MovieChat Forums > The Petrified Forest (1936) Discussion > Parallels to Present Day

Parallels to Present Day

posted 16 years ago by coquiero
1 reply | jump to latest

DVR'ed this on TCM (my new favorite TV station) and watched it last night for the first time.

I was struck between the depression era dispair and some of the commentary I've been hearing on the news, from friends and family, etc. Some of the dialogue could have been said on the street yesterday. Two lines that come immediately to mind are at the beginning when the two gentlemen dining at the station are talking about stringing lines so that brokers from NY can call their clients in LA to tell them they're wiped out. The same gentleman later commented on saying goodbye to the republic, or something like that. I don't have the quotes on hand.

Economists may debate whether or not this recession will be akin to the Great Depression, but I think in the minds of the general populace, the feelings of doom and gloom are in the air...and as the Carpenters would say, "We've Only Just Begun..."

Scary

Happiness is not a potato... -Charlotte Bronte

[–] woowoo-6 16 years ago

Yeah, that's the fun thing about watching older movies, you find the more things change -- the more they remain the same. (Or should I say, we 'think' they change). And though we're not as bad as The Great Depression (so far), we ARE in a very historic economic mess at this time and can feel a similar despair as those of the '30s. And the government? It always seems to stink and it's always out of the loop with the populace, no matter who's in charge at the time. Elected officials are only out for themselves and their self-serving political parties. (Hey, just my informed opinion). If you want more parallels -- The Grapes of Wrath would be a good flick to rewatch at this time.