TERMS
Revealed text: a text in which God reveals a “truth”
Scopes trial/monkey trial: A trial in which a high school teacher was tried for teaching evolution. The actual trial involved
Clarence Darrow (in the film Henry Drummond) and William Jennings Bryant (in the film Matthew Harrison Brady)
Creationism: The theory that the biblical description of creation is true.
High contrast lighting: sharply defined shadows
Xenophobia: Fear of foreigners.
McCarthyism:. The practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to
evidence or the use of unfair investigatory or accusatory methods in order to suppress opposition.(Compare "outing")
magic: initially, fallacious cause and effect. Later manipulation of the supernatural.
religion: a belief in spiritual beings. Generally approaches the supernatural through "personal" interaction rather than
manipulation
science: originally "true" cause and effect, later cause and effect in the mundane or profane world rather than the supernatural
one.
Zeitgeist A German word borrowed into Engish meaning a "Spirit of the times" or a kind of "mental set had be people at a
speciic time.
Background in religion and science
In the mid 1800's most of the scientific world had developed an interest in "evolution" which was a Zeitgeist or a spirit of the times. Lyell had postulated evolution in Geology, Darwin in biology and people like Spencer, Tylor and Marx in society.
Early social evolutionist saw societies as evolving through specific fixed stages, going from savagery to barbarism to civilization, (or with communism as the end goal).
Early anthrpologists who were evolutionists, initially saw magic (false cause and effect) => religion =>science.
The idea was that people realized that magic didn't work, gave it up and decided that the universe was not under their control, and so the decided that there was some more powerful figure they needed to supplicate. Ultimately they realized there was true cause and effect (science).
People never quite give up on earlier forms. In "civilized" societies with "science" religious and magical practices are considered "survivials".
Most scientists have dismissed this idea, and Malinowski, said that all societies have all three. The major distinction is that religion and magic deal with the supernatural while science deals with the mundane or profane.
Most of these are discredited now and the idea of a single line of evolution for all societies (unilinear evolution) is found only in popular writings, and not scientific ones.The idea of change is of course still in effect!
The sciences, attempted to give a picture of the reality of what had happened, although mnay people now believe that their theories reflected their own "Zeitgeist" - especially those of the social sicentists and those of Darwin.
Since in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic religions which are have the same source, there is a revealed text, taht is one which purports to be the actual word of God spoken through a messenger, real conflict becomes possible between two authorities - the scientific and the divine. This sets the stage for a serious conflict as to which do you believe?
America, as probably the most fundamentalist of all Christian countries, had and continues to have a major conflict between these two pieces which the society needs in some way to resolve. On the one hand, the religious may accuse scientists of atheism in choosing their "belief system" over the religious one, and scientists may hurl invictives right back.
The result was that Tennessee passed an ordinance holding it was illegal to teach Darwin in the school systems. Despite many legal battles, within the last 5 years there have still been attempts to get Darwinism "thrown out" of the classroom, and indeed some scientists themselves question much of his theory at the moment.
In fact, in the West, the major difference between science and religion is science's interest and willingness in testing itself and challenging its own beliefs, which religion does not do since it is "The word of God". The film is based in a real trial, held in Dayton Tenn.
William Jennings Bryant had run for president several times on a “Cross of Gold” platform – a famous speech to take America off the gold standard.
Henry Drummond was a famous attorney who fought many famous trials including the Leopold Loeb trial in which he argued against the death penalty (and won) for two killers. The film made about that trial is Compulsion With Orson Welles playing Jonathan Wilk the character into whom Clarence Darrow has “morphed” in this film. Another about the murder itself if Alfred Hitchcock’s experimental film Rope
| REAL | FILM | ACTOR |
| Dayton, Tenn. | Hillsboro | -------- |
| William Jennings Bryant | Matthew Harrison Brady | Frederic March |
| Henry Drummond | Clarence Darrow | Spencer Tracy |
| John Scopes | Bertram Cates | Dick York |
CULTURAL CONTEXT
The actual trial took place in 1925. The play, Inherit the Wind, was written in 1950, but was not produced until 1955
FILM OPERATES ON SEVERAL LEVELS:
(a) evolution=creationism controversy
(b) religion vs. science
(c) freedom to think
Definitely a play of ideas – very verbal, much text and subtext? How to realize this in film?
"[They] used the teaching of evolution as a parable, a metaphor for any kind of thought control. It's not about science versus religion. It's about the right to think." Randall seconds this thought, saying, " When we opened on April 21, 1955, I did not think the play would be taken seriously; the fundamentalists had became a lunatic fringe. The play is one-thousand times more pertinent today. You think this is over? It's never over "
In postmodern age – what happens to the play?
