To me this is a highly silly escapist criminal film, with black and white lighting techniques and camera movements that make use of a studio system built on lots and far removed from location shooting. The storyline is very complicated and has a lot of backstabbing and conniving to keep you confused and actively involved in the film rather than trying to depict an authentic story with realistic characters. The characters were exceptionally off putting in how much they centered their lives around money and wealth. In that vein, this movie is what I would call "rich people porn", a film that just shows off extremely lavish and ridiculously wealthy individuals isolated in their bubbles of wealth. This was a phenomenon that took off in the Great Depression where poor people across the country could come to a movie theater, pay a quarter and for two hours dream that they were wealthy merely by watching other people be wealthy. It is an unhealthy obsessions and cult of wealth that was developed firmly throughout this era. That is the epitome of escapism to me. That being said this movie captured the attention of the American public especially with its love story angle. We are seeing the era of the criminal and love interest merge together. That was classic American escapism: Lovers and criminals together to the end.