1920's Film Analysis

Many examples of how the morals of the youth changed were in the film. The first one is the breakage of the 18th Amendment. Roxie Hart, the protagonist, consumes alcohol illegally with her lover Fred. Roxie Hart and her boyfriend are shown consuming alcohol on the stairs, a direct stand against rules and standards. During the 1920’s, drinking in public was taboo, but the dare factor of alcohol was an exciting challenge which was meant to be rebelled against by the younger generation (Lazin).
Another aspect of the moral shift was the openness of younger women and men to the acceptance of sexual behavior. Later in the film, Roxie and Fred have sex. When Roxie and Fred accidentally end up at the wrong door, an older woman opens the door and is shown with a disappointed look on her face. Elders of the 20s hated any form of rule breaking (Sanger). While the elders hated the topic, the younger women and men became more open to the idea of sex. The difference between the old and young generations was what changed how society was run and what the norms were. Roxie did not cherish the idea of marriage between her and Amos as Roxie always found him
The youth of the 1920’s did abuse the laws of Prohibition by consuming alcohol. The younger generation also conducted “unclean practices” the elders did not approve of (Allen). The women of the 20s did murder their lovers as they thought they were being mistreated. Lastly, the radio became the most important piece of technology to the people of the Roaring Twenties. Roxie Hart and the other characters properly showcase the topics which give the musical a deeper meaning related to history. There are always two sides, either history or Hollywood. And so after analyzing the contrast of the movie to history one can state the movie Chicago was true to history. The details of the film were historically correct and supported by historical