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Inherit the Wind--Glad to be a liberal!

FinnMacCool

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Have the conservatives been keeping you down with bullshit arguments about liberals being "over sensitive" and "emotionally charged"? Have you wanted to shout out in agony at the thought of being perceived as thinking with your emotions rather then your brain? Have you ever felt almost ashamed of being a liberal with the attacks that we have been receiving very recently?

If so, I recommend you watch this movie Inherit the Wind. Originally a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Inherit the Wind is loosely based on the Scopes Monkey trial of 1925. In it, a free thinking school teacher named Cates defies the law against teaching the theory of Evolution in classrooms and was arrested for it. This brings about a very heated battle in the courtroom in Hillsboro, Tennesee, reffered to as the 'buckle of the bible belt'

The prosecution consists of Matthew Harrison Brady, a over-pomous self riteous christian evangelist and politician who believes that the bible is 'good enough for him'. On the defense is the "atheist" Henry Drummond from Chicago, who uses his wit to expose arguments in the defenses case. Also caught in the middle are Sarah Brown, daughter of the over zealous Rev. Brown, who believes Cates should burn in hell for teaching evolution and E.K. Hornbeck, a wise-ass liberal reporter for the Baltimore Herald, who looks down upon the resident of Hillsboro.

The performances of all the actors are absolutely stunning. Fredric March in particular plays a wonder Brady. He manages to show Brady in all his glroy but as the film goes on, shows that Brady is actually quite insecure about is self image and very desperate to keep the attention of those who follow him.

Through closeups and various cameral angles, you can feel the heat in the courtroom as the two legal giants battle it out in a case where the freedom of every american may be at stake. The dialouge is probably the best aspect of the film. There is never a line that is out of place. It all fits in like an elaborate puzzle until the film leads up to its startling conclusion.

This film is relevant in its study of the value of using the god given gift of thought and reason, as opposed to unquestioning faith, which the townspeople of Hillsboro possess. Particularily relevant, especially when it comes to being a liberal like myself, is the fact that Drummond is motivated not by what is right or wrong like many liberals are accused of nowadays but rather instead TRUTH is what matters to him. Quite contrary to the people of Hillsboro, who only wish to hang Cates and Drummond high. Later on in the movie, you learn something about Drummond that will impress you and shows that he is not simply biased but merely a defender of thought and reason. A champin of freedom of speech and the like.

I can not reccomend this movie any more. It deserves way way way way more attention then it gets. It is absolutely timeless simply because even after all these years, it is still relevant. My score is ****/****
 
Excellent film!. You are correct about the acting, absolutely superb. The cynical reporter was none other than a representation of H.L. Mencken. He has some hilarious lines in the film. With the state of Kansas debating science once again and my own having a slight brush in regads to it, I can hear the singing of "Give me that old time religion!" that plays a prominent role in the movie.:rofl Being from the home state of William Jennings Bryan, I can tell you that many people still share his values-a love of agriculture and disdain for the large and personal--and very devout.
 
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