2 0 th ▁century ▁America , ▁and ▁Hollywood ▁in ▁the ▁silent ▁era . ▁The ▁film ▁dep ict s ▁how ▁what ▁was ▁once ▁native ▁land ▁becomes ▁a ▁front ier , ▁a ▁bo om town , ▁and ▁an ▁entertain ment ▁hub , ▁before ▁industrial ▁mon opol ies ▁and ▁pover ty ▁of ▁resources ▁eventually ▁return ▁Daw son ▁City ▁to ▁a ▁mod est ▁enc amp ment . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁film ▁util izes ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁silent ▁film ▁techniques , ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁subject ▁matter . ▁The ▁film ▁uses ▁inter tit les ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁voice - over ▁narr ation ▁and ▁makes ▁use ▁of ▁arch ival ▁sound ▁and ▁a ▁prominent ▁musical ▁score . ▁That ▁said , ▁some ▁port ions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁inter views ▁with ▁those ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁un ear thing ▁of ▁the ▁re els , ▁have ▁a ▁more ▁contemporary ▁style . ▁ ▁Th emes ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁d angers ▁of ▁fl amm able ▁nit rate ▁film . ▁This ▁offers ▁some ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁frag ility ▁of ▁the ▁cin ematic ▁medium , ▁the ▁archive , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁history ▁itself . ▁The ▁story ▁of ▁Daw son ▁City ▁is ▁repeatedly ▁fr amed ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁loss , ▁with ▁decay ▁for egr ounded ▁by ▁the ▁introduction , ▁the ▁bro oding ▁score , ▁and ▁the ▁story ▁itself . ▁The ▁film ▁also ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁explo itation ▁in ▁Daw son ▁City , ▁imp lying ▁a ▁parallel ▁between ▁the ▁economic ▁appar atus ▁of ▁the ▁Kl ond ike ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁and ▁that ▁of