Most important DVDs of 2007 - Treasures III - Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934
The National Film Preservation Foundation has been released DVDs of important films from around the United States’ many film archives since 2000 when it began the single most important series of such films ever. “Treasures of American Film Archives” included two films made in WV and many others from all over. In 2007 they released “Treasurers III - Social Issues in American Film, 1900-1934″a collection of DVDs with 12.25 hours that include 48 films on almost every possible issue from atheism to homelessness to abortion to factory safety.
I loaned the copy of this collection given to the West Virginia Library Commission - every state library was given a copy - to WV State Archives Greg Carroll who is both a leading activist and a media activist, working with the WV Intl. Film Festival.
Treasures III –Nat. Film Preservation Foundation
By Greg Carroll, WV State Archives Historian There are so many folks who consider themselves “Film Nuts” or think they have such a vast knowledge of film history. When questioned this usually means they know who Julia Roberts is married to or hopefully they “just love On the Waterfront”. I do not want to sound harsh but this attitude is all too common. The way to really know movie history is to go back into the Silent Era and start there with your education. So few of us do this and this fact means that a HUGE repertoire of incredible films are NEVER seen or analyzed by the American viewing public. The only chance for most TV watchers is to tune into Turner broadcasting (TCM) late on Sunday night and catch their wonderful showings of “Silent Sunday” pictures (with some discussion and backgrounds about these great films).
Otherwise, you will need to jump onto things like this stunning collection of films brought out by the NFPF! I owe much to Steve Fesenmaier for acquiring many of these “silents” so I could watch them. This collection deals with the important theme of “Social Issues in American Film” and does it deliver some gems! In four DVDs you can see 48 amazing films filled with pathos, drama, great acting, fabulous photography, and filmmaking so fresh, so reality based, so visually stunning, that one is left almost breathless with admiration. These are not clever recreations, ala Coppla, of street scenes in Little Italy….these are the REAL STREETS of New York in 1913. There is even an amazing short of immigrants getting off the boat in at the real Ellis Island in 1903!! I will comment on only a few because there are so many more of these that I have yet to enjoy. I can highly recommend “An American in the Making”, “Romona”, and “Redskin” as excellent examples of this fine collection. In the film “An American in the Making” , made by the United States Steel Corporation as a propaganda and training film, we see a young Hungarian immigrant find his dream in the America of capitalist fantasy. In the end of this moving film we are treated to the actual safety features that the Steel corporation wanted to get over to the average worker who may not have even been able to read English. Here is a very early example of “Image” being more important than Words”.
In both “Romona” and “Redskin” the Native American is shown in
Hollywood’s always contradictory fashion. With both understanding and sympathy clashing with bald racism and cultural imperialism these movies are a rare look into earlier American race relations. “Redskin” starring Richard Dix is an incredibly filmed 82 minute epic tale of a young Navajo caught between two cultures! Filmed on location at the actual reservations of the Navajo and Pueblo Nations and using many Indian actors this film is a monument to early film making and stands as one of the best films EVER made about Native Americans. The viewer deals with the racial contradictions head on and can see how the continuing Hollywood mistakes about Native Culture begin with films like this. This great collection also includes learned discussions with EVERY film. There are explanations about the technological side of early film making and, more importantly, philosophical dialogues with teachers, sociologists, and film reviewers about why these films were done and their reception by the American public at the time. Be prepared for obvious propaganda from both the right and the left. Another of the truly impressive parts of this program is the careful analysis of each films musical soundtrack. This is something one hardly ever is exposed to. And all these films are documented in a wonderful booklet included with the collection. I hope film lovers will take this opportunity to see this NFPF masterpiece and to support the important task of film restoration that this organization is promoting.
