A River Runs Through It (Roaring Twenties)

I got this DVD and I was under the impression that it is a great depression movie until I watched it. Then I found out that it's actually a roaring twenties movie. But well, it's a really nice movie, and here I noticed some characteristics that I didn't find in my actual roaring twenties movie 'The Broadway Melody".

The movie focuses on two brothers growing up in Montana, following them from boyhood and adulthood. Norman and Paul were raised by their stern minister father on two main faiths, religion and fly-fishing. They were also home-schooled by him, learning only literature and writing. The father was very strict when it came to education and religion, but gave the boys plenty of freedom when it came to fly-fishing. The two brothers would roam around and explore nature.

Eventually, they grew up into wild and adventurous boys. But as they grew into adulthood, their lives began to go in different directions. Norman boarded a train to a college where he would spend years in earning a degree. However, Paul, whose life-passion was fishing, would never leave Motana and all the fish he hadn't yet caught, so he stayed behind and became a newspaper man.

Six or seven years later, after earning his degree, Norman returned to Montana. His father wanted to know immediately what he planned to do with the rest of his life, but Norman was still not quite certain even after having that many years to have thought about it. Now back in Montana, he discovered that his brother, during this times had developed some bad habits. He seemed addicted to gambling and drinking. The family seemed aware of his self-destructive habits but however never confronted him about it. They would act proud of their little important newspaperman, and when he left they would mutter to themselves sadly. And so, during Norman's absence, everything had changed. Fishing was the only way they still had in common, and that's how they would catch up on old times.

A short while after his return, Norman began seriously courting a local girl called Jessie Burns. And then he got a job offer to be a professor at a college in Chicago. He asked Jessie to marry and come with him. He went fishing for a last time with his father and Paul. They had a very pleasant time just like the old days and Norman sensed this would not last. His instincts turned out to be correct because shortly before he was supposed to go to Chicago, a police showed up and his door and gave him some bad news. Norman, in turn, had to break it to his parents that Paul was brutally murdered his angry creditors. His death affected all the family and they were never the same afterwards.

Finally, an old Norman, after most of all the loved ones in his life had died, was shown still engaging in the passion of the Macleans: fly-fishing at the Big Blackfoot river in Montana. He said that underneath the rocks of the river were words; the words of God, the words of his late family, and others'. His last words were 'I am haunted by waters.'

Characteristics

People would go to speakeasies. Alcohol was banned and supposed to be illegal. But from what I could see in the movie, that did little to stop people from drinking. They would just go over and drink their fill where there was no chance the police would find them.

Gambling also appeared to be quite prominent. Somehow, it was a great source of entertainment it was very addictive. And once you engaged in it, there was no turning back. And once your debts mounted up, you were in big trouble. Like Paul Maclean, he gradually dug himself into a deep hole he couldn't get out of.

But people were fiercely independent. Again, Paul Maclean was a perfect example. He knew he was in deep trouble, and yet he simply refused to accept any help from his older brother. As he told Norman, "Listen, it's my debt, ok? My debt." He was determined not accept any money, help, or advice.

Woman bobbed their hair, drank alcohol, and were really defiant. They were also very daring, at times, even more than men. There was a part in the movie where Jessie Burns took a dangerous detour by driving her car right through the dark tunnel of a railroad track (and later on the railroad tracks), when there was a high risk that a train might come without any warning or signal. Norman looked really scared and incredulous, but Jess was clearly enjoying herself.