Trumbo
Bleecker Street
The Hollywood Blacklist lasted from 1947-1960, though many would argue it lasted even longer, for many people. The blacklist was instituted by the major Hollywood studios and targeted writers, actors, directors, and other creative types who had ties to the Communist party either at that time, or in the past. The blacklist sprang from HUAC hearings, most notably helmed by Joseph McCarthy, a senator from Wisconsin. One of the many people who were directly targeted by this predatory and unfair form of censorship was screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. Trumbo did not cooperate in the hearings and was held in contempt of Congress. He spent time in jail, wasn’t allowed to work for any major studio, and led a quiet crusade for many years to regain his career and acclaim.
Bryan Cranston’s nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role was the only nomination that this film garnered. Cranston should have been nominated years before for supporting roles in films such as “Drive,” and “Argo,” but it’s good to see his first nomination is for something he genuinely earned. His turn as Dalton Trumbo is very true to life, and more than that there is a quiet fierceness and bravado under the surface of the entire performance that makes it a sincere marvel to watch. Cranston exudes true craftsmanship in handling Trumbo, something he seems to harness in every role he takes on. The only other nomination I would have been happy with is Best Adapted Screenplay, but looking at the other nominees, like “The Big Short” which was a heavily crafted and thoughtful script, and “Room” which took a very difficult book to adapt and did so, it’s easy to see why it didn’t get nominated.
Bleecker Street
What this film gets so right is the despair and heartbreak of the blacklist. Using Arlen Hird (CK) as the main example of the blacklist’s power to literally kill off its inhabitants, the film shows the human toll that the Red Scare took. Trumbo feels remorse and guilt throughout, because if he didn’t take such a hardened stance against prejudice and repression of free speech, Arlen’s cancer wouldn’t be so severe, and his friends wouldn’t have been jailed for their supposed crime of contempt. Trumbo loses a great deal as well, as his land is foreclosed, and he has to make a living doing what he does best, under the guise of someone else’s name. Trumbo wins two Oscars, which he can’t claim, and watches as others make their mark in the industry while he wastes away making schlock.
Besides its depressive nature, “Trumbo” actually has some rip-roaringly hilarious scenes. John Goodman, the treasure that he is, plays a schlock king that employs blacklisted writers, has one of the all-out best scenes of the entire film. Every scene with the director Otto Preminger is ridiculously amazing, and the scenes between CK and Cranston are magic incarnate. This is not just a film that will be watched by high school students so they can understand the Red Scare and McCarthyism, but also an earnest, funny film about a character who also wrote them.
