The Gilded Six Bits

About the Film:

In the short story by Zora Neale Hurston, the common interpretation is that two young newlyweds, Joe and Missie May, have a seemingly perfect marriage until a boastful newcomer from Chicago, Otis, opens an ice-cream parlor in their small Southern town. The couple’s joyful and passionate relationship is disrupted when Otis, who appears wealthy and sophisticated, seduces Missie May with promises of gold. Instead of leading to a tragic ending as expected in most short stories, the couple emerges from the situation seemingly happier than before. The themes explored in the story include poverty, love, deception (appearances vs. reality), temptation, betrayal, guilt, forgiveness.