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![DVD - Inherit the Wind - Spencer Tracey - [Bilingual] - Very Nice - Picture 1 of 1](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/T9YAAMXQ2UVQ838u/s-l500.jpg)
Movies are supposed to tell stories. If they want to depict truth (or facts) they may, but that’s not always the point. And getting the point in 90 minutes or so, can be a challenge. The famous “Scopes Monkey Trial” took place in Dayton, Tennessee during a very hot July in 1925. Dozens of hours of grueling proceedings were withstood by many onlookers in the hugely anticipated show trial. Legendary defense attorney Clarence Darrow would battle the “Great Commoner” William Jennings Bryan in the first trial ever to be carried over the radio. John Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution in direct violation of Tennessee’s Butler Act. Just as he had hoped. 'Inherit the Wind' became a movie in 1960- 35 later, but with Scopes still alive to view and comment on the film to wit: “Of course it altered the facts of the real trial.” Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee’s famous play 'Inherit the Wind' is not a screed about the evils of religion or Christianity, but an allegory for the dangers of McCarthyism. They, and director Stanley Kramer (Judgment at Nuremberg), took liberties with the story to present a concise, exciting court room drama that still packs a wallop today, 50 years hence. This is evidenced immediately by the fact that the two titans that battle it out are given different names: Darrow becomes “Drummond,” and Bryan becomes “Brady.” For the original screenplay, Lawrence and Lee as much as insist that the year is not 1925 for the purpose of evoking universality. The real trail was larger than life. The movie attempted to suggest the same. William Jennings Bryan (not Bryant, as has been offered by other reviewers) was one of the greatest orators of his era. In the film, he is depicted as somewhat more of a buffoon than was the three time candidate for president whose “Cross of Gold” speech is still celebrated for its power and elegance. He was a bible literalist, but not a typical “young-earth creationist.” He believed the earth could be of ambiguous age based on the fact that the sun was not present until the fourth day of creation. Darrow exploited this conundrum at the real trial in 1925, and his film counterpart Drummond employs the same argument against Bryan’s doppelganger Brady. Clarence Darrow is played by the renowned American actor Spencer Tracy who won two best actor Oscars (in a row). His portrayal of Darrow/Drummond is spot-on and a joy to behold. The Bryan/Brady character is played by seasoned actor Frederic March, who bumbles his way to his ignominious end while Drummond feels sympathy and guilt after breaking his overmatched rival. Those who have done “a little research” on the movie and the actual trial know this to be fiction. The real Bryan was no goofball, and Darrow was not the least bit sympathetic when Bryan died five days after the trial. Viewers should not take the movie to be a transcription of the actual 1925 trial any more then they should take “Hoosiers” to be an accurate depiction of the events surrounding the 1954 Milan High School boys basketball team. If one wants to really delve into the real Scopes trial, I suggest Edward J. Larson’s book, 'Summer For The Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate over Science and Religion,' the acknowledged best reference ever written on the topic. If one would rather see a terrific movie with tight direction and a poignant story, rent 'Inherit the Wind.'Read full review
I did a little research on this movie and turned up some unpleasant truths: About once a decade, an "anti-religion propaganda film" comes out of Hollywood. I can name three of them and this is one. Really, if such a movie targeted blacks or gays or Muslims, it would arouse an outcry, and it should. This movie, produced by an atheist Christian-hater, is simply a thinly disguised attack on Christians. A teacher who shows this to his class is perpetuating this prejudice. The film does everything it can to portray southern American Christians as hateful, bigoted, intolerant, narrow-minded, ignorant, anti-scientific, and utterly unsophisticated. But, isn't such a hateful portrayal itself bigoted, hateful, & intolerant? Is such an image REALLY accurate about ANYONE? Here in Canada we are taught not to tolerate religious bigotry any more than racial bigotry. Anyway, "hate & mockery" truly describe the spirit of this film - it is so extreme, it is almost unique in this way. As for its content: The film is technically fine - a courtroom drama. But unfortunately, it is not faithful to