Life on the Front

Personally, the pairing of Bernstein’s memoir along with his movie really works excellently. Even though The Front is a comedy, it still highlights the gravity of the issue of a blacklist in Hollywood. For the most part the structure of the cast of this movie is even more realistic because blacklisted actors were cast. This sort of typecasting, although generally not favorable, in this situation not only makes the movie more realistic but also makes the statement that Bernstein tried to make with this film even more resonating. In a way the production of The Front can be seen as stand against the blacklist and government through a comedic pursuit.

For me one the most riveting characters both in the movie and real life was Zero Mastel. The personal account of Mastel’s story in Bernstein’s memoir was really emotionally powerful to showcase just how the life of an actor was possible affected during these times. The fact that he was still so recognized and deserved some respect for his work in the light of a time where no one would hire him simply because of his suspected association with the communist party. In the movie Hecky, the character played by Mastel, is just as lovable as he is portrayed in the movie. I think portraying this minor plot within the movie was very strategic on Bernstein’s part because he can really tug at the heartstrings of anticommunists through the use of pathos. We are brought into Hecky’s situation and see how his predicament essentially ruins his life and leads to his own self-destruction.

Through the process of the movie and reading the memoir we can see how the function of a community was strengthened during these hard times. Although the numbers for the communist party were dwindling for the most part, Bernstein recounts feeling a greater sense of freedom and security during these times when being a communist was most scrutinized. Relatively, this time should’ve been frightening and full of uncertainty but somehow in the wake of a disaster how the communist community came together to form a stronger unit. The consequences of this are up to debate of course, however, the comfort in fellow sufferers is surely agreeable.