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Show Woody Allen is a film maker whose name is almost synonomous with comedy. His portrayals in his films are humorous and witty, for few actors can understand lines better than one who have written them. Woody Allen has proven himself a fine comedy writer, director, and actor. And so, in the development of an artist, is is only natural that he would choose to try a straight role with a serious characterization. It is precisely this growth that is tried in "The Front." "The Front" deals with the early 1950s, that time when the "Communist conspiracy" was believed to be lurking in the entertainment industry. Because of zealous "Americans" who wanted to squelch the rampant rise of the red menace, a black list developed in the entertainment industry to keep communist sympathizers from working. The list was not official, but any artist linked with the red cause, whether it be signing one petition or declaring his sympathies outright, was suddenly turned down for work and found unacceptable by the heads of the industry. Not so subtle pressures were put upon the entertainment moguls, until they were forced or cajoled into refusing some of their most talented artist's accomplishments. In "The Front," Woody Allen portrays the average joe who happens to have a writer friend who is blacklisted. At his friend's urging, Allen begins to front his friend's writings at a small commission. Seeing the profitability of various blacklisted writers' dilemmas, Allen begins to front for several writers at once, becoming a financial and commercial success in the television industry. But the pressures are on, playing the role of the witty, intelligent writer while secretly being almost illiterate and unsophisticated. Fronting becomes less of a game and more of a nightmare as Allen's friendships with blacklisted writers begin to come into the research of those who would keep the red menace out of television. Suddenly he is no longer playing a game, but caught in the nightmare of being called in front of the House Unamerican Activities Committee to testify about his links. The dilemma becomes whether to ride the tide and be a "friendly" witness, naming a few token names to appease the committee and thus guaranteeing further work, or whether to refuse to testify, stand firm in his beliefs, and lose his security, his dreams, and his success. Interesting enough, most of the cast and crew of the film can feel very deeply about the blacklist, since they actually were blacklisted in the fifties. Zero Mostel puts in a touching portrayal of a comedian now losing work, refused for parts because of his "communist sympathies." The comedian and Mostel have much in common, as Mostel was blacklisted himself, and one can feel how the role is based on his experience. The director, the writer, and several stars all had faced those lean years of blacklisting and now are free to make their statement about their personal experience. However, the question is whether the American public today, so content and smug in itself, really cares what happened to these people. After all, the public sees them as successes today and can overlook the fact that some of those artists blacklisted did not make it through those years, opting for physical or artistic death. The film poignantly reflects those times, commenting and bemoaning the persecution of artists in a country supposedly based on freedom or thought and expression, but somehow is not strong enough in its indignity. We do not fully feel the horror that in our own country, where we feel so secure to express ourselves, a small gspup of people can decide what is "American" and what is now. Allen's performance is well atuned to his character, probably because the characterization is similar to his "loser" image used in his own comedies. One can see the part being written with him in mind, perhaps as a vehicle to take him into serious films. It is difficult to judge whether other serious roles could prove as easy to him, as Allen's role is a type, offering limited possibilities to prove his talent as a serious actor. But it is welcome to see him developing and growing as an artist in a film that must be close to his beliefs. Once past those first few minutes of the audience's titters from anticipation of Woody Allen as a comedian, the film settles into ( Allen as a realistically portrayed serious character. "The Front" feels like one of those films guaranteed not to be a blockbuster in the box office, offering too limited appeal to audiences. Nevertheless, it is a well conceived little film, moving fluidly, pacing itself well. Interest remains high throughout the film's development even if the audience may feel miffed at first at missing a night of frolicing entertainment associated with the star's name. Woody Allen may not remain synonymous with comedy, but may grow in reputation as an artist in a film industry made of many people too timid to venture past what they do well into what they feel they should tackle. |