Having just watched The Town in a movie theater -- which was how it was meant to be seen -- I have to say that it is an overpowering experience in 2019, capturing the essence of the best sides of the American character as it was understood up thru the 1940s. The elements of freedom and tolerance, and acceptance that seem to come so easy to the individuals being shown and profiled seem part of a long-departed reality, and may make this film feel even more idealized than it was intended to be 75 years ago. Adding to the soothing nature of the picture is the music, uncredited but almost certainly derived from Max Steiner's score for The Adventures of Mark Twain, with numerous instances of a repeat of the "Mark Twain" motif throughout. As handed down to us, this is a haunting artifact of our best impulses as a nation from World War II, and perhaps to an America that is now mostly lost to us.
The Town
(1944)
An America -- and Elements of American Character -- That May Be Lost To Us
1 April 2019