Has there been a serious change in society since the play was written? Are audiences more likely to be sympathetic to the religious position. Are science and religion two modes of belief? Should the government validate science anymore than religion? Can a “should” question be answered scientifically?
Mob Psychology??? McCarthy era position (1950 – same year McCarthy makes speech about communists). Question about “enemies”, xenophobia. (See also The Thing). Is it politically justified? For Communists? Nazis? Terrorists? Scientists? Religious fanatics?
Performance
What kind of performances are there in the film?
Town as set
Trial as performance
Is the attack on Brady “fair”? What is Drummond trying to prove by attacking Brady? What is Drummond’s position on religion?
Are the characters well developed. It is a play of ideas, but at the costs of character? Do they become stereotypes (which has been argued).
Is there an attempt to keep faith and church apart?
Democratic situation. Do the people really get what they want?
Does the film have a political position? How would Christians deal with film?
Is it any more reasonable to outlaw the teaching of creationism that the teaching of evolution. Are science and religion both belief systems.
FILM
AFTER THE FILM Play of ideas – how to film? <> Clock, sound of ticking = time = evolution. Question of “What is a day” is important to the film.
Starts like a Western with showdown-like shots at start as they gather to go to school to arrest Burt. Walk down through town in the street, not on sidewalk. First one person, then 2 then 3 then 4 then photographer
Depth of field – isolated person in foreground, group in background. Person joins the group. But initial shot is one of isolation from group. Compare with speech made by Drummond about being lonely and hearing one’s own foot steps – etc.
Meeting “Hillsboro: A town with a future”
Hornbeck’s comments about Brady often show Brady in background responding: “Only man I know who can strut sitting down” “stuffing himself with fired chicken and belching platitudes”
People in court room – women knitting and shouting amens and hallelujahs
BACKGROUND ISSUES (subtext) often similarly important: Actual battle about teaching evolution is not as important as major theme of freedom to think and speak.
Does this have relevance in today’s climate – religiously and politically perhaps rather than religiously.
Performance
The characters range from an over zealous minister to the devout Brady, to the free thinking Drummond to the cynical Hornbeck.
Hornbeck and the minister share the fact that they are extremists. Brady chastises the minitser for being over zealous and Drummond likewise erbukes Hornbeck.
How does it relate to “fitting into the group” (marches, insistence on singing, playing to crowd)
Language
Irony and cynicism
Much of the dialog is cynical (Hornbeck) but also very eloquent.
Consider Drummond saying “God” not permitted on radio; and also “hell”.
Town as set
What is the “feeling” about the town – how is it shown in the technique of film.
a. heat: (hot and going to get hotter). Fans, bright lighting outdoors in day time,
b. religious atmosphere: music (“Old Time Religion”), Name of town “Heavenly” Hillboro
The heat, of course, is certainly physical in Hillsboro, but it is also the heat of the passion about the beliefs involved as well as the fevor of the arguments (which become rather heated). The rotating fans always remind us of the heat, and also their constant spinning is like the clock keeping time. Carnival atmosphere (actually one in background with Ferris wheel, Chimp being exhibited as devolution, in courtroom – much at end with ice cream vendors etc.
Performances – photographer, marches, prayer meeting. Trial with radio and photos. Role of media
Brady’s entrance in car like royalty, compare with Drummond’s in bus
Witness playing to crowd “I believe in Matthew Harrison Brady” etc.
Image important = Burt to jail when playing chess
Mob psychology = images of group, woman pushing Rachel Brown to sing.
Opposition of ideas:
Lighting – contrast vs. even lighting; prayer meeting sequence.
Composition in frame in opposing views – Brady and Drummond, Brady and Rachel
Use of shots of people in close ups and being spoken about.
View of Mr. and Mrs. John Stebbins during the examination of Rachel
Background set: During prayer meeting
Mob scenes? What do they imply? Solidity of group
Music: hymns, menacing is misleading with boys from class – made to looks like they are dangerous. (fibs, lies deceit).
Carnival outside and inside - especially when verdict is announced - ice cream vendors, radio people, Matt is upset he is no longer he focus of attention.
Are the characters polarized?
What is Brady’s position (i.e what does he represent)?. Is he made to look foolish?
What is Drummond’s position? (i.e what does he represent)?
What is Hornbeck’s position? (i.e what does he represent)? What does his character imply about cynicism?
Are the characters well developed.
Lack of agreement between Drummond and Brady in scene with rockers about rocking horse. Never quite in synch in their rocking. Not in synch about ideas either. Both seem to want people to have hope, but at what price? How different are they, How similar are they?
Are the towns people stereotyped? Do they all believe the same way
Film appears to come down on Drummond’s side – freedom to think and be different
Does it? Would it approve of letting creationists into the school as well as Darwin? Is Darwin in trouble? Sociobiology.