Up to the 1930s, America was going through a time of political shift. There was a growth in the movement of the individual in the face of the 'man,' where political movements were going away from the stance of small-government and implementation, and with the rise of communism in the East, the draw of socialism was a powerful beast in the land of American identity. The country faces the problems of immigration, mass-population, and worst of all, reform movements within industry that were causing stirs of job growth. As a result, there's a growing restlessness amongst the population, and for so many people, the principles were embodied in the 1906 Socialist Epic "The Jungle." And it's these political themes that would drive an incredible movie in the 1930 movie monopoly.
"The Jungle" is a 1906 novel by Upton Sinclair, about an immigrant named Jurgis, who works at a meatpacking plant and is exposed to the harsh reality of working alongside grime, dirt, gross, disgusting treatments and processing fundamentals that result in the development of disease, e-Coli, and health violations that shocked the American public. As well, 'Jungle' is a social commentary on the treatment of immigrants in American society, with such indiscretions happening to Jurgis as the rape of his wife, the deaths of his closest friends because of the work they do, and other things like that.
Because of the political nature of the book, the movie tie-in would follow some sort of biopic or epic film. The book itself is long, and the story, like films such as 'Schindler's List' and 'Lincoln,' and would require some sort of studio that focuses on longer films that have some sort of 'epic' quality to them. As a result, I think the best studio that would fit the criteria of the movie that I'm trying to make would be Warner Brothers Studios, because they're mostly known for movies containing grit and raw displays of disgust and reality, which is why they would help to portray the gritty realities and harsh environments of the 'Jungle's' universe.
The two actors that would define Jurgis and his wife would be Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis. Davis is known for her portrayals of unsophisticated characters who felt against the social norm, and allowed this idea of the feminine ideology to rise up, which would be the perfect fit for the character of Jurgis's wife. On the other hand, Humphrey Bogart carries this really strong 'noir' feel for his movies, which embody the darker sense of reality and don't have any sort of strong tie against usual perceptions of happiness and goodness.
My director would be George Cukor. He's very known for his literary adaptions throughout the time period, and because of how much familiarity he carries throughout the genre and its counterparts, it would be best for someone with his experience to be in-charge of some sort of epic biopic film like this. I would also hire Anne Bauchens for the editor of the movie, because I think her award for 'Cleopatra' would give her the same sort of epic experience editing a movie like 'The Jungle.' As a result, she would be an almost perfect fit.
The movie would be black and white. The movement to color would not help this movie, because the movie is supposed to represent this concept of drab, grey, bleak identity that is forced upon the American nation in the midst of the industrial powerhouse that was the American economy. As well, because the movie is being supplied through smoke, mirrors, and drab natures, the need for color would almost hurt the movie more than it would help them. As a result, to go alongside Bogart's noir path, it would help make the movie more successful.
The Hays Code would hurt my movie a little bit. There's a rape scene, a sex scene, and a socialist riot. While they aren't huge of majorly significant, as a result there would definitely need to be some sort of revisions on the part of the actors, editors, and directors, and while these scenes are crucial in displaying things important to the story, there isn't really anything that totally destroys the movie's plotline and most significant elements as a result.
Overall, this is my idea for the 1930s. I think some sort of biopic representation of 'The Jungle' would symbolize the socialist movement of the 20s and 30s, as well as give insight into a political commentary on immigrant treatment that would most likely stand the test of time.
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