"Trumbo" by Jay Roach - movie review
After two views, my opinion is that "Trumbo" will be a pleasant experience for viewers - for moviegoers, Brian Cranston fans - and not so much for critics, for those who will have the responsibility to dissect its historical weaknesses. It will not be difficult for the critics, because "Trumbo" is a biopic, and it is about political wounds that have not stopped burning since the last century. Such films always arise polemics. My encounter with the film, however, went like this: I tried to put the mask of criticism and cast it away willingly, finding that I felt much more comfortable in the role of a viewer. I will start with the political background of the film, not for anything but to get it done faster. The story begins in 1947, when Dolton Trumbo is 42, and is one of Hollywood's top-rated screenwriters. The focus of the action is the next 13 years - extremely saturated from the era in which America (and Hollywood) are covered by a feverish paranoia of communist "infiltration". Trumbo has been a member of the American Communist Party since America was friendly to his former military ally, Russia. Until then, Hollywood produced films with an unprecedented pro-Russian themed, as Trumbo is a screenwriter for one of the most prominent "Tender Comrade". For several years, however, political moods have changed radically, and in September 1947, all influential public figures with communist beliefs in America became enemies of the nation. And so begins the next chapter in the history of mankind titled "Witch Hunt".
Even after Civil war in Spain was established governmental structure committee on non-US activities, whose work was originally to detect and prosecute all fascists, then to do the same with those for which he proves to be communists. The Committee is also not the co-owner of Hollywood - the cinema at the time was a powerful propaganda instrument, the strongest before it was shifted away from the mainstream television. So the Communist sentiments in Hollywood have been identified as a serious threat to the integrity of the American nation - and therefore any Hollywood Communist party has either been or was exiled to Russia, or pressed into jail. In September 1947, Trumbo and nine of his friends and colleagues (the so-called Hollywood Ten) were summoned to testify to the committee. They are asked whether they are members of the Communist Party, and they are asked to answer yes or no. "I will not answer a yes or no question. Only an idiot or slave would do that "is Trumbo's response to the movie, and in this spirit are the answers of the entire" Hollywood Ten ". In their view, such a question is unconstitutional, and its mere assignment infringes upon the rights and freedoms of American citizens. Just the same day after the interviews, all major Hollywood studios gather and decide not to hire anyone from the Hollywood Ten. Trumbo is officially part of a black list, which aims to discredit and leave without livelihood 10 famous, talented and loved audiences moviegoers. Jay Roach takes the interesting directorial decision to use archive footage and combine them with rebuilding the committee's interrogations. Trumbo has been used by "Roman Vacation", who also won the first Oscar. At that time, however, he could not work with his real name and signed the screenplay with the name of his friend Ian McClean Hunter. It was not until 1993 that Trumbo's "Roman Vacation" was recognized and Oscar accepts his wife Cleo. Trumbo himself can not take it because he's been dead for 17 years. In addition to the obvious dignity, named Brian Cranston (nominated for Oscar for Main Men's Role), "Trumbo" is a rechargeable cinema experience engaging in original and entertaining dialogues, wonderfully used Oldschool color palettes, and moments from the Golden Age of Cinema, will cause feelings of euphoric nostalgia. That's why I think it's a movie about the audience, not the critics, who would probably be ordinary and incomplete. For example, criticism may highlight the lack of critical moments in Trump's biography before being blacklisted as a flaw in the film. Also missing as heroes are other famous figures from "Hollywood Ten", which in the film have been replaced by fictional characters. Arlen Hurd is a character-tool that serves to criticize and balance the image of Trumbo by provoking the viewer: "Is this a real hero?" and inspired the emotional drama of history. Everyone will decide whether the second one has happened.
Positively impressed in the film are the secondary characters who move the action forward and - although they can not for a long time deflect the charming sight of Cranston - give the shades of the film. One of the funniest and most heartfelt scenes is the King's Brothers, whose studio Trumbo writes third-rate scenarios per kilogram with a target audience "he can not read" (as he himself says, according to Coen's charming John Goodman). Helen Mirren gets into the skin of the poisonous Heda Hopper, a journalist who only wonders whose life and career collapse. The scenes in which Mirren is on the screen are tantalizingly unpleasant - therefore, the woman does her job. My personal favorite, however, is Dean O'Gorman, who plays the legendary Kirk Douglas. Kirk Douglas himself says that although he wanted to play himself, Dean O'Gorman did a great job. From the very beginning of preparing for the role of Trumbo, Cranston began a correspondence with his two daughters, Nicholas and Mitsi, who gladly helped the work of the whole team, sharing curious facts about her father. If you watch or listen to Trumbo interviews and then compare to Cranston's play, you will notice how cleverly and interesting the actor has captured the specific articulation and theatrical manners of the screenwriter. If we go back to the subject of political controversy, I read a lot of opinions that said: "Pro-Russian propaganda... I will not watch it" Only "Trumbo" is anything but a film about politics. Not a movie that intrudes a certain reading of the past. "This is a story about history," says the director Jay Roach, a film about those dark times in which the whole world is mad and the best we can do is look back and ask - are we now like this and how much.
This is the greatest power of "Trumbo" - in scenario and potion: events and dialogues are not finger, waved preaching in the viewer's nose, but a pointer pointing in the direction of the screen: "Here, look, ask yourself and judge yourself. " The fact is that Trumbo is also presented balanced in at least several different lights - like a good father, a bad father, a neurotic and a deeply self-reflective, like a suppressed and inspired man. After all, are not we all like this? My disappointment was that Stanley Kubrick did not appear anywhere. During the filming of "Spartacus" Kirk, Douglas just mentions something we all know and that's it. But "Trumbo" is ultimately a movie about Trumbo - one of the precious stones in Hollywood history, whose life itself has film value.
One of my heroes. You would love him if you were a screenplaywriter facing censorship. Lots of moment I wish I was him! :-(
Yes, I have study for screenplaaywrirer :) Still don't have a really good work, but I am try to do it :D
Can I see somewhere your screenplays? In what genre you prefer ti write?
All my works were filmed in Iran. Most of the for Television and some for cinema. I have DVDs of them all but not sure which has English subs.
My favorite Genre is noir and sadly only one of my noir script have been filmed yet (a TV movie) you know! It's a very bad timing for fantasy and imagination in Iranian motion pictures industry. After Asghar Farhadi's great achievements all producers want to film scripts like him and of course you can't work like him because despite his talent everybody should do his own style of work. Now a kind of middle class realistic drama is all they ask you to write which I don't like. To me cinema must not be realistic. God bless Mr McKee. Once said movies must not be about reality but truth! I'm waiting for my moment too. :-)
I know what you are talking about. I have just a little experience in the television... but everything there is just a crap. For me art is not to make money from it, it is more important, as you say to tell some truth, and to make it with style :)
It will be really interesting to see your noir movie. I prefer more to write in absurdity genre with dark humor, that people think is very depressed but for me is more comedy :D Something between Charlie Kaufman, Edgar Write and Eugène Ionesco.
Deadly combination. I really love to watch something between them spiced up with Coens ;-)
yes, with brothers Coen too.. :)
Do you like them? :)
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