Location: NS, Canada
"The Red Menace"
Directed By Mike Nichols
Written By Tony Kushner
Main Cast
Helena Bohnam Carter as Ethel Rosenberg
Robert Downey Jr. as Julius Rosenberg
Bob Hoskins as Joseph McCarthy
James McAvoy as Roy Cohn
Liev Schreiberas as David Greenglass
Tagline: "N/A"
Synopsis: She sits alone behind those bars. That poor woman. Question the government of today and this is where it leads you. A convicted Communist. A traitor. Awaiting her final moments now, she can do nothing but think. Think back to what had brought her here. Who brought her here.
Who knew typing a letter could do so much? Her husband, Julius Rosenberg, had been an active member of the Communist Party but she never thought too much of it. He was, after all, her husband and she would stick with him. When she wrote the letter about those so called "Nuclear Secrets" for him in 1945, she had no idea what the ramifications would be.
Their house being raided on the word of Senator Joe McCarthy, the man behind the communist witch hunt. She didn't know why she was being charged with the same crimes as her husband. All She had done was write a letter. She hadn't conspired to give away secrets to the USSR. You couldn't tell the Prosecution that though. Roy Cohn, an up-in-coming bull dog lawyer for McCarthy, Would stop at nothing. Making sure he got the judge he wanted. Slapping her with the same crimes as her husband. Using her as leverage to make sure that Julius confessed to save her life.
And who was the star witness? Her own brother. David Greenglass. He would make sure that everyone knew of her "involvement" in the espionage. No public outcries. No support. The trial could never be won.
She knows what is happening now. Her husband is being strapped into the chair. The top of his head moistened. The metal dome being lowered onto his skull. She knows its happening now. She knows that she is next.
What the Press would say:
"I am a communist" are the first words spoken in Mike Nichols' "The Red Menace" and this statement is unwavering throughout. This film makes no bones about the Rosenberg's association with the Communist party. It does not try to say that they were not communist spies. This isn't that kind of movie. And even though they are Communists, we feel sorry for the Rosenbergs, more so for Ethel though. All she did was type a letter and it caused her to lose her life. Helena Bohnam Carter is absolutely stunning in this role. The sadness in her eyes, her pursed lips, her intense silence. She completely transforms into Ethel Rosenberg and loses herself in the role. Her best scene by far is the final scene in the movie. It is played completely in silence, no music in background, no voices. Nothing. She simply walks down a hallway to the room where she is to be executed. Her silence is deafening. We never see the final execution of Ethel but we know its coming and the darkness that engulfs the screen before the execution takes place is indescribably more powerful than seeing her die.
On the other side of the equation is Robert Downey Jr. in his best performance since "Chaplin". He grows visibly frustrated in the courtroom as Roy Cohn rips up his defense. The character is the opposite of his wife. He is totally at fault but is nowhere near as submissive as Ethel. He breaks into feverish arguments with Cohn that are ripped apart by the legal bull dog. Roy Cohn is brought to the screen by James McAvoy, in a hatefully despicable performance as Senator Joseph McCarthy's top prosecutor. His venomous rants are only fueled by every attempt the Rosenbergs make at defending themselves. We see the real fuel behind the fire in a few scenes that give us glimpses into the relationship between Cohn and McCarthy, played by Bob Hoskins in one of the best, if a little limited, performances of his career. Hoskins flawlessly brings the aura of Joe McCarthy to life in these scenes. His hatred toward absolutely anyone with an opinion conflicting with his own, his lust for power.
Mike Nichols takes us into the world of 1950's McCarthyism flawlessly. You know how the world thinks from the beginning of the film, when you get a little history lesson that outlines the Communist Witch Hunts up to the arrest of the Rosenbergs. His use of claustrophobic shots in the film can drive the audience insane, truly making you feel the same uncomfortable feeling that Ethel Rosenberg feels throughout. We are privy to sparse narration by Ethel throughout the film, but barely enough to give us a more personal look at her. These are so sparse, in fact, that you barely notice that they are there. You get the message but it's almost like you can't hear the words. Very powerful and extremely skillful on the part of Nichols, who used Tony Kushner's talent to it's fullest in these moments.
"The Red Menace" is a rare film that comes along only once in a long while. It is infinitely powerful without trying to be, or knowing it is. Nothing seems forced, especially the acting. It is deep, dark, powerful, and terrifying. Oh the things people will do when they are scared. In today's world, this message is all the more poignant.
Possible Nominations...
Best Picture
Best Director - Mike Nichols
Best Original Screenplay - Tony Kushner
Best Actress - Helena Bohnam Carter
Best Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr
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