Inherit the Wind - Movie Review PDF

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11/30/20

Daniel Trapunsky Inherit the Wind Inherit the Wind is a 1960 black and white film adaptation of a 1955 play of the

same name, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. The film was directed by Stanley Kramer. Inherit the Wind is a parable that depicts the historic Scopes “Monkey” Trial – Tennessee v. John Scopes which debates the teaching of evolution. The film also acts as a means to discuss McCarthyism. Inherit the Wind portrays Bertram Cates (Dick York), a school teacher who is arrested for violating a law passed earlier that year which outlawed the teaching of evolution (Darwinism). Cates’ lawyer, Henry Drummond (Spencer Tray), who was sent by the Baltimore Herald, argues that this is more than just a trial about evolution. It is really about the way one teaches and thinks. Matthew Harrison Brady, the opposing lawyer who is defending the community of Hillsboro, believes otherwise and goes to great lengths to defend the Bible just like Reverend Jeremiah Brown (Claude Atkins). Bertram Cates’ fiancé, Rachel Brown (Donna Anderson), who is the daughter of Reverend Brown refuses to leave his side. This was because people started to view Cates as a joke. While the movie continues to proceed, we see Matt Brady making a lavish entrance while the other lawyer, Henry Drummond does not. As time moves on, we see people starting to question everything that is happening, from the townsfolk to the lawyers themselves. Due to excessive heat, the trial has to be stopped for the day at certain points. When the trial finally comes to an end after three rough days of fighting, they find Cates guilty. Even though the law is upheld, Cates is only charged $100 because it was a completely

unprecedented case. At the same time, the case sent a message that what Cates did was still illegal in Hillsboro. Afterwards, as Brady tries to get everyone’s attention to give a speech about the bible, he tragically falls into a deep sleep and dies five days later. HISTORY is the best way to describe Inherit the Wind which portrays the events of July 1925 in Hillsboro, Tennessee a Bible Belt State. The film is expressly shown in black and white to portray the significance of the era it took place in. To this extent the film did a very good job in creating the proper visual effect it was going for. Furthermore, the authors of Inherit the Wind use the story as a metaphor for censorship or thought control and as a response to McCarthyism which was happening at the time. The authors wanted to depict the just like the allegations in the trial, McCarthyism was also grounded in baseless facts While the movie did an excellent job in portraying the period and a fictionalized case of the historic Scopes “Monkey” Trial, I unfortunately found the movie very tedious to watch. In my opinion, the movie lacked a sense of both entertainment value and drama. While the film may have tried to portray itself as an historical account of what was happening in the early 1900s in Tennessee, it didn’t really give off a sense of what it was actually like to be in the Bible Belt at that time and how Heavenly Hillsboro really felt about evolution – especially it being taught to their children in school. This is also reflected by an opening statement of the playwrights themselves who declared that the book, and thus the film, was not meant to be a historical account of the Scopes trial. Furthermore, even though the film tries to portray itself as a courtroom drama, it fails to do so and leaves the viewer feeling that s/he is just watching a circus event without any actual

essence to what is going on. Between the news broadcasting, spectator outbursts and the judge’s biased opinions on the case, it all felt one-sided without any real pull towards Cates’ side of the case. In addition, I felt the characters lacked any real depth and seem almost comical in nature – as can be seen when Matthew Harrison Brady dies of a “busted belly.” Additionally, you would think that people in the Bible Belt would be kind spirited, however they are portrayed as mean spirited and ignorant. While the film could have focused on a message of human rights and standing up for what one believes in, the message seems to have gotten lost in the bigger picture of the court case. I felt that the townspeople were looking out more for who would show up and what type of publicity the town would receive rather that the more important matter at hand. While I do understand that the Bible Belt states – especially at that time – did not want to deal with evolution/Darwinism being taught in their schools, the whole focus on the film seemed to miss that point. Finally, I personally was turned off by the dreary and somber environment of the film. Being in black and white, with a lack of deeper suspense or drama led to a very trying film. The droning on of law jargon and preachiness, while probably typical of that time, just made me lose focus on what was being said and tuning out of the bigger picture. In conclusion, when the film was initially released it received a “storm of praise” and was very well received. While I don’t want to detract from its initial reviews, I however, did not come away with that same feeling and was left with a sense of disappointment and a waste of time in watching what I felt could have been a much better picture....