April 11, 2007
House on 92nd Street
House on 92nd Street blended elements of film noir and docudrama. It was one of the first times Hollywood attempted to use real, archival footage in a narrative film. Being one of the first tries at interweaving the real with the narrative, I think they did a fairly good job. Not only was the real surveillance footage used to set up the story and the German spy element, but it was also mixed in with other shots to blur the lines between real and fake. Throughout, I couldn't help but think about December 7, in that this fell in with the WWII propoganda films, disguised as a suspenseful thriller. It also raised the same question of whether or not moviegoers in the 1940s were hit over the head with the melodramatic patriotism the same way we are today, or were they genuinely moved? Maybe, since this film came out in 1946, the public wanted something that reaffirmed their faith in the American government. The sweeping, theatrical score that's played everytime the F.B.I. building placard is shown gives the audience the cue that this is the place to be revered. Lots of technical terms and processes were explained throughout the film not only to add to the "real" effect of the film, but to give a feeling of legitimacy and authority. The F.B.I. in this film was a well oiled machine that could solve any problem.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
It's a good point you bring up when talking about "beating the audience over the head", or at least our perception of that happening to audiences back in the 1940's with propaganda-like films. The House on 92nd Street is somewhat of a propaganda film in its own right, with the glorification of the FBI and the stereotypical views of Germans. Although I must say it comes off as being a lot more subtle than December 7th . That film truly left my head aching after viewing it, so I can only hope that viewers in the 1940's weren't naive enough to buy into it.
"Maybe, since this film came out in 1946, the public wanted something that reaffirmed their faith in the American government."
I think you are right in this statement because it definetly seemed that a lot of movies came out that depicted American heroes beating the bad guys during the 1940s. Although I don't think the propaganda is as blatent as other films, the musical score and narration definetly beat you over the head with its message.
Post a Comment