Golden Door (Nuovomondo), directed by Emanuele Crialese, reenacts experiences faced by many immigrants arriving in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. The primary focus is on the family of Salvatore Mancuso (played by Vincenzo Amato), whose difficult, traditional lives in rural Sicily are ably portrayed when the film begins. In those days, exports from America to Europe were far greater than imports. Since ships needed ballast for the return voyage, they lowered the price on human cargo so much that even poorer Europeans could afford to travel, albeit in steerage. The film shows their trek to the port city in Italy, the loading process, the trip across the Atlantic, and the processing of arrivals from many nations at Ellis Island. Laws restricting immigrants existed, so immigrants had to be free from contagious diseases or hereditary infirmities. Filmviewers see physical and mental exams, the latter because of the view that low intelligence is heritable. Single women could not enter the country, on the presumption that they would become prostitutes, so most married single men already in the country, as arranged beforehand, at Ellis Island before entry. The movie’s focus on several persons who were in the rational-bureaucratic process of being accepted and rejected is a classic. MH
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