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High +Noon on the Waterfront and the Red Scare
+Joseph +J. Green
+Northern +Arizona University
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+ The endings of the films “High +Noon” and “On the Waterfront” are both a product of their +times. They have highly significant themes that seem to be an echo of +the battle between communism and capitalism, or more precisely, the +mob and the individual. It’s also clear that if both these films +were similar to fables, where the goal is to have some special moral +to teach people, that we would find them to be very similar. Though, +both films seem to come across it in slightly different ways.
+At +the end of “High Noon”, our hero, +if you will, Will Kaine has a showdown with his enemy Fred Miller and +his gang. Ultimately, Kaine wins the fight and prepares to ride off +into the +sunset. It is in this scene where Kaine represents how being an +individual, despite how +others may behave, is how to win the lady and save the day. Prior, +it was made clear that the townsfolk wanted nothing to do with this +fight. A few were ready to jump for a gun at +first, but the rest of the +community managed to talk them out if it. They +decided +that it would be better for Kaine to simply leave town, and that it +would be better +for both Kaine and the town. However, Kaine stood his ground, he +wasn’t ready to give up, and as the individual in defiance to the +mob, he won the day. This idea was further illustrated when his wife, +who had previously adopted the Quaker religion in an effort to swear +away violence at any cost, decided to think for herself, instead of +simply following the thoughts of her religion, and help Kaine by +killing one of the men when she had the chance. Both Kaine and his +Wife decided to pursue the concept of the individual and won, in +spite of the mob. The clear +moral of the story here is that people should do what they believe is +right, even if it’s against the consensus of the mob.
+At +the end of, “On the Waterfront” Terry Malloy, after having been +beaten up by the boss, Johnny Friendly, and his gang. was encouraged +to stand up and walk to the docks to work. The significance here was +to inspire the men to go work for themselves, that they didn’t need +the union bosses to tell them who can and can’t work, and that they +didn’t need to stay D&D (deaf and dumb). That they could do an +honest days work, and get an honest days pay. That they should do +what’s right, instead of falling in with the mob. We again see the +rise of individualism in defiance to the group, or capitalism beating +out communism. They even have the union boss say, “The ones who +work, are the ones I pick,” further trying to tell the audience +that this is what communism looks like, and how it will never win +against capitalism. The moral-like ending here is almost the same as +that of “High Noon”, the mob isn’t always right, don’t just +go along with whatever they are doing, do the right thing.
+Well, +as it has been shown, if we think of things in terms of a fable with +a specific moral, they both seem to be saying the same thing. “The +individual is the right thing.” Which, of course, is about as far +from the ideas of communism that you can get. One of the main +differences in the endings, though, is that “On the Waterfront” +has a bit of a happier ending. Here, our main character ends up +helping the community by being willing to stand up for what’s +right. Almost being a martyr, as several others were before him.
+In +the case of “High Noon”, we’re led to believe that Fred Miller +and his gang may cause trouble for the town, with no evidence. +Perhaps this was a criticism of McCarthyism? Either way, we are +outright told that violence in the town will be bad for the town’s +ability to get funding from the northern states, as it’ll stain +their reputation. Furthermore, it is made clear that there likely +will be no violence if Kaine leaves the town. Kaine, having refused +to leave town and pursue his fight there, doomed the town by giving +it a worse reputation by having killing in the streets. Then, after +he finishes, he prepares to leave town. All he did was destroy the +hopes of the town and leave. A sad ending indeed, alowing a horrible +person to get away with his misdeeds. In both cases, however, the +message of the time was clear. Communism is bad and will lose, +capitalism is good and will win.
+So +what’s the moral of the story in these two “red scare” era +films? “Communism is scary and we should purge it from our country +before it dooms us all.” The films certainly find somewhat +different ways to describe that message, but it’s there in both “On +the Waterfront” and “High Noon”. The films clearly demonstrate +how mob rule will only lead to chaos, and end on a similar moral note +of the wonders of the individual and the horrors of the mob.
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+High Noon. +(1952). [film].
++On +the Waterfront. +(1954). [film].
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+ OF PAPER
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Title +of Paper
+Sub +Title
+Joseph +J. Green
+Northern +Arizona University
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+Let’s do High Noon, and On the +Waterfront
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High +noon ending. There was a gunfight, and Kaine won.
+With +no evidence they accused Miller of coming to town to do bad things. +Also, to kill Kaine, with no evidence
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intro
+1 +High Noon. Significance. Fable. Sum moral. Ending reflect era
+There +was a gunfight where kaine one and Mrs.s Kaine contributed to the +fight.
+Mrs. +Kaine decided to do what she thinks is right, not just follow her +religion.
+In +defiance against the townsfolk, Kaine fought his battle
+This +scene is significant as it shows a fight betwwen an individual +(capitalisim) and a mob (communisim)
+Were +this a fable, the moral may be, do what you believe is right, even if +the crowd is against it. The mob isn’t always right.
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2 +On the Waterfront. Significance. Fable. Sum moral Ending reflect era
+Terry +Malloy, after having been beaten up by the bosses, decided to stand +up and walk to the docks to get to work and inspire the rest of the +men to work without the bosses being involved. Presumably disbanding +the union, or at least, the one run by Johnny Friendly, and going to +work directly at the docks.
+The +significance is that, again, we see individualism standing out from +mob rule. We also see a bit of anti-comunism in the idea of Johhny +saying “The ones who work, are the ones I pick”
+The +fablely ending is similar to high noon. The mob isn’t always right, +do the right thing.
+3 +Compare endings
+Well, +as it has been shown, if we think of things in terms of a fable with +a specific moral, they both seem to be saying the same thing. The +individual is a good thing. Which, of course, is about as far from +the ideas of communisim that you can get. One of the main differences +in the endings, though, is that “On the Waterfront” has a bit of +a happier ending. Here, our main character ends up helping the +community by being willing to stand up for what’s right. In the +case of “High Noon”, we’re led to believe that Fred Miller and +his gang may cause trouble for the town, but we are outright told +that violence in the town will be bad for the town and that there +won’t be violence if Will Kaine would only leave the town. Kaine, +having refused to leave town and pursue his fight there, doomed the +town by giving it a worse reputation by having killing in the +streets. Then, after he does it, he prepares to leave town. All he +did was destroy the hopes of the town, and then leave. A sad ending +indeed, with a horrible person getting off for his misdeeds. In +either case, the message of the time was clear. Communisim is bad, +it’s capitalisim that wins.
+outro
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Sources:
+The +damned movie
+The +other damned movie
+ + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/school_essays/essays/High_Noon_on_the_Waterfront_and_the_Red_Scare_notes.odt b/school_essays/essays/High_Noon_on_the_Waterfront_and_the_Red_Scare_notes.odt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5395276 Binary files /dev/null and b/school_essays/essays/High_Noon_on_the_Waterfront_and_the_Red_Scare_notes.odt differ diff --git a/school_essays/index.html b/school_essays/index.html index bf17602..7f1fb19 100644 --- a/school_essays/index.html +++ b/school_essays/index.html @@ -142,6 +142,16 @@ Cross Cultural Confusions [HTML] [ODT] + +