Educational Media Reviews Online

This interesting documentary tells the story of women joining the workforce during World War II. Particularly interesting are the lesser-known parts of this story, such as the ejection of women from the workforce upon the men’s return. Racial disparities and unionization are also discussed.

The core of the documentary is the testimony of a handful of women who found opportunity during this time, only to have it rescinded after the war. The snippets from propaganda reels really add to the documentary, because they are so blatantly sexist and jarring to our modern sensibilities. It all seems so statist, yet 1940’s Americans would probably say the same about our official horror of smoking. They might even find it bizarre that we prefer the constant propaganda of advertisers. In any case, this is a window into the past—a past that is farther away than upbeat images of Rosie the Riveter suggest. Although it leaves some relevant things out, like the fact that single men looking for post-war work were unlikely to get a job if married men had applied, this documentary does a good job of rounding out the picture of Rosie the Riveter.

The picture is slightly grainy at times, but the sound is great. For a film originally shot in 1980, the technical quality is very good; the remastering was a success.