Gentleman's Agreement

Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne Revere, June Havoc, Jane Wyatt, Dean Stockwell, Sam Jaffe
Directed by: Elia Kazan
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Romance
1947

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A reporter (Gregory Peck) decides to write a piece on anti-Semitism in America. To get a firsthand account, he pretends to be Jewish.

Review:

Tim: Gentleman's Agreement will always have a special place in my heart, because this was the last Academy Award Best Picture winner I saw (I've now seen every film to win that honor). This movie escaped me for a long time, but I finally tracked it down. I have to say that I really enjoyed the film. It's a finely made, important movie. I thought it was very, very good (although it misses out on greatness).

I'm definitely a fan of director Elia Kazan. He has directed some terrific movies. This is a very good effort, but it does have a few big flaws (which I will discuss later). For the most part, though, Kazan directs an interesting, thought-provoking film.

I love that this movie was brave enough to tackle anti-Semitism at a time when the subject matter was considered extremely controversial. Many people in Hollywood did not want this film to be made because they feared it would only stir up trouble for Jewish people in Hollywood and in America. Watching this film today, you have to marvel at how far we've come in this country (and also lament that the job isn't yet done). I personally will never fully understand how people can hate others simply because of their religious beliefs, but this film does a fantastic job of showing the ugliness of bigotry.

The story takes an interesting approach- a reporter pretends to be Jewish to get a first-hand look at anti-Semitism in America. What's fascinating is all the different ways he discovers it. Sometimes it's just a funny look someone gives him, sometimes it is outright scorn. His son is taunted and called names, and he witnesses places which won't open their doors to him. It was a little shocking to see the kinds of hatred Jewish people experienced, even as recently as 1947 (and I doubt this movie caused immediate change). This movie puts that bigotry and hatred on full display, and shows how ugly people can be to each other. I love that this film showed anti-Semitism in all its forms- it's not just those who make jokes or use offensive language, those who hear others do so and refuse to speak up must share some of the guilt. That is the film's most powerful, lasting message.

I really liked Gregory Peck in the lead role. He's not the most expressive actor, but the guy has serious talent, and he put it to good use here. I really connected well with his character. Peck had that ability to make you care about his cause, and he works very well in this film. I suppose Dorothy McGuire did a good job, but I just did not like her character at all. Her performance is a little too forgettable for my taste, but she worked well enough. John Garfield was good, but he didn't get enough screen time. I loved Celeste Holm as Anne. She gives such an energetic, fiery performance. She was one of the most unforgettable characters in the film, due completely to Holm's performance. I also liked Anne Revere as Peck's mother. Revere delivers some of the best lines of the whole film in her speech at the end("I suddenly want to live to be very old..."). I also loved seeing a very young Dean Stockwell.

While the film is very good, it does have some flaws. I felt like the romance angle at times overshadowed the anti-Semitism one. I understand that the two are intricately connected, but it just felt too focused on Peck's love life. I know this is a personal bias, but I just did not care for the character of Kathy. I much, much preferred Anne, and it frustrated me that Peck's character did not see that. I thought the romance angle was far too forced, especially at the end.

This film did win 3 Academy Awards. Celeste Holm won Best Supporting Actress (I thought she was incredible). Elia Kazan won Best Director. This is interesting because this is certainly not Kazan's best film (I can think of at least two better ones off the top of my head). However, it's such a bold, courageous choice, and he does direct the film pretty well. I do think the romance issues hurt the film (and Kazan is responsible for that), but for the most part, he did a very good job. Finally, the film won Best Picture, which I applaud. I'm not sure if it was truly the best film made in 1947, but it's undoubtedly one of the most important.

I very much enjoyed Gentlemen's Agreement. It is a movie about an important subject matter, but it grounds that message in a real-life romance story. I do think Peck got a bit too preachy at times in the film, but it really made me look anti-Semitism in the face, and shudder a bit at the ugliness there. That's exactly what the film sought to accomplish, and it did that. This isn't the best Best Picture winner, but it's a solid film from start to finish.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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