Ace in the Hole (1951)
What can this 73 year old movie teach us about the way the media works in the modern world? An awful lot, actually!
By 1951, the United States had entered the era of mass media; style was becoming more important than substance, and while people had wisened up to earlier “Yellow Journalism,” new mediums had allowed profit seekers to have another crack at fooling the American market. As journalists grappled with their ethics and identities against a changing cultural landscape, Ace in the Hole was released.
The film is a warning, and it offers a disturbing portrayal of how the media can manipulate the public, and authority all in pursuit of profit. Ace in the Hole stars Kirk Douglas as the shady reporter Chuck Tatum, who has fallen on hard times. Tatum was banished from his coastal job due to poor ethics, although it remains ambiguous exactly what caused his departure. Nevertheless, disowned by the Eastern papers, Tatum wanders out to New Mexico, where he finds employment at a small local paper. He reports on local events with little enthusiasm, but he is always looking for something that will restore his reputation and let him go back east. Finally, he gets his wish. There is a man, Leo Minosa, trapped in a cave beneath a cliff dwelling; although he could easily be drawn out within 23 hours, according to the crew tasked to save him, Chuck can’t let the story disappear that fast. Tatum, still being a savvy reporter, knows this story will make it big, but only if it takes a whole week. Over the course of the week, Tatum embarks on a campaign of mass manipulation of the public, successfully using his sway to corrupt the local rescue crew, the sheriff, and anyone else with a position of power in the small town. Soon, people come from all over to see where Leo is trapped, and thousands of dollars are being made, all of which are a result of one man’s suffering. In the end (spoiler), Leo dies as the drill coming from above the cave was a mere ten feet away… a tragic end.
One of the sharpest critiques of the media (and my favorite scene) is when an older miner, appraising the situation with his seasoned eyes, looks at the situation and remarks, “They should have gone in front ways,” and points out that the addition of a few cross beams would have meant they could’ve freed Leo in a day or two. He confronts the foreman, the one Chuck had corrupted, who seems to stutter and avoid the question. To the foreman’s rescue comes the crowd; the crowd belittles the skeptical (and correct) miner, suggesting he has no idea what he is talking about — and that surely, surely, the “experts” running this operation know what's best and that we should trust their judgment and experience. The “experts” always have the people’s best interests at heart. The scene shows the dangers of blind trust, something all too common with modern media.
Viewing this movie for the first time, I remember being very surprised at this scene; it encouraged people to be skeptical of the narratives that were shown to them and encouraged people not to let those with authority get away with what they're doing just because they’re experts. Simultaneously, it warns against the power of a crowd that has been successfully manipulated, showing how they can remain bound to their falsehoods even when shown that their so-called experts are clearly wrong.
I suggest this movie to anyone who is concerned about the media in the modern world because it is a warning. It warns of the mass manipulation of an uncritical populace, the power of so-called experts, and how the power of greed can corrupt even a previously honorable and honest trade. Just as shown during the film, our modern media companies are often Chuck Tatum. They follow the doctrine of “never waste a good tragedy,” using it to make millions while the innocent suffer. They bring in sophistic “experts” to bolster their claims and shut down any critics of their narrative as soon as their customers become emotionally invested in the story. They will defend it at the people who provide it to them while uncritically accepting anything the company says because it turns from rational inquiry to emotional fulfillment.
Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”