The 60's movie review

A wide variety of controversial themes are vividly displayed in The 60's, a movie that effectively places the characters in the context of that ambience (the black and white newsreel footage contributes to the scenarios). As we are introduced to the primary characters; Michael, Brian and Katie, the plot commences to develop and the audience begins to grasp the air of the conflicting ideals and ethics of the era. Gender Roles are vastly present in the movie. First, we see Katie being reprimanded for showing "immoral behavior" while dancing with a black student on a night out (racism rises as another strong theme that molds the plot). Since Katie is a woman now, her parents wish for her to exhibit certain "qualities" that society expected from young ladies. Brian joins the Marines rapidly after high school, since his performance in the football field did not astonish any scouts. Their parents support his decision and reveal admirability for his enthusiasm, attitudes never present towards Katie. On the contrary, her father feels deceived when he caught her in the closet of a friend's house with a boy. The parent's expectations on Katie drastically diminish after she gets pregnant by a musician in a one night stand (at least that is what musician thought). Katie is aware that she has "dishonored" her family, so she decides to flee. Michael gets in Loyola University and becomes involved in the civil rights movement, and after campaigning for Bobby Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy, he becomes involved in radical politics. The audience meets another character, Sarah Winestock, when Michael defends her in a meeting for civil rights, since other members dislike the fact that she is a woman giving her opinion, manifesting her voice. Spectators are also introduced to Willie and Emmet Taylor, an African-American family struggling with equality for all races. Racism is highly prominent throughout the movie. Not only is Willie hardly hit, but we also see how blacks are separated from whites in diners and bathrooms, as if they were another abominable species. After a black man is seen eating in a white man diner, he is literally kicked out and strongly beaten. The portrayal of all these characters transports the viewers to The 60's providing them with a slight hint of prosaic events that occurred in that time.