King Vidor’s Our Daily Bread

Back in the 70s my Red Diaper Baby boyfriend Bob taught me all six verses of “The Internationale”. He also took me to see the Depression-era indie classic Our Daily Bread at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Praised by The New York Times when it was released in 1934, the movie’s portrayal of Soviet-style farm collectivism embraced by desperate city dwellers actually looks like a viable alternative these days. What still speaks to us in Our Daily Bread is the spirit of group effort, and the ideal of economic self-sustainability—two messages consumerist Americans need to hear now more than ever.

Not to mention it’s a great story, beautifully directed. The last five minutes—about building an irrigation system, for heaven’s sake—are as thrilling as any big-movie car chase. This is how powerful a film can be.