Conscientious Objectors: Racism, anti-Semitism, corruption, and political oppression are not just problems that plagued our nation in the 1950s—they are issues that Hollywood addressed in some of its best work of the era. These political films, coming in the relatively comfortable period following World War II, had the luxury of once again taking on domestic social problems after the industry spent years focusing on the more immediate threats abroad. But filmmakers with controversial political viewpoints needed to tread lightly in this time of HUAC, Joseph McCarthy, and the emerging Soviet threat. As a result, much of the era’s cinematic activism was aimed at slightly off-center—yet clearly analogous—targets. This course examines such films as Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront and A Face in the Crowd and considers the factors surrounding the translation of individual social consciousness into mainstream entertainment. Understanding these ideas opens up new cultural and historical avenues to the appreciation of cinema from any era.
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