Mr. Sears’ Catalogue

Mr. Sears Catalogue is a movie that portrays a very educational tone. The movie features many historic photos and footage, as well as presents a chronological timeline of the rise of the Sears Catalogue and Mr. Sears’ success. One of the main ways that this educational tone is presented is via a narrator opposed to actors. In having a narrator it is made very clear that the premise of the film is not necessarily to entertain but to inform.

This film effectively conveys its message. The message is more obvious than other movies mostly because it is very direct in its approach of educating about the success of this man. The film gives insight into early capitalism and how one industry can have a major effect on the shape of a country. One of the first successes that Mr. Sears has is in convincing the American public that by ordering from the catalogue they are saving. He convinces the public that it is better to save money and buy mass market watches from him, instead of going to a jeweler and buying a one of a kind item. Though the film effectively presents its message, I do feel that it does have many weaknesses. The movie becomes dry and doesn’t engage the audience in a way to keep them listening to the message. It is easy to lose interest in the timeline and history due to bland narration and a repetitive use of black and white still images.

I believe that the film makers wanted the audience to be surprised by the success of one man from humble beginnings. It seems like he wanted us to recognize that Mr. Sears represents the American dream and that he was a genius when it came to capturing a market and finding a way to get them to spend money. The film maker does this by giving interesting facts behind Mr. Sears’ actions. For instance, the narrator describes how the Montgomery Ward catalogue was much larger than the Sears catalogue. Then we learn that Mr. Sears did this on purpose, to make sure that when set down, it was always on top of the other books. It is the small things like this that help the reader realize how brilliant he was and understand how successful he was.

This film appeals much more to the reason and intelligence of a viewer. The audience is presented with facts, which leave