i need somebody good with old american movies like 1940s or 1950s and write me a research paper about 11 pages.
ma7sen_98
my_man_godfrey.docx
8
MY MAN GODFREY
The film “My Man Godfrey” was representative of the American worker during the twentieth century. This story mimicked arguably the worst years in American history, and put a positive spin on it. Not only did it do a great job of depicting the American culture during that time, it embraced values that helped people cope with the economic disparities and personal struggles they endured. This film was so incredible because it embraced community, a good work ethic, intelligence, patience, determination, and perseverance. In addition, the improbability of everything that happened to Godfrey increased the potency and effectiveness of the motion picture. All of these core concepts were displayed through the main character, “Godfrey”. William Powell made this film a success. Elliot Rubinstein (1982) made a great point saying that the roles people played perhaps did not matter as much as who played them. When considering “My Man Godfrey”, this is certainly true. In addition to showing the core concepts applicable to the depression, it degraded wealth, greed, laziness, and most other attributes associated with the upper class. The film showed these concepts using story, character, and the contrast of homelessness and wealth. Through an analysis of the nuances behind this film, it is easy to see that this film displayed these characteristics based on the culture of that time.
This film was released in 1936, when America was within the Great Depression. The economic struggle impacted every person in the country; many people were homeless. Therefore it was appropriate to tell the story of a homeless man’s tenacity to flourish during this time. Godfrey was the man who could be observed as a litmus test for the common man during the depression. In other words, the American spirit was displayed through his character. The sense of community was key to Godfrey’s character. Despite going to Harvard, Godfrey was shown as a homeless man who lived at the city dump with other homeless men. Before going to work for the Bullocks, he was shown at the dump a couple of times. Here, there was a strong sense of togetherness and community. They cared for one another a great deal. Even though their resources were limited, the homeless men there felt a sense of friendship, family, and togetherness. This was done to mirror America’s situation at large during the depression. This helped depict the notion that all people must work as one in order to survive the struggles of the time. When Godfrey went to work for the Bullocks, there was not a strong sense of family, despite actually being one. The Bullocks acted like a group of people who simply lived together. They displayed no true identity; there was no true spark of love or togetherness like the homeless men in the dump felt. This technique put a negative lens on the view of the wealthy. The Bullocks were displayed as greedy, selfish people, which inspired the idea of community among the less fortunate.
A strong work ethic was truly evident throughout the film. The work ethic displayed was shown through Godfrey, and his homeless friends as opposed to the Bullocks. Whenever scenes were shown in the dump with Godfrey and his friends, they were all usually up and around, trying to perform some sort of task. Whether it was fixing a bed, getting a meal, etc. they were always doing something to better their situation. In addition to the continuous work they did, they usually had a smile on their faces as well. They were working hard to improve themselves, and doing it happily. Working hard and being happy was a great message to send to people living in the 1930s. This component made this film appropriate to show the American people during this time, considering the massive amount of work and improvements that needed to occur. On the flip side, most scenes where the Bullocks were shown in their house, they were usually sitting down and being served a meal or a drink. In addition, they were usually complaining or crying about something. As pointed out by Michiko Kakutani (1990), most screwball comedies typically belittled the upper class. This point was highly evident in “My Man Godfrey”. The Bullocks displayed laziness while complaining a lot. They were being served nonstop. The work ethic depicted through this family was minimal. They blazed through money, and did little to contribute to society as a whole. Because of the contrast of hard work and happiness, and laziness and immaturity, this film degraded wealth and embraced a solid work ethic. The story portrayed the disconnection between the upper and lower classes. It showed that material things may not lead to happiness and true satisfaction in life. Given the time this story was shown to the public, this component was incredibly crucial to society.
