The film is based on the formative days of the FBI when they had limited power and relied more on the other law enforcement officers to do their job. These laws are soon improved to give the force more freedom to operate. It features Davis, a young lawyer who joins the force during the rampant crime era of the wild mid-west(G- Men). The police are portrayed as self-sacrificing as they lose their lives trying to fight crime(G- Men). They are also portrayed as being committed to the course of the law; despite the violence and the influence of the mob, they remain true to their call, eventually emerging victorious. The police are brought out as being committed to the common good, working hard to keep the law and break the crime ring.
The film looks like a deliberate attempt to change the perception at the time, the perception that the mob was winning. It gave a new view of law enforcement and was a departure from the gangster films that seemed to glorify crime. It made the police a heroic figure in the society, which was different from how the police were portrayed as being complacent in crime or sometimes incapable of dealing with the crimes. The viewers are meant to view the police as the good guys as the film makes an attempt to emphasize the uncompromised character of Davis and his effort in fighting crime.
Entertainment forms have a big influence on people’s opinion and also reflect and shape a society’s culture. Such films gave a new look at the unfortunate condition of the wild-west at the time. Such films showed the public about the trouble that police went through in serving their duty. It makes the public to have compassion for the force and more so it cultivates trust towards law enforcement by portraying them as the good guys.
Works Cited
G-Men. Hollywood: William Keighley, 1935. DVD.
