Abuse is nothing new

[Ken]

I recently came across this fascinating silent film from 1912

This remarkable film, Making an American Citizen, is a story in four parts. It shows an eastern European peasant and his wife becoming Americans. In each of the four parts, the husband beats his wife. But as an American, that has consequences. He won’t really learn that until he serves time in prison for domestic violence after she, also becoming an American, starts standing up to him.



Filmmakers actually dealt with some pretty serious topics back then during the dawn of the film era. And it is a reminder that there is really nothing new under the sun when it comes to sin. Here is another 1912 film titled The Land Beyond the Sunset which deals with the topic of child abuse.



It is odd to look at these old films and realize that everyone in them has probably been dead for 50 years.

[Sudsy]

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

[Josh]

I recently came across this fascinating silent film from 1912

This remarkable film, Making an American Citizen, is a story in four parts. It shows an eastern European peasant and his wife becoming Americans. In each of the four parts, the husband beats his wife. But as an American, that has consequences. He won’t really learn that until he serves time in prison for domestic violence after she, also becoming an American, starts standing up to him.



Filmmakers actually dealt with some pretty serious topics back then during the dawn of the film era. And it is a reminder that there is really nothing new under the sun when it comes to sin. Here is another 1912 film titled The Land Beyond the Sunset which deals with the topic of child abuse.



It is odd to look at these old films and realize that everyone in them has probably been dead for 50 years.

Is this film actually based on true events? Media of the 1910s was notoriously negative towards immigrants, portraying them as evil drunkards, lazy, wife-beaters, cheats, and frauds.

It was also heavily influenced by feminism, and shows the seeds of portraying that men and women should be at war with one another. (Back then, the common bogeyman was alcohol was to blame, so films like this were very common.) A noble, pure woman abused by a wicked drunkard. The agenda was anti-immigrant sentiment and pro-prohibition.

Films of that era were so bad that they eventually led to boycotts and the Hays code.