The political and criminal context of the film""s background and history are extremely important.The similarity between Terry Malloy""s whistle-blowing testimony against his own corrupt group paralleled director Elia Kazan""s self-justifying admissions before he House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC) two years earlier (in 1952) as a ""friendly"" witness regarding his one-time membership in the Communist party and the naming of others who were sympathizers.The influence of the film extended to commercial merchandise in the form of hairstyles, authentic period music of the 30s, and gangster retro-clothing (such as double-breasted suits, berets, fedoras, and the maxi-skirt)." While Red plays catch in the prison yard, Andy (joking that he""s "the wife-killing banker") ambles over to break the month-long silence:Red: Why""d you do it?Andy: I didn""t, since you ask.The apartment building serves as another horror film character, with its dark hallways and creepy environment.