Meditation 10
During Monday’s class discussion, the possible villain of “Cradle Will Rock” came up. Hazel Huffman, portrayed by Joan Cusack, was suggested as a possible antagonist to the story. Yet, throughout the entirety of the film, the American government appeared to be the cause of the problems experienced by the Federal Theatre Project. Characters like Hazel Huffman may have contributed to the government’s goal of terminating the Federal Theatre Project; but she did not single-handedly mastermind the takedown.Also, I found it increasingly difficult to feel sympathy toward any character who was so determined to unravel the threads of the organization who supported her financially and turn her back on her co-workers based on unfounded suspicions. I felt this way especially during the scene where she returned to work and her co-worker told her about the budget cut due to her testimony. Even though she didn’t originally intend for this to occur, she told the government that there were “communists in the system” so therefore they would obviously try to weed them out. She seemed so shocked when they all shunned her publicly at work but she did the same thing to them when she made her testimony, which was broadcasted on the radio. I just did not feel her character was worthy of sympathy since her situation was entirely self-inflicted.
The character of Hazel Huffman did seem to embody many of the feelings experienced by Americans at that time. They had to decide whether they wanted to risk being accused of being a “communist” or just jump the gun and be the accuser of someone else. Katie made the comparison between the Red Scare and the current situation of Americans being unpatriotic or “un-American” if they do not say the pledge of allegiance. This movie also reminded me, as I stated in class, of the Salem Witch Trials. People who potentially did nothing wrong were being hung based on false accusations, just as the people of America were being black-balled during the Red Scare; which provided the motivation for Arthur Miller to write “The Crucible”.
posted by Taylor @ 1:14 AM
2 Comments:
I like that you discussed both sides of the Hazel Huffman character. I agree with you that that she represented the way a lot of people during this "Red Scare" felt and that the film maker put her in to show the audience how some of the American public was feeling. This character reminds me so much of many people I know. They have their own ideas about what is going on in the world and will not for any reason see things as others do or see things as they truly are.
I completely disagree. She was clearly not a "good guy" in any shape, form or fashion. Hazel went on unfounded suspicions and reported false accusations which caused pointless firings of innocent people.
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