MovieChat Forums > Thunder Rock (1944) Discussion > The Movie Theatre Scene

The Movie Theatre Scene

posted 15 years ago by Sproketer
1 reply | jump to latest

To highlight just how humorless this film is, in a flashback the hero sits watching a newsreel in a movie theatre and watches the audience stare blankly at the screen, some sleeping, as the world is falling apart. Then a Popeye cartoon comes on (we can hear it, not see it) and he watches the audience brighten up and laugh. He walks out, disgusted that people will laugh at Popeye cartoons while the world falls apart, and Hitler threatens them. I think these are saner people than the hero, so sue me.

[–] John-367 14 years ago

I think you are missing the point. The character has seen the rise of fascism at first hand and spoken out and written about the dangers at some cost to himself - in that context he has earned the right to be frustrated at most people's lack of concern as the tanks roll into the Sudatenland.

The film itself is on a serious subject but does have instances of subtle humour.
I doubt that the filmmakers had anything against humour as such as they also made "I'm Alright Jack", "Carleton Brown of the F.O." and "Lucky Jim" amongst others.