The Children Must Learn (1940)

★★★★★ · Mmmhmm mmhmmmm mmmhmmm..... · Spuzz · 2003-03-27

An absolute FIND on this site, The Children Must Learn is an "authentic record" of the education of the children of the Appalchians. Shot in total montage style (the director must've watched a lot of Eisenstein) the film offers beautiful tableus and unbelievable imagery. Not really too sure of the film's main point (Children must learn education to toil the land rather then thrifty things) comes too clear, though. With the whole shooting style, and it's message, it's hard not to think this is somewhat of a Communist recruitment film. (insert your own redneck joke here) Of particular interest…

★★★★★ · soviet influence · AliceTeeple · 2003-11-22

I definitely agree with the reviewer who said the filmmaker must have watched a lot of Eisenstein. This is a beautifully-filmed propaganda movie, which would have made a lot of sense back in 1940, when people actually still farmed. Especially arresting are the closeups of the torn clothing, and the contrast of the "useless" essay the girl is reading about how to be prosperous. Very memorable film.

★★★★★ · MIxed messages? · bestpbx · 2009-06-06

This was a very interesting, though too short, documentary. It is interesting to note that even though the people in the home were shown to be very needy by "modern" standard, they still were thankful and even had signs up in their home stating the fact. The fact that the education needed to be more geared to those who were trying to learn is important. As far as the attitudeof the film being "condecending" toward the people it displays, it seemed to show a need for helping the people to be more self sufficient instead of the other way around. We all know that there are just as many happy…

★★★★★ · Absolutely fascinating... · mjwise · 2004-02-14

"Often there isn't enough to eat...never the right things to eat..." This is an absolute gem here. It's ostensibly promoting a new educational program for the appalachian regions of Kentucky circa 1940, but it's far more than that. You get beautifully shot montages of life in the area, selective and effective narration, and there's even an acoustic bluegrass-esque soundtrack that's surprisingly well done for this time period. However, for all that beauty, it's very much a sad presentation of the life they struggled to lead. The only lightness in the entire film comes in the dressing of the…

★★★★★ · My sister and her family · roncox · 2011-09-08

This film is of my sister Nellie and her family. Mr. and Mrs. Marion Lynch with their children, Norma Doris, Winnona and Harold D.. The couple on the porch is Marion's parents Dudley P. and Mary Lynch. This is the Lynchtown School at Drip Rock KY.

★★★★ · Not really poor · WolfMansDad · 2005-10-28

These people lived better than most of my neighbors do today! I live in Southern California, in a community made up mostly of immigrants from Mexico, India, and Asia. These supposedly poor people in rural Appalachia had things that modern low-income Californians can only dream of. A single-family house with only one family in it, and presumably owned by that family? Even small houses here start at half a million dollars. Public schools with textbooks and supplies? Not around here. The kids in this movie could obviously read. Many of the students here are illiterate even in their native…