Watch Tomorrow's Children

Tomorrow's Children is a 1934 American film that explores the sensitive topic of eugenics and sterilization in a fictionalized manner. The movie was directed by Crane Wilbur and produced by B.P. Schulberg, based on an original story by Dalton Trumbo. The plot centers around a young couple, Joan and Douglas, who fall in love and decide to get married. However, they discover that they are both considered "defective" and "feeble-minded" by the state, which leads to them being forced to undergo sterilization, so as not to have offspring who might inherit their "mental deficiencies."

The main theme of the movie concerns the role of the state in controlling and regulating human reproduction, based on the idea of improving the genetic quality of the population. This was a controversial issue at the time, and the movie was made in response to a wave of eugenics laws that were being passed in the United States and other countries.

The movie opens with a scene in a sterile white laboratory, where scientists are conducting experiments to try and create a race of superhumans. This scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie, which is marked by an eerie atmosphere of cold, clinical detachment.

Joan and Douglas, the protagonists, are presented as normal, caring human beings, but they are stigmatized by their supposed genetic defects. The state sees them as unfit to reproduce and decides to sterilize them against their will. The couple resists and seeks legal help, but they are ultimately deemed incompetent, based on their limited intellectual abilities.

The movie explores the consequences of state control over human reproduction, which are presented as cruel and inhumane. Joan and Douglas are forced to undergo a traumatic surgical procedure, which leaves them both physically and emotionally scarred. They are also ostracized by society, as their friends and family disown them once they discover the reason behind their sterilization.

The movie also raises questions about the ethics of eugenics, which is presented as a pseudo-scientific belief system that justifies the oppression of certain groups of people. The scientists in the movie are shown as ruthless and callous, willing to sacrifice anything in the pursuit of their goal of creating a perfect human race.

At the same time, the movie also shows that there are people who resist this oppressive system, such as the lawyer who takes on Joan and Douglas' case and the social worker who tries to help them cope with the trauma of their sterilization. These characters represent hope and compassion in the face of state tyranny.

Overall, Tomorrow's Children is a thought-provoking movie that raises important questions about eugenics, state control over reproduction, and the rights of individuals. It is a powerful critique of a dark chapter in American history, and a warning against the dangers of allowing pseudo-scientific beliefs to guide public policy.

Tomorrow's Children is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 13 hours.