The Red Nightmare documentary

1. In the beginning of the film, it appears to be an ordinary American small town, but where is it? (Between 1:00 and 2:30).        
It is deep within the Soviet Union. 

2. What is the father's (Jerry) attitude toward his responsibilities, such as attending a Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTA) and going to Army Reserve training (6:20)?      
He ignores his responsibilities and skips out on the PTA meeting as well as the Army Reserve training. He says he'd rather watch TV and enjoy dinner. He has a very careless attitude toward his responsibilities, basically. 

3. According to the film, if all people had the attitude that Jerry has, what is the Red Nightmare? (To answer this question, what does Jerry witness or experience in a Communist America at the: 

• Town Square
• His Daughter's depature (note the soldier is her boyfriend, Bill)
• the PTA
• His job
• His younger children's' education    
• and at the church     

The Red Nightmare is: not being able to access the freedoms America allows due to the oppression of Communism, it's the "nightmare" of communism invading America. In the town square, Jerry witnesses Soviets reveling in the idea of overrunning capitalism and of spreading communism into America, they encourage the people to keep up the good work of going against capitalism. When his daughter leaves, Jerry discovers that the soldiers don't need a warrant to come into his household fully armed and take his daughter away. He also finds that it is mandatory for him to participate in the PTA meeting, or else he will face repercussions. He learns that his job now has a quota, and he must get a certain amount of work done per day. His children have decided themselves to be sent off to a state school because home life was giving them a bad influence. Lastly, he finds that the church, a place of worship, has been filled with apparent Soviet inventions instead of religious items, and the inventions are actually or U.S. origin. All these things that Jerry experiences are part of the so called Red Nightmare.

4. What is Jerry's experience like at trial?    
At the trial Jerry finds that he's barely able to defend himself, and he automatically is accused of crimes that aren't even completely explained to him. In addition, the state accuses him of being guilty without any proof, which they apparently do not need to sentence somebody. Signatures on witness account papers are enough to convict Jerry of being guilty, and he is sentenced to be killed for going against the state. 

5. Consider this film in the context of the Red Square Era. If you were a high school student 50 years ago, how would you have reacted to this film in a history class?

If I were a high school student 50 years ago, in the midst of all the hype about communism in America, I probably would've become worried and scared of a communist takeover after watching this film in a history class. I think I'd be taken aback by the horrors of communism, since I'm assuming I'd probably believe this video wasn't exaggerated. This video would've made me dislike and fear communism, and would've caused me to appreciate American freedom even more.