Coluna Claquete – February, 14th 2016
Movie of the week: “Trumbo”
It is very difficult for anyone under thirty years have idea of what was the world during the Cold War, when the world was divided into two blocs, one led by Soviet Union, and the other by United States. Although the blocks have fought in various places like Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan, there has never been a direct confrontation. However, the influences and reactions took place far from the battlefields, as well as showing the film “Trumbo”.
We always imagine Hollywood as the Mecca of cinema, a place where dreams turn into films that will serve as a delectation for fans worldwide. However, in the depths of Platinum Venus there is an underworld where diverse interests circulate, serving a lot of obscure goals.
Until the Second World War, communism was something indifferent to the majority of Americans. The Russians were Communists, but they had been allies in the war against the Nazis. However, after the conflict, they were seen as the greatest enemies of US interests, since they were the only ones with the potential to confront the Americans.
With the worsening of the situation, began to emerge in the US anti-communist movements, led by opportunistic politicians like Senator Joseph McCarthy, who preached a panic among voters, as the communists were about to invade the country. This has created legions of followers, and as it should be, also in Hollywood.
Dalton Trumbo (played masterfully in the movie by Bryan Cranston) was reporter, novelist and successful screenwriter in Hollywood, and for being a defender of workers’ rights, joined the American Communist Party in 1943.
In 1947, Trumbo and nine other directors and writers have been called to testify before the parliamentary commission of inquiry of the United States House of Representatives, formed to investigate the alleged infiltration of communists in the film industry, and chaired by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Trumbo refused to inform who were the Hollywood communists in committee. After being convicted of civil disobedience to the US Congress, he joined the first Hollywood blacklist and spent eleven months in a federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky.
After the arrest, Trumbo and nine other writers, known as the “Hollywood Ten” were prevented from working, and began to write under false names for small studios. “Bloody Arena”, one of the films written by him under the name Robert Rich went on to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, but no one came to claim the prize.
“Trumbo” shows a clear involvement of the press in this “war”, mainly through the person of Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren), a former actress who had become one of the most powerful and poisonous columnists of Hollywood gossips. She led the anti-communist movement in the movie capital, alongside equally reactionary figures such as actors Ronald Reagan and John Wayne.
All were scared to Hedda and its allies, because they had no scruples about blackmailing, threatening, defaming, or taking any other action to achieve their goals, especially with the support of the press, the FBI and the conservative Congress.
In this context, it is absolutely praiseworthy attitude of people like the actor Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman), director Otto Preminger (Christian Berkel) and producer Frank King (John Goodman), who dared to challenge the system and support some of these men unjustly persecuted, just for thinking differently.
“Trumbo” it is beautifully built, not only faithful to the historical facts, but also showing how american society was involved. Bryan Cranston received the Oscar nomination in 2016 for Best Actor for his role in the film.
It would be great if these things were just memories of a distant past. However, in Brazil and USA today, we live in a very similar situation with the Hollywood of the 1950s, where no one can have a dissenting opinion without being branded as socialist or reactionary with the enthusiastic participation of the press.
May not the men learn from their own mistakes? Or, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy”, as the old man William said, centuries ago.
For more movies on the subject, I recommend “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005) and “The Majestic” (2001)