The River (1938 film)

As he did with The Plow That Broke the Plains, Pare Lorentz infuses The River - a short documentary about the Mississippi River - with artistic and persuasive scenes intended to further the Roosevelt administration's policies. The film portrayed the devastation caused by irresponsible farming and timber practices that caused massive erosion and pushed nearby residents to the brink of poverty. In the end, Lorentz presents the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as savior with its use of dams to prevent flooding and its advocacy for less damaging farming techniques. Audiences responded mostly favorably, though a number of viewers as well as most critics found its propagandistic approach often overshadowed its artistry.

The River was added to the National Film Registry in 1990.