The 60's: Part 1

First of all I must say I've enjoyed the movie so far. It kept me very interested, especially with all the themes regarding social issues during the portrayed time. The movie really reflects most if not all of the social situations and dilemmas of the 60's. Right from the beginning, the theme of racial segregation and racism is noted as the school prom is instantly shut down after Katie (a white girl) starts dancing with an African-American student. Notably this was a social issue at the time and it continued to show further in the movie as there was a scene in which 3 black men get kicked out of a diner just because of their skin color. The social battles and tensions displayed between activists that favored African-American movements and white conservatives, is seen in how there were scenes of a marches for the voting rights of black citizens.

The activist sense that was surging during the 60s really was really portrayed, not only in the fight for black rights but also in manifestations against the government and it's demand for troops to fight in the Vietnam war. Social awareness and rebellion was very evidently displayed through the activism interests displayed by Michael and Sarah. Also, among this social rebellion boiling, the movie showed the hippie subculture that developed as groups of young revolutionaries that stood up in their own ideals against the government while living in a declared peaceful state of mind that consisted in selfless living and unity.

Another detail that stood out was the gender roles present through the movie. In the movie, the social situation regarding gender roles reflects a time in which women were sort of acquiring more of a voice in society and also starting to establish a feminist vibe. However, women were still subject to male domination and lived in a secondary role. For example, during the young revolutionaries’ meeting, Sarah attempted to give her opinion, yet the leader rudely interrupted her and proceeded to speak in a sort of taunt toward her words, totally diminishing the importance of what she had to say. This shows the mindset at the time that rejected or gave little importance to women involved in any matters that were not their common duties at home. This was also another factor in the gender roles.

We could notice how mostly every woman in the movie was either a housewife or a victim of some sort. For example, Michael’s mother as a housewife, and Katie displayed as girl victim of her sexual actions, pregnant and left alone. This particular aspect shows how women in the 60’s in the sexual area were basically victims because protection wasn’t as commonly propagated as it is today, leaving woman exposed to pregnancy almost one-hundred percent of the times they chose to have sex, while men still roamed free and unaffected by their sexual actions. Women were not only left with the trouble of having a child but also the pregnancy for young women implied a shameful thing for the girl’s family. The best example is Katie as we see how her father becomes enraged with his daughter’s pregnancy because of the social shame that would fall upon his family with the news of her pregnancy.