The film was narrated by the american actor and baritone thomas hardie chalmers in 1999, the plow that broke the plains was selected for. Resettlement administration, which helped the farmers wiped out by the drought. Conductor angel gilordonez showcases thomsons material from that film as well as his work from the river perry seibert, all movie guide. Race, identity, and representation in american music student blogs and library exhibit companion. Pare lorentz is famously known for his two documentaries created as a direct result of roosevelts new deal plan. The resettlement administration was a new deal program that ran from april 1935 to dece mber 1936. Pare lorentz was the united states first sociopolitical documentary filmmaker. Apr 07, 20 the next few blog posts will discuss films of the great plains, or films with a significant great plains element. The short film newsreel that you are going to watch is one of the films created by this agency. This article is within the scope of wikiproject film. Pare lorentz, louis gruenberg, and the fight for life.
The plow that broke the plains 1936 the movie database. The great depression was a difficult time for most americans, including musicians. This thirties era us government film from kansas state university chronicles the boom and bust agriculture on the high plains. In style, the movie is a cinematic tone poem, matching superbly framed images with restlessly shifting music and flowing, unsentimental words. It was made in 1936 and became controversial because it tells the story of the how the grasslands became vulnerable to destruction. Mar 25, 2009 richard lowitt mentions this film in his book, the new deal and the west. The film presents the social and economic history of the great plains from the time of the settlement of the prairies, through the world war i boom. It supports the new deals opinions on conservation and cooperation. The national archives experience highlights americas film treasures pare lorentz made his classic film about the dust bowl of the 1930s, the plow that broke the plains, for the farm security administration in 1936. The plow that broke the plains view larger in may 1936, as the people of the great plains battled against the combined effects of overproduction, drought, and depression, the federal government released the plow that broke the plains. In these two films are we exhorted to do something about the way the plains were damaged or about the mississippi flooding or did the films have an ulterior motive.
Hopefully, an improved agronomy has prevented these latter scenes from repeating. Jun 20, 20 with powerful imagery, a moving score, and poetic narration, this pioneering new deal commissioned documentary, made by pare lorentz, explores the natural bounty of the american great plains and. Nonetheless, the documentary itself represents a triumph of artistic imagery lorenz and musical score thompson and a tribute to its new deal sponsors. Department of agricultures farm security administration. The music originated on the soundtrack of a short pare lorentz documentary commissioned by the u. The plow that broke the plains posted on april 7, 20 by greatplainstrail the next few blog posts will discuss films of the great plains, or films with a significant great plains element.
The plow that broke the plains 1936, directed by pare. To use this banner, please refer to the documentation. The plow that broke the plains, film score by american composer virgil thomson for the 1936 pare lorentz documentary film of the same name, a project of the united states resettlement administration later called the farm security administration, or fsa. The plow that broke the plains 1936 city university of. The purpose of the resett lement administ ration was to help small farmers on marginal lands re settle to other parts of the united states. In subject, the plow that broke the plains is a biography of the great plains region, an area of 625,000 square miles stretching from the texas panhandle through kansas and nebraska to the dakotas and the canadian border. Pare lorentzs the plow that broke the plains 1936 and the river 1937 are landmark american documentary films. The plow that broke the plains 1936 rotten tomatoes. The plow that broke the plains the river virgil thomson. The first work is the story of americas great plains, which details the areas history, the ravages of drought, and the migration of farmers to the pacific coast during the dust bowl era. The first section of the film is devoted to the establishment of mechanized agriculture and how it contributed to crop productivity gains. In the plow that broke the plains for the 1936 pare lorentz documentary film of the same name, a project of the united states resettlement administration later called the farm security administration, or fsa. The result was an aesthetic triumpha blend of photography, words, and music into a classic documentary film the plow that broke the plains.
The film was narrated by the american actor and baritone thomas hardie chalmers. The plow that broke the plains fdr presidential library 1936 video 352 from the wikipedia. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the plow that broke the plains near you. A beautifully made film about the great plains, which doesnat gloss over the overfarming and greed that turned this ecologically fragile landscape into the dustbowl in the 1930as. The plow that broke the plains 1936, directed by pare lorentz. S government produced film the plow that broke the plains. The plow that broke the plains 1936 is a short documentary film which shows what happened to the great plains region of the united states and canada when uncontrolled agricultural farming led to. Aesthetically, they break new ground in seamlessly marrying pictorial imagery, symphonic music, and poetic free verse, all realised with supreme artistry. The plow that broke the plains film by lorentz 1936. Classical net thomson the plow that broke the plains. With powerful imagery, a moving score, and poetic narration, this pioneering new deal commissioned documentary, made by pare lorentz, explores the natural bounty of the american great plains and. The plow that broke the plains 1936 resettlement administration pare lorentz. This thesis explores the work of texan painter alexandre hogue, and specifically how his 1930s erosion series, paintings of windravaged farms during the dust bowl. The plow that broke the plains 1936 and the river 1937 will make diehard liberals long for the time when the government really knew how to produce propaganda on behalf of worthy.
The next few blog posts will discuss films of the great plains, or films with a significant great plains element. But the most forceful element is the music, with thomson reworking such hackneyed material as. I first became acquainted with it in 1953 when, upon my eighth birthday, my father let a hired hand go and put me on a tractor as a fulltime farmhand. From encyclopedia of the documentary film, edited by ian aitken, volume 2 new york. Film service, addressed social problems of the great depression ranging from agriculture to public health. A documentary about what happened to the great plains of the united states and canada when uncontrolled farming destroyed the soil and led to the dust bowl. Sep 05, 2014 the plow that broke the plains 1936 is a short documentary film which shows what happened to the great plains region of the united states and canada when uncontrolled agricultural farming led to.
