Gentleman's Agreement
2.5/4
Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Anne Revere, John Garfield, Albert Dekker, Dean Stockwell
Not Rated
It's easy to "talk the talk" but difficult to "walk the walk." What I mean is that it's easy to say that we'd stick to the moral high ground, but when push comes to shove, we usually give in to social, economic or political pressures to make life easier. But as Phil Green learns, appeasement only keeps the vicious cycle of discrimination going.
Widower Phil Green (Peck) has just moved from California to New York City to write an article for a left-wing magazine. His editor, John Minify (Dekker), wants him to do a piece of anti-Semitism. Initially, Phil is enthusiastic, but becomes despondent when unable to find a new and interesting angle. That's when he decides to use his well-worn tactic of immersing himself in the stories he writes. He'll pass himself off as Jewish to get a first hand look at anti-Semitism and its effects on Jewish people. The only people who know the truth are his mother (Revere), his son (Stockwell), Minify, and Minify's niece Kathy (McGuire), with whom he falls in love. At first, the role is easy, but the longer it goes on, the deeper he realizes the problem is.
This is a gripping idea for a story. Unfortunately, the way in which Elia Kazan (who did not get along with his star) decides to tell the story robs it of much of its urgency and power. Kazan spends too much time developing the relationship between Phil and Kathy. While this is important for the ending to have its punch, it's a lot less interesting than Phil's experiences as a Jewish person. Only at the end does the film truly delve into this area, but it gives way to so much sermonizing I wanted to gag.
The performances are first rate. Although he wasn't the first choice (which was Cary Grant, who turned it down), Gregory Peck makes it his own. Peck was well known for his staunchly liberal beliefs, and like his most famous character, Atticus Finch, Phil is a man who fights for justice, albeit in a different sort of way than Harper Lee's character. At first, it's just curiosity for Phil, but when prejudice rears its ugly head, it gets personal. Dorothy McGuire is lovely as Kathy, who is thrilled with the idea (or so she says). But when circumstances put her views to the test, she backs down. Anne Revere is terrific as Phil's ill, but supportive, mother. The best performance is given by Celeste Holm (who won an Oscar for her work) as Phil's brassy co-worker, Anne. She's lively and fun, and the film comes alive whenever she's onscreen. Not to be forgotten is John Garfield, who is Phil's lifelong friend, Dave Goldman. Dave is Jewish, and he knows what Phil is going through all too well, and the hypocrisy of others that is as much a cause of the problem as is outright discrimination.
In addition to his testimony to the House of Un-American Activities Committee in 1952, Elia Kazan was known primarily for three films: "Gentleman's Agreement," "A Streetcar Named Desire," and "On the Waterfront." While he won his first Best Director Oscar for this film, it is not a flawless directorial job. Some scenes, mostly during the set-up, are as awkwardly handled as they are written, and more than a few scenes end just as they are getting interesting.
Nevertheless, the film is notable for its perception. Kazan and his screenwriter, Moss Hart, don't go for caricatures. With one exception, a drunken goon at a restaurant, the discrimination is more subtle and realistic. It's the little actions and prejudices that are just as painful; I can't tell you how many times I've seen these very same scenes play out in my life, only with "gay" instead of "Jewish."
Some films, like "Casablanca" or "Gone With the Wind," are good enough on their own that a remake is a waste of time ("Casablanca" has already been remade). "Gentleman's Agreement" is an exception. With a stronger script and direction, this could be a powerful film, regardless of what type of discrimination it chooses to represent.
Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Anne Revere, John Garfield, Albert Dekker, Dean Stockwell
Not Rated
It's easy to "talk the talk" but difficult to "walk the walk." What I mean is that it's easy to say that we'd stick to the moral high ground, but when push comes to shove, we usually give in to social, economic or political pressures to make life easier. But as Phil Green learns, appeasement only keeps the vicious cycle of discrimination going.
Widower Phil Green (Peck) has just moved from California to New York City to write an article for a left-wing magazine. His editor, John Minify (Dekker), wants him to do a piece of anti-Semitism. Initially, Phil is enthusiastic, but becomes despondent when unable to find a new and interesting angle. That's when he decides to use his well-worn tactic of immersing himself in the stories he writes. He'll pass himself off as Jewish to get a first hand look at anti-Semitism and its effects on Jewish people. The only people who know the truth are his mother (Revere), his son (Stockwell), Minify, and Minify's niece Kathy (McGuire), with whom he falls in love. At first, the role is easy, but the longer it goes on, the deeper he realizes the problem is.
This is a gripping idea for a story. Unfortunately, the way in which Elia Kazan (who did not get along with his star) decides to tell the story robs it of much of its urgency and power. Kazan spends too much time developing the relationship between Phil and Kathy. While this is important for the ending to have its punch, it's a lot less interesting than Phil's experiences as a Jewish person. Only at the end does the film truly delve into this area, but it gives way to so much sermonizing I wanted to gag.
The performances are first rate. Although he wasn't the first choice (which was Cary Grant, who turned it down), Gregory Peck makes it his own. Peck was well known for his staunchly liberal beliefs, and like his most famous character, Atticus Finch, Phil is a man who fights for justice, albeit in a different sort of way than Harper Lee's character. At first, it's just curiosity for Phil, but when prejudice rears its ugly head, it gets personal. Dorothy McGuire is lovely as Kathy, who is thrilled with the idea (or so she says). But when circumstances put her views to the test, she backs down. Anne Revere is terrific as Phil's ill, but supportive, mother. The best performance is given by Celeste Holm (who won an Oscar for her work) as Phil's brassy co-worker, Anne. She's lively and fun, and the film comes alive whenever she's onscreen. Not to be forgotten is John Garfield, who is Phil's lifelong friend, Dave Goldman. Dave is Jewish, and he knows what Phil is going through all too well, and the hypocrisy of others that is as much a cause of the problem as is outright discrimination.
In addition to his testimony to the House of Un-American Activities Committee in 1952, Elia Kazan was known primarily for three films: "Gentleman's Agreement," "A Streetcar Named Desire," and "On the Waterfront." While he won his first Best Director Oscar for this film, it is not a flawless directorial job. Some scenes, mostly during the set-up, are as awkwardly handled as they are written, and more than a few scenes end just as they are getting interesting.
Nevertheless, the film is notable for its perception. Kazan and his screenwriter, Moss Hart, don't go for caricatures. With one exception, a drunken goon at a restaurant, the discrimination is more subtle and realistic. It's the little actions and prejudices that are just as painful; I can't tell you how many times I've seen these very same scenes play out in my life, only with "gay" instead of "Jewish."
Some films, like "Casablanca" or "Gone With the Wind," are good enough on their own that a remake is a waste of time ("Casablanca" has already been remade). "Gentleman's Agreement" is an exception. With a stronger script and direction, this could be a powerful film, regardless of what type of discrimination it chooses to represent.
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