Another trait Godfrey portrayed well was intelligence. He was a man of morals, integrity, and quick wit. He attended Harvard and chose not to tell any member of the Bullocks. He attempted to help the family financially, but even then he did not wish to flare his achievements around and brag about them. This showed his strong sense of security. Unlike the Bullocks, he felt no need to tell people about his own personal gains throughout life. He singlehandedly saved the Bullocks financially, which displayed his intelligence. His advanced mental abilities were shown in great contrast to the ignorant, immature Bullock family. Godfrey was able to save the family, and still keep his personal values in place. He was an incredibly bright man, and knew what to say as well as when to say it. His intelligence was also shown through his humor. This screwball comedy was really portrayed through the quick wit of Godfrey. This added an enjoyable texture to the film, which made it easier to follow and understand. It also added a sense of comical-cushioning to the large amount of cultural input that the audiences received. In his review of the film, John J. Puccio (2001) explained how the film was orchestrated in such a way that it was so convincing because of the personalities and characters involved, particularly Godfrey. His personality was easy to identify with. This was due in large part because of his intelligent, quick-witted humor, which really drove the movie. With all of the oppression going on in the 1930s, an intelligent, funny man like Godfrey was a great character to lighten the spirit of the audiences, in an attempt to release them from their unhappiness and struggle. Godfrey showed a high level of patience. He was homeless, got a chance to work, and did so diligently until he discovered another path to go down. Because the depression was long, this concept fit well to embrace. Every day during the depression was definitely a very long and dreary day for all people who were struggling. One could overtly see Godfrey’s patience when he would take insults from Cornelia Bullock day in and day out. This signified his internal and emotional fortitude, as he was able to turn the other cheek. Also, simply standing around the Bullock family was clear evidence of Godfrey’s patience. He was able to withstand their crying, complaints, and selfishness. Even the maid told Godfrey when he started working there that he would not last long. The only two people with any sense of integrity or work ethic were the maid and Godfrey, who both displayed high levels of patience. This idea of a strong will as well as patience to parry the wealthy and all of their greed was a great concept to send to American viewers. Godfrey’s ability to endure blow after blow was a testament to the incredible amount of will power the American people had during the depression. Watching this film made it very clear that the ability to work a dead end job, for little pay, with little knowledge of what is to come in the future was certainly one worth noting. This made this film more real and rich.
A key reason this film was representative of Americans during the time this film was released was because of Godfrey’s determination and perseverance. At the beginning of the film, it was easy to see his pessimism. He had just gotten out of a relationship. Being “down in the dumps”, both literally and figuratively speaking, he mentally applied himself to the task at hand in order to improve his life. The original sense of defeat he felt mirrored American people at that time. The Bullocks gave him a kick-start in the right direction. With a little opportunity, he was determined to better himself. With his strong mental ability to continue forward, he persevered and got out of the rut he was in previously. This component of the story was a key message to deliver to the American public. Telling people to drudge on through the thick of the depression was a positive thing to display. Godfrey went from some of his worst moments in life, to some of the best moments, which was representative of the United States as a whole during that time.
It seems unlikely to find togetherness, hard work, patience, etc. within a single person. However, the fact that most parts of this film were so unlikely is what made it so incredible. All of the core values needed to survive this time were compiled into one character. Thankfully, William Powell was able to perform masterfully. Roger Ebert (2008) made this point explaining the fact that the chain of events Godfrey endured is extremely unlikely. Godfrey seemed unstoppable; there wasn’t much he could not do. Yet this ability for one man to do so much, and the fact that so many improbable things occurred made the film much better. These concepts, however improbable, were components of this film that really resonated with the viewers. They made the film more complete. Many Americans during the depression surely felt that improvements in life were unlikely. This motion picture matched the emotional state of its audiences, while creating a film so ridiculous, witty, and unlikely that people fell in love with it.
Works Cited
Ebert, R. (2008, May 29). My Man Godfrey. (Web page). Retrieved from: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/RE VIEWS08/925898329/1023
Kakutani, M. (1990). 30’s Romantic Comedy and Deep Implications. New York Times, C19.
Nugent, F.S. (1936, September 19). Movie Review: My Man Godfrey. (Web page). Retrieved from: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05 E7DF17 3CE16EBC4152DFBF66838D629EDE&partner=Rotten%20 Tomatoes
Puccio, J.J. (2001, August 1). My Man Godfrey – DVD Review. (Web page). Retrieved from: http://moviemet.com/review/my-man-godfrey-dvd-review
Rubinstein, E. (1982). The End of Screwball Comedy: The Lady Eve and The Palm Beach Story. Post Script, 1, 33-47.
