Review of The Roaring Twenties (1939) by Sarah . — 12 Oct 2008

The Roaring Twenties stars James Cagney as Eddie Bartlett. WWI has just ended. Eddie and his friends have returned home. In returning Eddie tries to get his old job back. However, he had been replaced in his absence. That is when Eddie turns to bootlegging. Prohibition is in effect and speakeasies are getting more and more popular. Eddie starts making a lot of money bootlegging, and even falls in love with the beautiful Jean (played by Priscilla Lane). Crime, love, betrayal, and prohibition are the key components of this classic film.

I thought that the quality of this film was good for its time. The acting was the simple classic style found in many movies in those days. I believe that the acting was overall quite well done. One role that stood out to me was that of Panama Smith (played by Gladys George). She seemed to fit so well into that era. I felt that she was the most realistic character, and the most deep. She clearly had feelings for Eddie. However, she never stated that. You could see though, in the way she looked at him and Jean, that she loved him. Other than that, the other roles were all pulled off well. I found the majority of this film very believable. There was one scene however, that I didn?t like as much. The opening scenes of the main characters at war, I found rather fake. The way that the war ended disappointed me. If I recall correctly, a soldier just ran over and declared that it was over. I don?t think it really was that simple. That is why I thought that scene wasn?t pulled off as well as the rest of the movie. One aspect of this movie that I feel gave it a real authentic flair was the voiceovers with newspaper headings. I feel that that was one aspect that really enhanced the style of this movie. Overall I enjoyed this film and thought that for its time it was done very well.