The Front

It's amazing to me that it has been more than a quarter of a century since this movie was made. I think at the time the movie was made it was said that it could not have been made before then because of the controversy; "Hollywood" would not have allowed it to be made. This movie is of historical significance because it is based on reality; a reality that seems impossible now. I saw this movie in a theater in which another movie was shown first. The first movie was a documentary of the search for communists and the real-life story preceding the fictional portrayal of the same thing was a powerful combination. I think this movie must be seen by all to see how unreasonable people can be if we are too intolerant.

A fascinating film about blacklisting in the entertainment industry, the material does feel rather dry but the ideas are good and the quality of the acting pushes it through when nothing else does. Michael Murphy plays his character in a very human and realistic manner, and the performers are all round well suited, although Allen goes for comedy whereas everything else is in dramatic mode. The film is weighed down in fact by unevenness between comedy and drama throughout, however it is not entirely Allen's fault. Ritt's direction seems somewhat patchy with varying tones throughout. I definitely wouldn't call this a great film - or at least I can't say that I liked it a lot - but it still did have enough in it to keep me interested until the end.

Opening with wonderfully nostalgic and amusing newsreel footage from the early 1950s (coupled with Frank Sinatra's buttery vocal on "Young at Heart"), director Martin Ritt quickly makes his intentions clear that these innocent signposts of the era belied a much different feeling in the climate of the country: creeping paranoia on the show business front, in Senator McCarthy's gorgon-like attempt to make America "pure". Woody Allen plays a New York City deli-cashier who helps out three TV writers, blacklisted for being Communist sympathizers, by letting them use his name on their scripts...but when the critical kudos arrive, the witchhunt closes in. Despite some very funny asides, the panic of the time is highly palpable, and "The Front" isn't a light-hearted vehicle for Allen by any means (nor does it become overly-messagey). Expertly written by Walter Bernstein and directed by Ritt (both blacklist victims for real). Woody very fine in a non-farcical performance. *** from ****

Woody Allen acts in a film that he did not direct. While he did this early in his career, at this stage it was unusual. I imagine this was an opportunity to tell Hollywood off for what it did during the McCarthy era (see "Trumbo" if you get a chance). Woody's character is a kind of ghost writer, a "Front." He assists blacklisted writers in getting their work produced. They have been labeled communists. He works away, successfully, but then his integrity works its way into his being. What can he do stop this without sacrificing his work. There were these "Fronts" around and it allowed Hollywood not to stagnate any further. This film has an incredibly fine conclusion. This movie caught me by surprise.