to audiences around the globe. The combination of reality and fantasy – showcased through the black and white film style at the beginning and end of the film, alongside the colorful and vibrant scenes in the Land of Oz – create a juxtaposition of Great Depression life and the wish for a prosperous future. Dorothy, the young protagonist, must search for a way home after finding herself in a foreign place, and the personality traits she brings with her, the characters she meets along the way, and the unfolding of the story between reality and dream depict a promising narrative for Americans suffering through the Great Depression.
The film resonates with audiences, not only in present times but poignantly during the late 30s and early 40s. One blogger summarizes a key aspect to the film and its impact on the people: “Judy Garland, in one of the more famous scenes, sings the classic ‘Over the Rainbow,’ a song that evokes the emotion of a better tomorrow. The rainbow symbol has always been used as a sign of hope. The rainbow is the Genesis covenant that new life will be blessed by God and floods will never again ravage the earth. It is the sign-post to the proverbial ‘pot of gold.’ It was just what Americans needed to hear in 1939.” [Read the blog post here.] Compared to The Purple Rose of Cairo, The Wizard of Oz provides a different commentary on escapism. While Dorothy is in the new dream world, she feels trapped – an extremely different emotion than that of The Purple Rose of Cairo. Family and returning home are the objectives above all else for Dorothy, and the theme of strong family life is held together from the beginning to the end with Dorothy wishing for “no place like home”. Family, in this film, is the American Dream.
During the Great Depression, family easily became a higher priority for many Americans, and the showcase of happy family life – of being together despite the turbulence around them – allowed a positive interpretation and solution to the Great Depression period. Rather than escape from the troubles, relying on what is already there, through brains, heart, and courage, could help you overcome any hardship in reality. |