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Recommended: Life during the great depression essay apex

Movies are an excellent teaching tool in providing an interesting way to have students learn the details of, as well as be immersed in, a different time period, such as the Great Depression. This economic downturn from 1929 to 1941 was extremely complex politically, economically, and culturally. While there are plenty of movies about his era, the Cohen Brother’s “O Brother Where Art Thou” is perhaps one of the few movies related to the era that is both enjoyable and has substantial educational value. The movie, “O Brother Where Art Thou”, provides a truthful portrayal of the great depression, for, although it lacks important aspects of the Depression itself, it provides enough detail to give the setting, and more importantly, gives an excellent rendering of the Era’s culture and attitudes, which, coupled with the writer’s methods, make the movie fit the criteria to be a good historical film and supplemental teaching tool.
“O Brother Where Art Thou” takes place during the Great Depression era; thus, the setting of the movie ought to reflect it clearly, and while it does display many characteristics of the depression offhandedly, it fails to mention many important points. The Great Depression is perhaps most famous for the number of unemployed and poor, which the film portrays in the character of Washington Hogwollop and the homeless that rode in the railcars. This was common, as there were multitudes of people with “…no prospect of jobs, no place to stay in the daytime, [and] no place to sleep at night…” Furthermore, many children in the movie, as well as Delmar and Pete, have little education, which was the result of the government not being able to afford “…to bear the costs of modern education.” The idea of government interve...

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...at the great depression is the beginnings of, or at least the foundation for, the modernity in the story of America and the predecessor of America’s future. Considering these circumstances, Rosenstone would certainly classify “O Brother Where Art Thou” as a good historical movie, despite its focus on culture.
The film “O Brother Where Art Thou” would make a great addition to any history teacher’s repertoire, the truthful depiction of Great Depression America’s culture in this film is indispensable. While the film is, for the most part, “true”, it does lack certain important aspects, so, just like any other medium, it can only compliment a course. Still, no other historical media are able to both captivate the student and make them realize the similarities to the past to the same extent as this movie, making it a great supplement to any American history curriculum.

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