Rated: NR
Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, et al.
Director: Elia Kazan
Review
Elia Kazan directed this sometimes powerful study of
anti-Semitism in nicer circles, based on Laura Z. Hobson's post-World War
II novel. Gregory Peck is a hotshot magazine writer who has been blind to
the problem; to ferret it out, he passes himself off as Jewish and watches
the WASPs squirm. Seen a half-century later, the attitudes seem quaint and
dated: Could it really have been like this? Yet the truth of the story
comes through, in the wounded dignity of John Garfield, the upright
indignation of Peck, and the hidden ways bigotry and hatred can poison
relationships. That's particularly true in the Oscar-winning performance
of Celeste Holm, who finds more layers than you'd expect in what seems
like a stock character. --Marshall Fine
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A fascinating story emphasizing the importance of
tolerance. The script holds up nicely despite being over fifty years old
except for intermittent scenes which suggest some of the dialogue has
become a bit outdated. However, the powerful theme will live from here to
eternity. The film most obviously concentrates on the ugliness of
anti-Semitism but it also contains several messages of the more subtle
variety. Gregory Peck turns in a memorable performance as a media man who
encounters much hatred while pretending to be Jewish. It's definitely
worth noting that much of the anti-Semitism experienced by Hollywood
actors during this period was actually caused by Jewish men who were
concerned about their own careers after having advanced to lofty positions
in the motion picture industry where they could inflict a unique brand of
oppression. Many of these Jewish men enjoyed large salaries, and didn't
want to part with their money. The trick centered around changing one's
last name, thereby concealing one's true ancestry. It's the same or
similar problem (to a lesser extent) experienced by the Afro American
community when criminals commit crimes against their "brothers"
(statistically, Afro Americans murder mostly their own race). The film was
undoubtedly shocking in its day, largely due to the strong acting,
especially the superb performance from Dorothy McGuire (of "Spiral
Staircase", "Friendly Persuasion" and "Summer Magic" fame) who
inadvertently becomes part of Peck's problem by her unintentional but
insensitive behavior and comments. The plot thickens as the main character
(Peck) experiences well meaning individuals who seem to genuinely like him
personally, but are not strong enough to overtly address the deep rooted
hatred of Jews as a "people". It is similar and pertinent to relatively
modern times when good hearted people with multi-generation ancestry in
the United States try to enjoy friendships with individuals of much
different racial or ethnic backgrounds. Many of these personal
relationships are genuine with the best of intentions only to discover
that extended family members within the newcomer or cultural minority's
family have attitudes and characteristics that are much more typical, and
much less likely to result in compatibility. "Gentleman's Agreement" is
about expanding one's horizons and perspective, and also suggests we
should give up any residue of hatred as an ultimate solution. For example,
some cultures think nothing of smelling melons and other items at the
local fruit stand to help determine if the particular piece of food is
ripe. Seeing nose hairs brush against the consumable item is highly
offensive and typically not well understood or accepted in American
culture. It may seem benign or somewhat silly but it reflects what happens
when an individual who is "different" is finally accepted while an entire
race or culture is NOT! The "gentleman's agreement" becomes NOT to discuss
that such thought processes exist, and are indeed presently occurring! It
is not easy to discuss that your culture of people speaks a harsher
sounding dialect or is flat noisier or louder. Furthermore, the
"gentleman's agreement" includes the unwritten (and perhaps unspeakable)
"bylaw" that I may like certain things about you, but I would never admit
hating the fact that your race or culture of people has immigrated and/or
are now living here! After all, it's much easier to interact among those
with whom we are most familiar! Any doubts that "Gentleman's Agreement" is
less than a "5-star" movie are erased by the fact that the movie still
provokes deep levels of discussion among future generations for which it
undoubtedly wasn't even targeting! DVD quality is excellent, and much
better than expected. It is well worth the purchase!
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