210west
Joined Jun 2003
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210west's rating
You'd think, from this portrait of rural Indiana, that Midwesterners circa 1951 were a rude and hostile bunch, sneering at strangers, insisting that they "prove themselves."
Which is ridiculous, of course. I taught at a fairly similar rural high school in the '60s (albeit in New England), and even though I was a stranger in town like Hackman, everyone without exception was friendly and welcoming -- as, let's face it, most ordinary people are, country people in particular. In real life, people smile at one another. They make small talk. They kid around. They get along. Only in the movies, where conflict needs to be exaggerated to boost the drama, would a newcomer face the absurdly chilly reception Hackman receives at the start of this film.
Which is ridiculous, of course. I taught at a fairly similar rural high school in the '60s (albeit in New England), and even though I was a stranger in town like Hackman, everyone without exception was friendly and welcoming -- as, let's face it, most ordinary people are, country people in particular. In real life, people smile at one another. They make small talk. They kid around. They get along. Only in the movies, where conflict needs to be exaggerated to boost the drama, would a newcomer face the absurdly chilly reception Hackman receives at the start of this film.
