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The USA was not yet industrialized during the 1800s and the ownership
of property was what equality was based on, pretty much. Thus began
the taming of the Wild West. And as industrialization began in the
early 1900s, most people suddenly found themselves living in cities.
World War II, especially, unified America on the basis of national
pride. Men 45 and younger not in the military were expected to
contribute towards the war effort. And most young Men over the age of
17 were stuffed into a uniform and shipped overseas. Women, as a
result, were becoming increasingly employed in jobs that were formerly
male-only. As the war started winding down, in the
mid-forties, American Men started losing some of their exclusive
control over culture. Men became disillusioned with all of this new
consumerism, and more, as Peace Time ensued and Life began to settle
down to a changing sense of “normalcy.” And just because the war was
ending, or over, doesn’t mean that all of those Men sent to it were
back to normal, once they were back home. Corner bars started popping
up, in every neighborhood, as wartime veterans tried to drown their
experiences at the local watering hole. Others began to immerse
themselves into the culture’s new materialism. So began the
hard-boiled cynicism expressed in Film Noir. Continue reading →