Are we allowed to judge people on the basis of their actions? I want to say 'yes' because such abstract words as 'principles', 'conscience', 'morality'
only take their full meaning when they are compromised, and since our conscience is the compass that either guides or misleads the path of our life, at the end, not only we can but we should judge someone from what he or she did.
Yet, what speaks in favor of our right to judge? Till today, many French people ask themselves which choice they'd have made during the German occupation: resistance, collaboration or neither, and no one would deny how often the entire population of France has been blamed, especially by American, just because some of it did collaborate. But History wanted to submit those very judges to a similar case of moral dilemmas through the infamous Joseph McCarthy and an institution whose acronym immediately reminds of America's darkest hours: HUAC, House of Un-American Activities Committee.
A few movies dealt with McCarthyism, as if Hollywood itself was ashamed of that indelible stain in its memory, when a part of the Artistic community surrendered to the pressure of HUAC, by denouncing colleagues, friends, sometimes both, who were members of the Communist Party, or attended their meetings. The most blatantly disgraceful aspect of the 'Witch Hunt' relied on the fact that most of these meetings were held when Russia was seen as a possible ally against fascism, and many of those who participated to them, were young idealistic artists who only exercised their freedom of actions and ten years later, they could lose their jobs, be blacklisted, jailed, even executed (the Roseneberg case) to fight the 'Red Scare'.
"Guilty by Suspicion" immediately plunges us in this world of pressure and paranoia, it's literally a descent to hell since the director cares less about making a political statement than paying a modest and gripping tribute to those who sacrificed their jobs and lives, for their principles. A director (Martin Scorsese in a memorable cameo) is forced to leave the country, maybe an allusion to Charlie Chaplin, a notoriously alcoholic actress (Patricia Wettig) is pushed to suicide after her husband (Chris Cooper) did 'his duty' and took his son away from her, people lose their jobs, HUAC is basically the poignant chronicles of a human tragedy, embodied by the central performance of Robert De Niro as David Merryl, a fictional director who crystallizes many aspects of blacklisted directors.
The sober quality of the directing perfectly fits the film, Irwin Winkler is more famous as the producer of "Rocky", "Raging Bull" or "Goodfellas" doesn't stylize his film, it doesn't have the sort of 'period' look of Clooney's films, but the performances the script highlight the tragic aspect of the McCarthyism as the ideology that destroyed people: the victims of course, but let's not forget that in a longer term, those who named would forever live with the intolerable weight of guilt and infamy. Can we judge them, these people whose Elia Kazan remains the most emblematic examples. I guess 'yes', since they acted, according to their conscience, responsibly they wanted to keep working. Is that enough a motive? "Guilty by Suspicion" gives a good counter-example.
And maybe it's because it's the first De Niro film I ever watched, when I was a kid, but it's one of my favorite performance, as a sympathetic and righteous character, so convinced that he has nothing to blame himself on that his optimism confine to a tragic naivety from our point of view. He has a job, he's a great director, with many friends welcoming him at his return from Europe, his best friend Bunny Baxter (George Wendt) is a renowned screenwriter, and his dedication to his job is estranged him from his wife (Annette Bening) and son. David's job is all his life, so we know it's a matter of time before he loses everything step by step. The thrilling and heart-breaking element on the story is the way the process affects Merryl, almost going through the five stages of grief.
At first, he can't believe that his country jeopardizes his life asking him to betray his friends, his paranoid anger leads then to an extreme anxiety for his future. The bargaining process is illustrated by the scenes with Darryl F. Zanuck, the Fox mogul who asks his protégé to cooperate. At the end, every opportunity finally fails, one of the most significant is the "High Noon" film, the film that best exemplifies McCarthyism. The mental process I just described also affects his buddy Baxter, with a different timing. When Merryl suggests he takes a lawyer, he's in denial, when Merryl is totally disillusioned, Baxter 'bargains' by asking for David's permission to name him, since he was already screwed. Nothing is sadder than witnessing the collapse of a childhood friendship.
We know the resignation time is coming, that David will have face his conscience, sooner or later, the climactic sequence in the courtroom is exceptionally thrilling, because we know where the questions will inevitably lead, when David reckon he attended two party members, he's asked to specify where it was, which means in whose house it was, what follows is just the struggle of a man who holds his life in his hands, and can either clean himself and forever live with the mark of infamy or just screw the Commission, lose everything for his principles, this moment is elevated by De Niro's magnificent performance.
The ending is sad, on the surface, because it states the ultimate downfall of David Merryl who has all the talent, but will not be able to express it but ultimately it's a triumph on morality and principles. And the "Shame on You" is the relieving cry of a man who can finally speak his voice, and put and end of his hellish situation. "Guilty by Suspicion" is a powerful drama that deserves much more recognition.
