<I>The Wave</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1981
name: label: Directed by
content: Alex Grasshoff, American, 1928 - 2008
label: Subject of
content: Bruce Davidson, American, born 1946
label: Subject of
content: Lori Lethin, American, born 1955
label: Subject of
content: John Punch, American, born 1961
label: Owned by
content: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
notes: label: Caption
content: This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
label: Description
content: A feature film with the title The Wave, from the ABC Afterschool Special television series. It consists of a single reel of 16mm color polyester film with optical sound.
label: Description
content: The film follows a high school class whose social studies teacher, Ben Ross (Bruce Davison), attempts to teach them a life lesson through a weeks-long experiment called The Wave. It begins with the class watching a film about the Nazis. At the end of the film, some of the students admit that they find the fact that the German citizens were unaware of the Nazi's crimes incredulous and they didn't understand why people followed Hitler. In response, Mr. Ross devises an experiment where he incrementally indoctrinates the students. Lauree (Lori Lethin), one of the students in Mr. Ross' class, informs her parents about how impressed she is with the impact the game is having on the rest of the students. However, later in the film her position changes and she gets into a physical altercation with David (John Putch), her boyfriend who is also a student in Mr. Ross’ class. At the end of the film, Mr. Ross chastises the students in the class for following him blindly, some of them begin weeping after his revelation.
place: label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place filmed
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Education
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Television
label: Topic
content: World War II
label: Topic
content: Youth
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: DC Public Library Film Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: ABC Afterschool Special
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.55.96.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: polyester film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 42 Minutes
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film): 1500 Feet