TRUMBO: A Surprisingly Insightful Look At The Hollywood Blacklist

Hollywood and the golden age of film have now all but faded into history, and any glimpse into that world is for that reason a glimpse into history itself. Trumbo is a look at the show business world following the Cold War, when Hollywood started to blacklist people solely due to their political alignments.

Starring the very talented Bryan Cranston as the titular character, the film is not only a successful character study and biopic, it is also an engaging and entertaining glimpse at a very dark time in Hollywood’s history.

The Blacklist

Trumbo begins almost immediately following the events of the Cold War, when Hollywood, along with the rest of the country, was swept up in a culture of fear and paranoia. Anything associated with the Soviet Union was assumed to be aligned with them; following this, it was only a matter of time before communism itself was seen as heresy.

Dalton Trumbo (Cranston), a prolific screenplay writer and also known communist, is soon swept up along with nine others (known collectively as the Hollywood Ten) to appear before Congress, who charged them with putting subliminal communist propaganda in their movies. Too proud to dignify Congress with a response to their accusations, though, Trumbo is charged with contempt.

Taking place over the course of three decades, Trumbo almost immediately hits the ground running. It jumps from Trumbo’s initial accusations along with the Hollywood Ten, to his imprisonment, to his eventual reemployment under different pseudonyms in order to still make a living. The frequent jumps and fast-cut editing throughout much of the film may be jarring at first, but it fortunately evens out.

The turning point in the film where it finally settles into a regular rhythm is following Trumbo’s time in jail. There is a brief glimpse of him when he exits the prison gates, where all you see is a shadowy outline of a figure before he emerges and his face is lit up. Such a representation is symbolic to Trumbo’s optimism, and of his willingness to leave this part of his life behind. It is his triumphant return to the world of film that made me truly start to indulge in Trumbo.

The Defiant Dalton Trumbo

Since none of the traditional film studios could employ him any longer, Trumbo, in defiance of his blacklisted name, goes to King Brothers Productions, led by Frank King (played by the always fun John Goodman). Still possessing a clear talent for writing, Trumbo writes and fixes screenplays, some of which even catch the attention of the Academy Awards. Yet, still being blacklisted, he cannot accept the praise for his work, and must still remain in the dark.

It is here that not only Trumbo but Cranston in his performance truly shines. With a world that doesn’t seem to have his back, and yet a family that needs his support, Dalton Trumbo is conflicted between his love of writing and his inability to make a living from it. Working constantly, he doesn’t have much time for family, yet if he doesn’t take that time he wouldn’t be able to support them at all.

Cranston is as charismatic as they come; not only does he succeed in imitating Trumbo’s voice and gestures, but he brings his emotional A-game to the performance, making us sympathize with his character’s obvious conflicts. From a conversation with his neglected daughter Nikola (Elle Fanning), to an angry accusation of betrayal to someone he was once friends with, to his final heartwarming speech, it is truly a compelling performance, and one that makes some of Trumbo’s flaws just a little easier to ignore.

Actors Playing Actors

There are some issues with Trumbo, to be sure. The first that is immediately apparent is that of casting. Many of the actors in the film are talented in other productions, but it just seemed as if they were in the wrong movie. The most standout to me was Louis CK.

Playing a fellow writer of Trumbo, CK is just uncomfortably out of place. Other than wearing period clothing, I just saw Louis CK, the very funny stand-up comedian and star of his own show. It is especially obvious when he is seen next to the supremely talented Bryan Cranston, who to me seemed like one of the only people who knew what type of movie he was in.

Some of the other performances that I had issue with were Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G. Robinson, Dean O’Gorman as Kirk Douglas, and David James Elliot as John Wayne. Though both O’Gorman and Elliot at least bother to sound to like their respective characters (somewhat), Stuhlbarg never once made me think of Edward G. Robinson.

Casting somebody in the role of another famous star is obviously a difficult task for physical reasons, but it’s not impossible to pull it off if the performance is there as well; just ask Cate Blanchett. Or just look at Helen Mirren, who plays Hedda Hopper in Trumbo, a notorious actress and gossiper. Almost none of the remainder of the cast made me think that they were the people they were portraying.

The miscasting of roles is also representative of some of the film’s larger flaws as a whole. In seeking to convey the important theme of triumph over adversity, but without putting as much work into the production itself, the film ends up feeling lazily directed. Jay Roach, who has directed almost exclusively comedies over his career, is most likely not experienced with a larger production, especially a period piece.

As an example, some of the scenes that are played from past films are remade with the actors for the purposes of this film (a scene from Spartacus, for example). But without the proper editing to splice such a scene together with the older movie, the end result is sometimes laughably obvious.

Conclusion

Despite its flaws in direction and casting, Trumbo is overall an engaging film. It’s an enticing look into Hollywood during one of the darker times in its history, and in addition is an interesting character study of a man who triumphs over the many struggles of show business after the Cold War.

Bryan Cranston also gives one of his best film performances as Dalton Trumbo, in a role that might finally give him the boost into the industry after a very successful career in television. Trumbo himself would be proud.

What did you think of Trumbo? What are some of your favorite movies about movies? Let us know in the comments!

We also covered the extensive history of Dalton Trumbo and the Blacklist, find the very interesting article here: Trumbo and the Hollywood 10: Why the Blacklist is Still Relevant Today.

Trumbo was released in the US on November 5, 2015, but will be released in the UK on February 5. All international release dates can be found here.