This film shows townsmen as compared to the countrymen. The difference is in accent, manners and style: ‘city-boy’ Everett is far more refined and concerned about his looks than his “rustificated friends”, and it gives him the sense of superiority. Villagers Pete and Delmar appear to be gullible and easy to manipulate because of their ignorance: they believe the promise of illusory treasure, they are easily affected by religion, though they misinterpret the idea of indulgence, and they take for granted the fact that a person can be turned into a frog.
Though the action is set in Depression Era Deep South, the issues raised in this film are still relevant for the American society: religion, racism, and music. In this movie we can see the social life in connection with these issues – these are main reasons for people to congregate.
The first issue raised in this film is religion and church as a social institution. In the beginning of the journey the protagonists become witnesses of the rite of Baptism. People sing in a choir and get plunged into the water, and it is not only an expression of true faith, but also, maybe more importantly, a way of integrating into the community. This community does not welcome the coloured, who are believed to have sold their soul to the devil. The blacks have their own vision of devil: he is white, ‘with empty eyes and a big, hollow voice’ (the sheriff). Hatred towards minorities is another issue uniting the white Americans, and in this film we see the Ku Klux Klan lynch mob, where they manifest their main aim – ‘to preserve our hallowed culture and heritage’.
The Ku Klux Klan ritual, the rite of baptism, convict labour, procession taking prisoner to the electrocution are all accompanied with folk and bluegrass music and singing. Music is shown to have great importance in social life and to be a great power uniting people and overcoming hatred.
