Bernstein's Drive to Succeed

One of the pivotal moments so far for me in Walter Bernstein’s memoir was what the blacklist had achieved for writers, mainly in movies and television at the time. He discusses how the role of the writer became much bigger than it had ever been. Instead of just submitting a script and being almost on the outside of the production in general writers were now being asked to be in the forefront of the production. For those not on the blacklist I’m sure this was a monumental occasion for them. Even though this new importance for writers was taking over, it is overshadowed by the fact that it was taking place probably to guarantee those blacklisted were no longer a part of the entertainment industry.

I was shocked and amused by how easily at first Bernstein seems to find a way around this dilemma. Instead of considering himself defeated he simply knows, like many other writers, he must find a trustworthy stand in to pretend to be the writer of his pieces. I find there to be an almost script-like aspect to many of Bernstein’s stories, but this one in particular because it almost combines humor with action with drama and suspense. While some of Bernstein’s qualities and his reactions to events are at times selfish and whimsical, especially during the war, I found his reaction to being blacklisted at this point almost inspiring. Bernstein did not seem fazed or worried that he may not be able to find work to support his family or to continue doing the work he loved. It never was an option for Bernstein to give up script writing; it simply became finding a new means of doing so. Even the woman Bernstein chooses to be his front is as much a character out of one of his scripts as anyone else ever could be. Whether we like Bernstein’s decisions, mindset, or his personality, what stands out in my mind when I think of him is his laid back drive that seems to always find him a will or a way of achieving what he wants.