Lary May

A very frustrating book. It argues that the United States used to accommodate many different points of view but that changed during WWII and then during the Cold War. May examines movies from the 30's to the 60's and how they changed. While his basic premise is credible, his use of evidence is irritating. He interprets every movie to fit his thesis, sometimes making bizarre connections. One example is in Casablanca. He argues Rick and Sam's relationship demonstrates a need to promote racial equality in WWII, despite the fact that Sam is very clearly the subordinate in the relationship. He also cites all of John Wayne's war movies as making him an establishment hero. He ignores his many Cowboy roles where he fights against exploitive landowners. There are many other examples of questionable interpretations. I enjoy reading about movie history but this isn't a good place to look for it.… (meer)