Yet, what speaks in favor of our right to judge? Till today, many French people ask themselves which choice they'd have made during the German occupation: resistance, collaboration or neither, and no one would deny how often the entire population of France has been blamed, especially by American, just because some of it did collaborate. But History wanted to submit those very judges to a similar case of moral dilemmas through the infamous Joseph McCarthy and an institution whose acronym immediately reminds of America's darkest hours: HUAC, House of Un-American Activities Committee.
A few movies dealt with McCarthyism, as if Hollywood itself was ashamed of that indelible stain in its memory, when a part of the Artistic community surrendered to the pressure of HUAC, by denouncing colleagues, friends, sometimes both, who were members of the Communist Party, or attended their meetings. The most blatantly disgraceful aspect of the 'Witch Hunt' relied on the fact that most of these meetings were held when Russia was seen as a possible ally against fascism, and many of those who participated to them, were young idealistic artists who only exercised their freedom of actions and ten years later, they could lose their jobs, be blacklisted, jailed, even executed (the Roseneberg case) to fight the 'Red Scare'.
"Guilty by Suspicion" immediately plunges us in this world of pressure and paranoia, it's literally a descent to hell since the director cares less about making a political statement than paying a modest and gripping tribute to those who sacrificed their jobs and lives, for their principles. A director (Martin Scorsese in a memorable cameo) is forced to leave the country, maybe an allusion to Charlie Chaplin, a notoriously alcoholic actress (Patricia Wettig) is pushed to suicide after her husband (Chris Cooper) did 'his duty' and took his son away from her, people lose their jobs, HUAC is basically the poignant chronicles of a human tragedy, embodied by the central performance of Robert De Niro as David Merryl, a fictional director who crystallizes many aspects of blacklisted directors.
The sober quality of the directing perfectly fits the film, Irwin Winkler is more famous as the producer of "Rocky", "Raging Bull" or "Goodfellas" doesn't stylize his film, it doesn't have the sort of 'period' look of Clooney's films, but the performances the script highlight the tragic aspect of the McCarthyism as the ideology that destroyed people: the victims of course, but let's not forget that in a longer term, those who named would forever live with the intolerable weight of guilt and infamy. Can we judge them, these people whose Elia Kazan remains the most emblematic examples. I guess 'yes', since they acted, according to their conscience, responsibly they wanted to keep working. Is that enough a motive? "Guilty by Suspicion" gives a good counter-example.
And maybe it's because it's the first De Niro film I ever watched, when I was a kid, but it's one of my favorite performance, as a sympathetic and righteous character, so convinced that he has nothing to blame himself on that his optimism confine to a tragic naivety from our point of view. He has a job, he's a great director, with many friends welcoming him at his return from Europe, his best friend Bunny Baxter (George Wendt) is a renowned screenwriter, and his dedication to his job is estranged him from his wife (Annette Bening) and son. David's job is all his life, so we know it's a matter of time before he loses everything step by step. The thrilling and heart-breaking element on the story is the way the process affects Merryl, almost going through the five stages of grief.
At first, he can't believe that his country jeopardizes his life asking him to betray his friends, his paranoid anger leads then to an extreme anxiety for his future. The bargaining process is illustrated by the scenes with Darryl F. Zanuck, the Fox mogul who asks his protégé to cooperate. At the end, every opportunity finally fails, one of the most significant is the "High Noon" film, the film that best exemplifies McCarthyism. The mental process I just described also affects his buddy Baxter, with a different timing. When Merryl suggests he takes a lawyer, he's in denial, when Merryl is totally disillusioned, Baxter 'bargains' by asking for David's permission to name him, since he was already screwed. Nothing is sadder than witnessing the collapse of a childhood friendship.
We know the resignation time is coming, that David will have face his conscience, sooner or later, the climactic sequence in the courtroom is exceptionally thrilling, because we know where the questions will inevitably lead, when David reckon he attended two party members, he's asked to specify where it was, which means in whose house it was, what follows is just the struggle of a man who holds his life in his hands, and can either clean himself and forever live with the mark of infamy or just screw the Commission, lose everything for his principles, this moment is elevated by De Niro's magnificent performance.
The ending is sad, on the surface, because it states the ultimate downfall of David Merryl who has all the talent, but will not be able to express it but ultimately it's a triumph on morality and principles. And the "Shame on You" is the relieving cry of a man who can finally speak his voice, and put and end of his hellish situation. "Guilty by Suspicion" is a powerful drama that deserves much more recognition.