In The House on 92nd Street and Call Northside 777, the opening credits are seen in a distinct fashion by way of a book. A hand from an unknown character flips through the pages revealing names of the cast and crew. Both finally come to the statement that the movie is based on a true story. In this way, the director has set up to the audience not only are they going to be entertained with a movie but what they are about to shown is true. By using a book as the opening credit, the director allows the viewer to know that this is a story that they are getting the privilege of knowing. The added benefit that when something is in print, the viewer believes it to be true, is helpful to these movies.
The writing in The House on 92nd Street, replays to the audience just how true this story is by adding that they used real FBI agents in some of the scenes and tried to film whenever possible in the exact location that the events took place. This movie wants to show the viewer that it’s trying to portray this film in the most truthful light possible. However, today the viewer can tell that there are propagandist tendencies in these films when it constantly refers to the FBI as a great organization that doesn’t fail at anything.
2 comments:
The way that the filmmakers so frequently stated that these stories were adapted from the truth, real locations and people were used, etc. was a way of proving the film's own authenticity. As with the blatancy of the propoganda in House on 92nd St. the "proof" of authenticity jumps out at us too. It's as if the filmmkaers are saying "Don't think, just take this all in, it's the truth."
The way in which the film begins does seem to bring some legitimacy to the story. Instead of seeing the names scroll down the screen, we are being given tangible paper the has everything printed on it. We are meant to think that these pages are real, which may cause us to assume that the story is also true. The credits create a realism which allows the audience to believe that the story is not only meant to entertain, but to inform the American public of true events.
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