Films by season & age - The Great Depression (Ages 12-15)

Seasons are a great way to explore different ideas through watching a group of films. Why not try watching all the films in a season and make some time for discussion. Topics and discussion points are included.

If you watch the TV or read any newspaper at the moment, you’re likely to find people talking about the state of the economy in Britain - and even more so about current conditions in America. You’re also likely to see comparisons to the “Great Depression” – an economic slump that gripped much of the world including Britain during the 1930s, and hit America particularly hard, resulting in widespread poverty and despair. To spotlight this era in history, FilmClub presents this season of movies on the subject of the Depression. Some were made at the time itself, while others look back with the benefit of hindsight – but in both cases, we think the movies in question help us all to understand the hardship people lived through, in a time recent enough that you might have grandparents or great-grandparents who were among those trying to get by.

SUGGESTED PAIR

The recent comedy-musical hit O Brother Where Art Thou? took much of its inspiration from the much-loved 1930s classic Sullivan’s Travels – including its title, which comes from a joke in the latter film.

The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill A Mockingbird are both compelling stories set against the background of the Depression, each of them adapted from acclaimed novels.

TALKING POINTS

Did the situations the characters in the movies found themselves in seem hopeless, or was there always some sense that things would improve in time? Did any good come of the hardship the characters experienced? Do you feel that you understand more about the problems of the past – and how they might relate to those of the present day – having watched these movies?