A beautifully made film about the great plains, which doesn t gloss over the overfarming and greed that turned this ecologically fragile landscape into the dustbowl in the 1930 s. Encyclopedia of the great plains the plow that broke the. For me, its the thomson score that works best with the film it was intended for better than the more popular suites from the river and louisiana story although it does not necessarily contain finer music. The plow that broke the plains 1936 the river 1938 education vs. The plow that broke the plains pare lorentzs 1936 masterpiece, the plow that broke the plains, was produced for the resettlement administration to raise awareness about the dust bowl and new deal. The plow that broke the plains 1938written and directed by pare lorentzphotography.
May 20, 2016 he emerged a week later, having rearranged some of the visuals to suit thomsons music. Feb 25, 2007 the plow that broke the plains 1936 and the river 1937 will make diehard liberals long for the time when the government really knew how to produce propaganda on behalf of worthy. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. The plow that broke the plains really did break them, it appears at least to this point in 1936. Encyclopedia of the great plains the plow that broke the plains. The plow that broke the plains 1936 this documentary is about what happened to the great plains of the united states when a combination of farming practices and environmental factors led to the dust bowl of the 1930s. Aaron copland declared thomsons score for the plow that broke the plains to be a lesson in how to treat americana, and this music strongly influenced such later copland american pieces as rodeo and appalachian spring. This documentary is about what happened to the great plains of the united states when a combination of farming practices and environmental factors led to the dust bowl of the 1930s. The best movies of 1936 picked by critics and filmmakers and sorted by rank. Resettlement administration documentary the plow that broke the plains tells the history of the great plains region from the 1880s to the dust bowl of the early 1930s in order to.
S government produced film the plow that broke the plains it was made in 1936 and became controversial because it tells the story of the how the grasslands became vulnerable to destruction because of the actions of cattlemen. The plow that broke the plains 1936 05101936 us documentary 25m user score. A documentary about what happened to the great plains of the united states. His most important films, the plow that broke the plains 1936 and the river 1938, chronicled the problems and accomplishments of the new deal, a series of. The plow that broke the plains was a 25minute documentary film, produced in 1936, that detailed the terrible overfarming of the great plains region of the usa and canada where there were no. The plow that broke the plains 1936 in subject, the plow that broke the plains is a biography of the great plains region, an area of 625,000 square miles stretching from the texas panhandle through kansas and nebraska to the dakotas and the canadian border. In 1936 virgil thomson was a fortyyearold composer struggling for recognition and cash. Total number of members who have this title in their. The film, which examined the causes behind the dust bowl, was intended to encourage a sustainable use of natural resources. He states that the film was widely popular, had critical acclaim, and found use in political campaigns.
Resettlement administration, the usda farm security administration, and the u. Edition discs price new from used from dvd march 25, 2009 please retry 1. Thomson, v plow that broke the plains the the river. The plow that broke the plains 1936 great plains dust. In style, the movie is a cinematic tone poem, matching superbly framed images with restlessly shifting music and flowing. In style, the movie is a cinematic tone poem, matching superbly framed images with.
April 1 st, 2014 the deal with pare lorentzs the plow that broke the plains and river pare lorentz began his film career by infuriating americas largest media work was controversial would have been a drastic understatement. Does one encourage action about the materials in the film or something outside the film. The plow that broke the plains the great plains trail. The plow that broke the plains film score by thomson.
This video presents 2 films, one which documents the struggle of the people of the great plains during the depression, and the second chronicles the history of the mississippi river and its. The plow that broke the plains 1936 great plains dust bowl. In may 1936, as the people of the great plains battled against the combined effects of overproduction, drought, and depression, the federal government released the plow that broke the plains. The result was an aesthetic triumpha blend of photography, words, and music into a classic documentary filmthe plow that broke the plains. The film was part of a massive campaign by the federal government to convince farmers and ranchers that the search for windfall profits in the west had. The plow that broke the plains contains a new performance of virgil thomsons renowned score for the film from the 1930s. The plow that broke the plains 1936 from tempestas et caelum films plus. In virgil thomsons the plow that broke the plains, a film made by the works progress administration in 1936, the cattle are. Even more than 50 years after its completion, the piece still stands certainly as one of mingus most. Hartvigsen department of comparative arts and letters, byu master of arts. The short filmnewsreel that you are going to watch is one of the films created by this agency. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies.
The plow that broke the plains is a 1936 short documentary film which shows what happened to the great plains region of the united states and canada when uncontrolled agricultural farming led to the dust bowl. The plow that broke the plains part i internet archive. The plow that broke the plains 1936 0510 1936 us documentary 25m user score. The plow that broke the plains 1936 the plow that broke. Ralph steiner, paul strand, leo hurwitz, paul ivanoeditor. The social and economic history of the great plains, from the settlement of the prairies. It furthers the claim that the plains were never suited to farming in the first place. Suite from the plow that broke the plains thomsons 1936 score marked his first collaboration with documentary film maker pare lorentz. Dec, 2017 the national archives experience highlights americas film treasures pare lorentz made his classic film about the dust bowl of the 1930s, the plow that broke the plains, for the farm security administration in 1936. Roosevelt presidential library and museum, 20 june 20. Plow that broke the plains, the 1936 the movie soundtrack. In style, the movie is a cinematic tone poem, matching superbly framed images with restlessly shifting music and flowing, unsentimental. To improve this article, please refer to the guidelines. The plow that broke the plains international documentary.
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