Trumbo
DVD
Review
by Kam Williams
Biopic
Features Bryan Cranston's Oscar-Nominated Performance as Blacklisted
Scriptwriter
Scriptwriter
Dalton Trumbo (1905-1976) was at the height of his career when
subpoenaed in 1947 to testify in front of the House Un-American
Activities Committee (HUAC) investigating the spread of Communist
propaganda by Hollywood. The celebrated, Academy Award-nominee (for
Kitty Foyle) had registered a blip on Congress' radar because of his
outspoken support of the party and progressive political ideas like
the right of workers to unionize.
When he
refused to testify before the Committee, he was held in contempt and
summarily shipped off to a federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky. He
was finally released after languishing almost a year behind bars, but
stilll found himself blacklisted and booted from the Writers Guild of
America (WGA).
So, the
only way the prolific Trumbo was able to work in the film industry
again was by submitting screenplays to studios under a variety of
pseudonyms, such as Sally Stubblefield, Millard Kaufman, Guy Endore,
Ben Perry and Robert Rich. His scripts for Roman Holiday (1953) and
The Brave One (1956) did land Oscars, though he could neither appear
to accept the awards nor even publicly acknowledge authorship.
Eventually,
the Red Scare ended and Trumbo's membership in the WGA was
reinstated, but not before exacting a toll on his personal and
professional life. That shameful bullying in the name of patriotism
is the subject of Trumbo, a reverential biopic directed by Jay Roach
(Austin Powers trilogy).
The movie
stars Bryan Cranston in an Oscar-nominated performance as the
beleaguered title character. The film also features a talented
supporting cast which includes Diane Lane, John Goodman, Louis C.K.,
Elle Fanning and Dame Helen Mirren.
The aim of
the revisionist production is to restore Trumbo's reputation
posthumously by poking fun at HUAC and other self-righteous bullies
who had taken delight in ruining him, particularly John Wayne (David
James Elliott) and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Mirren). While this
approach is apt to appeal to audiences with a decidedly leftist
agenda, one can't help but think that it's easy with the benefit of
20-20 hindsight to dismiss former Cold War patriots as delusional
paranoids.
A timely
reminder of our First Amendment rights which simultaneously settles
the score in favor of a disgraced Freedom of Speech proponent.
Very Good (3
stars)
Rated R for profanity and sexual
references.
Running time: 124 minutes
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Extras: Bryan Cranston
Becomes Trumbo; and Who is Trumbo?
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