So those are some of my thoughts on Hail, Caesar! In my next post, I'll discuss the real-life Hollywood dramas which the Coen brothers drew from when writing the screenplay, the truth about communism in 1950's Hollywood, and some final observations about this film.
As I said in an earlier post, I really liked this film. Sadly, it didn't fare so well at the box office but nevertheless, I enjoyed it immensely. The movie cocks a satirical eyebrow at Hollywood's pretensions of goodness and righteousness. Hardly anyone in the business is what they seem. For example DeeAnna Moran, Capitol's "wholesome" swimming star, is actually jaded, foul-mouthed, promiscuous, and pregnant with the baby of a married director (she thinks). Baird Whitlock, the studio's big star of their "serious" films like the Biblical epic Hail, Caesar! is a dim-witted fool who slept with a director to get his big break in Hollywood. There is so much artifice and pretense that it's not surprising that the communist cell- including singing/dancing star Burt Gurney- was able to operate, hidden in plain sight; the members were just putting on another false front, albeit one which is more sinister than most. Eddie Mannix, the "fixer" for Capitol, aids and abets in all the cover ups and concealments, but unlike most of the other characters actually feels bad about it. This explains his almost nightly visits to confess to his priest. He sits in the confessional and can't tell the priest what he's actually guilt-ridden over, so he keeps relating small, relatively inconsequential sins like hiding his cigarettes from his wife. The sins that really bother him remain unspoken and not dealt with, which is why Mannix returns again and again. So why doesn't he just confess and get it all off his chest? After all, the priest is sworn to confidentiality so couldn't reveal any of his secrets. I'm not Catholic so don't know a lot about their sacrament of confession, but I assume that it necessitates repentance. Repentance in the Christian sense doesn't just mean that you feel remorse for what you've done wrong; it also means that you determine not to behave in that way again. Eddie Mannix has no intention of changing his way of life- it's literally his job to participate in lies and cover ups- so he can't confess and repent with any degree of honesty. At the same time, we know that Mannix has a job offer which, if he accepted, would take him out of this stew of corruption and intrigue, let him spend more time with his family, and salve his raw conscience. Yet he doesn't take the job although it seems like a no-brainer. Why? I think that despite everything which Mannix knows about the dirty dealings behind the scenes in Hollywood, he still believes in the magic of the movies and is still enthralled by it. He can walk onto a movie set and know in his head that it is a pile of lumber and painted canvas, yet in his heart marvel at the beauty which can be created from these mundane things. The same applies to the people making these movies; Mannix knows better than anyone how flawed and corrupt they are yet, almost in spite of themselves, they are able to produce films capable of moving and firing the imaginations of their audience. Hobie Doyle, an actor in westerns, is a breath of fresh air- someone who has thus far avoided picking up the artifice and inflated ego so prevalent at Capitol. He is thrust out of his comfort zone- westerns- and into a movie of manners and class. It's not a natural fit, but Hobie is earnest and hardworking, and willing to do anything he's asked to do. The scene in which the fussy director, Laurence Laurentz, attempts to break Hobie of his western drawl is one of the funniest ones in the film. It's also reminiscent of the scene in Singin' In The Rain when Linda Lamont is trying to learn to speak her lines properly. The arranged date which Hobie goes on with Carlotta Valdez gives us further examples of his charm. At the movie premiere, he is at first disappointed when it becomes evident that his song in the film was cut short and replaced with a prat fall by the comedic character. But as the audience laughs in delight at the scene, Hobie smiles again, happy that they are enjoying the picture. Also, the date could have been a complete disaster as they don't know each other, but both Hobie and Carlotta are genuinely nice, practical people, and they have a good time despite the circumstances. I loved Hobie's first, honestly curious question to Carlotta (a Carmen Miranda type), "Is it hard to dance with all them bernanners on your head?" There's also a charming little moment later at the night club, when the two of them both start singing along with the band, simply enjoying the music and having a good time. In a way, Hobie is the most real person at Capitol, and it's not really surprising that, when Mannix finally breaks down and tells somebody about what's going on, it is Hobie he confides in. It's a good choice because, despite his "Aw, shucks" persona, Hobie is sharp and observant and actually gives Mannix advice which leads him to The Future's henchmen. It is also Hobie who sees the ransom briefcase and tracks down Baird Whitlock. All in all, he's a great character. So those are some of my thoughts on Hail, Caesar! In my next post, I'll discuss the real-life Hollywood dramas which the Coen brothers drew from when writing the screenplay, the truth about communism in 1950's Hollywood, and some final observations about this film.
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