the facts of the trial; in fact, the whole picture is essentially a lie. For instance, no one arrested Scopes, the whole trial was initiated by the ACLU in order to overturn a penaltyless anti-evolution law. The ACLU convinced Scopes to play this role and even the prosecution cooperated as a test case. Scopes was not poor and defenseless either, a whole team of lawyers and scientists was brought from NYC by the ACLU. Thus, it wasn't really a normal trial - this is why the defense freely admitted Scopes "guilt". Scopes himself hadn't even taught evolution, the "defense" attorneys had coached the children three months later to say he had (read perjury). What Scopes had done is teach from a book which did teach evolution (the same textbook also declared evolution proved whites were superior to other races, by the way). Anyway, Scopes himself said in his autobiography that he was treated very well by everyone in town. As for the angry fundamentalist preacher and the violent lynch-mob, these were complete fiction - a straw man falsely representing only what the filmmaker WANTED to envision - a lie. And... It was Darrow, not Bryant, who was cited for contempt. Darrow was an avowed atheist who admitted in his own autobiography that his real goal for the case was to attack what he called "fundamentalists". In fact, the last day of the trial this man broke his word by refusing to testify. By contrast, Bryant, Darrow's opponent, was no intolerant, ignorant buffoon, as he treated in the film - Bryant was chosen as the democratic candidate for president three times and was Wilson's Secretary of State. And the scientists? Darrow wouldn't let them testify either because he knew what Bryant could do to them on the stand! The whole movie deliberately twists the facts much like a Nazi or Soviet styled propaganda film. This movie is simply a deliberate slander. Think about what you are really doing before you embrace this film. There are few films I'd actually condemn - this is one of about ten. And by the way, before you mock creationists, intelligent design proponents, religious people, or atheists, be intellectually honest by taking a couple of hours to hear the specifics of what your opponents are saying; have you ever heard the other side? Use science to carry on such a controversy - not ridicule. Ridiculing others, as the filmmaker has so eagerly done, is just plain wrong.Read full review
Spencer Tracy and Frederick March. It hardly ever gets better than this. Two Hollywood giants locked in almost-mortal courtroom battle. Based on the Scopes monkey trial, in which a mid-American teacher, in direct opposition to a close-minded small-town edict has the audacity to teach Darwin's theory of evolution to his very young students. The man, played by the late Dick York of Bewitched fame, is arrested very early in the movie, is pleaded innocent by his lawyer, Tracy, who in actuality is playing Clarence Darrow, although they use another name in the movie. Arguing on behalf of the people is William Jennings Bryant, very ably portrayed by Mr. March. They also changed the name of this character for reasons I do not understand. The clash of wills between Tracy and March, near the end of this movie, has to be seen and reseen. This is movie-making at its very best. Courtroom dramas have, for a very long time, been as staple of Hollywood, and for a very good reason. This film and others like To Kill a Mockingbird, Anatomy of a Murder, The Verdict, QB VII and 12 Angry Men prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that CG special effects and violence are not necessary to make a great movie. Quality writing, acting and directing.... that's the ticket.Read full review
The Scopes Monkey Trial held America spellbound and this movie does the same. It is a recreation of the trial while not using the names of the actual people involved in that trial. While always wonderful, Spencer Tracy (the athest) goes head to head with his advisary played by Fredric March(the Bible beater). March is in town to prosecute Dick York, the teacher who dares to teach Darwin's theory of Evolution in a southern town, a misdemeanor. Tracy is hired by Gene Kelly (a newspaper report's newspaper) to defend York and his freedom of speech. In a biblical battle Tracy and March battle the meaning of creation when Tracy end up putting March on the stand as an "expert witness for the defense" and has him explain how God created the world in six days. Something March has difficulty doing. It ends up killing March but also shows Tracy as not being much of an Athestist as he pretends to be. This movie is a must see for everyoneRead full review
The two classic artists in terrific roles!
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