Running Free
We watch as Tom rides his horse and chases down a group of wild horses on the plains of the west in the beginning of the film. The imagery represents how Tom is a man that is out of time, he is a symbol of the old era that will be necessary to meet the new industrial age the country has moved into.
Bicycle Salesman
We watch as Howard stands out front of his bicycle shop in California. First he is wearing his coat and chipper, ready to greet potential customers. Next, he has his coat off and looks less convinced of a sale. Then he's seated before finally being seen asleep. The imagery represents the reality that the American dream is real, but to achieve it takes far more grit than many believe.
Crash
October 29, 1929 was Black Friday, the day the stock market crashed and millions lost everything. We watch as we see still photographs of real people who've lost it all in the collapse of the market. The imagery makes us see the reality of the loss rather than have it dramatized, which can break the truth of what actually happened.
Throwing Up
We see Red throwing up and then the image cuts straight to him weighing in. The imagery tells us the harsh reality of being a jockey, that Red is willing to do anything necessary in order to make weight, because making weight means making money and in these desperate times whatever it takes to eat Red will do.
