JoeB131

(2012-05-19 15:59:21)

An attempt to tell the other side of the story...

For years, Hollywood has made various adaptations of the Scopes MonkeyTrial by doing versions of "Inherit the Wind", a fictionalized accountthat grinds whatever axes Hollywood wants to grind that year.This film tries to tell the Christian side of the story, and there issome ax-grinding here.The things that the film gets right. The "Scopes Monkey Trial" was nota ruthless persecution of John Scopes, but a publicity stunt by thedying town of Dayton, Tennessee to try to attract commerce bychallenging the Butler Act. It escalated beyond anyone's control whenthe trial became a contest between Clarance Darrow (played by BrianDennihy) and failed Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan(played by failed presidential candidate Fred Dalton Thompson) over theBible and Darwin's theories.Bryan is portrayed sympathetically here, as truly concerned that theimplications that people were drawing from Darwin's theories devaluedhuman life. The film pulls no punches, not only making Bryan completelysympathetic, but also having the subplot of the black girl who is goingto be sterilized under theories of eugenics. The film takes pains topoint out that Bryan was a champion for women's suffrage and the commonman.Brian Dennihy portrays Clarance Darrow, as a ruthless but somewhatsympathetic lawyer. They do give him a moment where he does somethingdecent, though. But really, Dennihy and Thompson have extended cameosby actors doing an "art" film. The real story is the small townreporter Charles B Anderson (whom I'm guessing is fictional) who workswith famous writer H.L. Mencken , and struggles with journalisticethics vs. wanting to advance himself. He finds himself pulled betweenhis love interest and Mencken, who is portrayed as really kind ofunsavory.Mencken is played with devilish glee by Colm Meany of Star Trek fame.He has no ethics and doesn't care who he hurts in the process. When aperson he mocks complains about why he mocked her, he replies that"because your backward and you enjoy it!" It's a great villainousperformance.Some other observations- Filmed in Sepia-Vision. Yes, anything thattakes place between about 1850 and 1940 is filmed in "Sepia-Vision"that tinting of film that makes things look brownish. So we arereminded that we are in olden times. "I was fined $100? That's a lot ofmoney back now!" Overall, I recommend this film, heavy handed as it is,and not being particularly religious myself. I think the characters arefleshed out just enough to make them interesting.