The Film Cinderella Man And The Great Depression

Superior Essays
The movie Cinderella Man is a biographical film based on the life of boxer James J. Braddock during the Great Depression. The movie vividly illustrates his struggles as the main protagonist suffering through a nation hit by the stock market crash. October 29, 1929 is the date known to many as Black Tuesday, but to many others it was the day their lives would be changed for years to come. This day marked the stock market crash and a new lifestyle for the people in the next decade. James Braddock was one of the investors that lost everything in the crash and the film Cinderella Man leads the audience through the eyes of Braddock and his family. Movies of this nature often inaccurately portray history for the sake of Hollywood; they tend to either …show more content…
In this case, Cinderella Man accurately portrayed the mood of the Great Depression through facial expressions. The people on the street rarely smile and are always in a solemn mood. The only time they would cheer is when listening to a boxing match on the radio or at the scene watching it live. This shows just how important sporting events like boxing were to the public that had little to cheer about. Boxing matches were the light in a dark and depressed nation. The film accurately shows how boxing was a temporary shelter from suffering for many in the Great Depression. Something viewers are surprised about when watching the film is the fact that Joe Gould did in fact sell everything to pay for Braddock’s training and to get him back into the ring. This was a giant leap of faith that men were not willing to take during that era which is what made it so unbelievable. Another example of this film’s historical accuracy is the fact that Braddock did in fact fight with a broken right hand. Despite this, Braddock still fought in the ring and accurately displays his will to help his family. Surprisingly, James Braddock was dubbed as the “Cinderella Man” by the newspaper at the time. The newspaper wrote about how his comeback was truly a fairytale as he fought his way to the top and eventually defeated Max Baer in a 15 round unanimous decision. Braddock’s boxing career portrayed in the film seemed like a fairytale, but the …show more content…
The public was faced with decisions no one anticipated and as a result, people separated and family bonds tore apart; they were unable to cope with the stress of a new lifestyle the 30’s brought with it. James J. Braddock along and his family were no different; their situation mirrored the million others who fell with the stock market. The movie Cinderella Man showed the changes that came when the Great Depression hit through the eyes of James J. Braddock. The director, Ron Howard, portrayed the 1930’s with incredible accuracy through the overall visual effect, life of James Braddock, and his boxing career. There were slight changes in the details of Braddock’s life but by looking at the big picture, the film did an excellent job at giving the viewers a correct image of the Great Depression and all the struggles that came with it. The Great Depression did result in deadly consequences but through it, people struggled together and undeniably brought many closer to each

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