We Can Take It (1935) User Reviews

Propaganda Film

[boblipton · 7/10 · 10 April 2012]

When we refer to 'propaganda' we usually use the word in a negative voice -- a work trying to stuff an evil idea down our throats, like TRIUMPH OF THE WILL. In reality, propaganda is a variety of advertising, trying to sell an ideology or religion.... its earliest use was during the Counter-Reformation where the Catholic Church had a propaganda office.

This film attempts to sell the idea that the Civilian Conservation Corp of the New Deal was a good idea and not simply the leading edge of communism about to kill us in our beds. It's expertly composed and shot. We see them building check dams to help stop the devastation from the Dust Bowl and open a newly built bridge in a shot that is modeled on the picture of the high iron workers eating lunch on a girder hundreds of feet in the air. We also see education in action, including mapmaking, welding and first aid.

In the end, this movie suggests that the CCC was nothing more than an educational camp, where young men get some useful experience, like being a Boy Scout and receiving $30 a month for the privilege. Who could object to anything like the Boy Scouts? What are you, a commie?

Hard to rate but an important part of our history.

[planktonrules · 29 July 2012]

This is a very late silent film that was produced by the Civilian Conservation Corps in order to create public support for their programs. It's clearly a propaganda film--the sort of thing with a benign nature that was intended to bolster the new Roosevelt administration. It begins with young volunteers arriving at a conditioning camp--like a boot camp to ready the men for very hard work with the CCC. Following this you see a variety of works programs (some staged, some actual) in the Sacramento area--such as clearing forests for parks, planting trees, creating fire breaks, stringing phone lines, building bridges and work at erosion control. In addition, you see these volunteers taking classes and receiving job training. Late in the film you see work on the Ponderosa Way as well as work at Mt. Whitney as well as putting out a fire.

While it's really hard to give this a score due to the type of film is it, the film is an invaluable piece of our history and worth a look.

Good Look at the CCC

[Michael_Elliott · 2 January 2013]

We Can Take It (1935)

*** (out of 4)

This 21-minute silent short comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and shows President Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps in full effect from the time the boys went to work until the time they left. The CCC was basically put in place to give young men a job, boost their moral and protect the forests of California. Throughout the short we see the various jobs that were being performed and one really does get a great idea of what this mission was all about and why it was so important to Roosevelt. At 21-minutes this thing does run a tad bit too long but there's no denying that this is a rather important part of history so we're thankful that someone was there with a camera to take these images for future generations to see. I think the most impressive stuff just deals with the various projects (over 60) that were done by this group.