Inherit the Wind

 

"He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart." - Proverbs 11:29

A good satire  is timeless by virtue of its utility to the changing times.

Consider Gulliver's Travels: originally written as a parody of the then prevalent "traveler's tales" literary sub-genre, it has been since portrayed as pro-Soviet propaganda and, more currently, a criticism of religious intolerance (among other things).

Borrowing greatly from the satire is the roman à clef (sorry: thinly disguised fiction based on real life people/events).

Inherit the Wind is one of those good romans à clef, relevant to the original subject as well as today's applicable targets.

See, we've been watching so many new movies lately (Persopolis, Waitress, Once, Blue's Clues, etc.) that this week we made a selection from the Hollywood archives - a proper showing of what great cinema looks like.

The historical context for Inherit the Wind was the Scopes monkey trial of 1925, though the authors' parallel was the raging McCarthyism of the 1950s.

As you recall, the Scopes monkey trial tested a Tennessee law banning the teaching of evolution in the classroom. A circus from the beginning, the trial attracted the biggest political and legal names of the era, including the populist William Jennings Bryan and legal beagle Clarence Darrow. It turned out to be a duel of epic and national proportions, dramatically and earnestly captured in the movie at hand.

At first glance, it would be easy to describe the movie as a diatribe against evolutionists and fundamentalism. But as the brilliant ending subtly illustrates, it is a defense of all of the above: evolution, Darwinism, fundamentalism, agnosticism, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

It is a defense of the right to think - and rarely is there a movie equal to the task.

The rapid fire dialogue is the real star, though Spencer Tracy is amazing and Gene Kelly (as you've never seen him before - not dancing!) practically steals the show as the wise cracking allusion to H. L. Mencken - see the first clip below.

I don't quite remember how I came across Inherit the Wind and the play from which it was adapted. It was likely an English teacher of mine - or someone equally subversive.

Now it is our pleasure to share one of our all time movie favorites. More than likely, you'll read into the movie your own parallels - as a good roman à clef allows - because, heaven knows, there are some easy targets out there.

Of course, here is the obligatory note to friends: it's in black and white and all talk. But let us know what you think once you have watched it.

Now to whet your palate with YouTube clips before you rent the movie:

 

Gene Kelly as E. K. Hornbeck, the fictional equivalent of H.L. Mencken, introducing himself and setting the stage for the upcoming trial.

 

Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond, the fictional equivalent of Clarence Darrow, makes an impassioned speech on the futility of the trial.