Hollywood Writer Fell in `Trap of McCarthyism`

Jim Carrey of `Mask` and `Truman Show`, and director Frank Darabont of `The Shawshank Redemption` and `The Green Mile`.

Result from the combination of these two names is not easy to predict.

Movie `The Majestic` is a human-drama that shows an ordinary man’s fight against animal-like insanity and prejudice.

In the introduction of the movie, novice-writer Peter (Jim Carrey) participates at a production meeting of a Hollywood film company.

“The main character is an handicapped boy?”

“No. It’ll make the movie depressing.”

“Let’s make a dog the star, instead of the handicapped. `Lassie` movies always hit box-office.”

This movie attacks Hollywood’s commercialism, which jumbles up not only the cast, but also the movie itself.

The fact that the hero’s fate is changing from here to there is also the same outside the movie. America in its 1950s, when ` McCarthyism` was in full practice to search communists, was the era that easily destroyed human spirit.

This movie shows how dreadful a social prejudice can be, through Peter, who once participated in a rally in pursuit of his lover in college and became labeled as a communist.

The film company and government offer a `deal` that if Peter delivers a statement of reflection at a hearing and names another communist, he will no longer be troubled. If he denies this, his career as a writer is jeopardized being on black list.

Director Darabont made an interesting production by harmonizing events, emotions, and messages.

Troubled Peter goes for a drive and falls into river from a bridge, and is found in a small town called Lawson. This is a `patriotic` town, whose many youngsters died in World War II. Town dwellers think that Peter, who lost his memory due to the accident, looks similar to Luke, son of a small theater owner, Harry (Martin Landau).

As time goes by, Peter begins to believe that he might actually be Harry’s son, and falls in love with Luke’s ex-girlfriend Adele (Laurie Holden). Peter reopens his theater to give hope to the town people, who are hurt from losing their beloved ones.

Just like Darabont’s previous works, the movie contains optimism that fights against affliction.

Labeled communist, Peter, and war-hero, Luke; the two seemingly stand on two extremes. The movie conveys that to die in a war fighting is as courageous as to reveal one’s truth in the midst of prejudice and oppression. The work’s completion is at high standard, but occasional traces of the American patriotism makes it less appealing.

Release Date: 26th. Above 12.

Gab-Sik Kim gskim@donga.com