Role of Art in the Film Industry

Throughout Picture, the author explores the role of art in the film industry by following producer Gottfried Reinhardt and director John Huston's work on translating Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage to the screen. Both having been greatly affected by the novel, believe in the importance of conveying Crane's story to the public. Together they believe they will be able to create, not only a visually pleasing picture, but one capable of preserving the integrity of Crane's moving Civil War story of a Youth's psychological transformation in battle. However, as the film's production evolves, the men encounter significant adversity. Ross uses these obstacles as a means of understanding if artistic vision is important to the creation of cinema.

Throughout her investigative reporting, Ross learns that men like Reinhardt and Huston are rare in the film community. Their belief in...