Challenging authority is a pervading in theme All About Eve (1950), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and From Here to Eternity (1953). I intend to analyze the ways in which this theme is portrayed in each film and attempt to draw comparisons between them. I will be focusing primarily on the domestic abuse relationships in A Streetcar Named Desire and From Here to Eternity, and how the theme is perpetuated within those relationships. More generally, I will investigate the reasons why people challenge authority and how historical context shapes the means by with they do so, focusing on WWII, women’s suffrage and a general study of the social sentiments between the years of 1948 and 1953. Most of this will involve a study into femininity and sexuality, and the way they are used as means of asserting authority. A large part of my focus will also be on pride and self-awareness as character traits that drive a person to challenge authority.
Curator: Hailey Mawhinney
The Museum of Film History 