I must have literature on the brain today. Here's a fascinating piece from Dawn Eden on the hidden topical subtext to the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. Did you know the protagonist in the movie was supposed to be the infamous Commie Alger Hiss? (Let me back up a minute - do you know who Alger Hiss was?) I had no idea, and I'll bet most people familiar with both Hiss and the movie didn't know that either.
But Dawn makes a very convincing case that people who saw the movie when it came out probably picked up on it. And there's no doubt how what conclusions they were supposed to draw from it, either.
People always debate the content of Hollywood films. Certainly there are enough examples out there of the left-coast's leftist bias. But often it's so much more subtle than we're aware of. Which is, of course, often the mark of a gifted filmmaker.
And a gifted propagandist.
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