One of the most fascinating time periods within Hollywood’s history is the Pre-Code Era. This era begins shortly after films with sound start being produced in 1927, and ends when the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code begins in mid-1934. The films released during the Pre-Code Era were suggestive, enticing, and always looking to push the boundaries of cinema. The film, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, was released in 1932 and features the story of a man who is wrongly accused of a crime and is sentenced to 10 years on a chain gang in a southern prison. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a Pre-Code film known for its thrilling sequences and intense torture scenes, but is most notable for its exposure of southern prisons and the ethics behind their chain gang practices at the time. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is one of the first films to explore the prison industrial complex, resulting in a widespread social awareness that eventually led to the abolishment of chain gangs.
HISTORY
Let us dissect this film first by discussing the history of southern chain gangs. To fully understand the origin of this practice, we must go all the way back to the abolition of slavery. Before prison systems were in place, the way of punishing crime was purely physical and “it wasn’t until the end of the Civil War, …show more content…
With the aid of Paul Muni’s acting in the film, LeRoy created a real-life story that warned the entire nation about the injustice of the southern chain gang system. The unbearable shots of men being beaten and forced to live and work in the worst possible conditions are the most powerful scenes in the film. LeRoy was able to balance the personal story of the protagonist, James Allen, with the larger picture of the failures in the chain gang system, ultimately exposing and criticizing the practice
HISTORY
Let us dissect this film first by discussing the history of southern chain gangs. To fully understand the origin of this practice, we must go all the way back to the abolition of slavery. Before prison systems were in place, the way of punishing crime was purely physical and “it wasn’t until the end of the Civil War, …show more content…
With the aid of Paul Muni’s acting in the film, LeRoy created a real-life story that warned the entire nation about the injustice of the southern chain gang system. The unbearable shots of men being beaten and forced to live and work in the worst possible conditions are the most powerful scenes in the film. LeRoy was able to balance the personal story of the protagonist, James Allen, with the larger picture of the failures in the chain gang system, ultimately exposing and criticizing the practice