OSCAR WILD DAY 1: GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT (1947)
Arriving just two years after the end of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust, a film that casts a spotlight on American antisemitism might have seemed like a bold proposition. Gentleman’s Agreement tackles its thorny subject without flinching, undoubtedly aided by its bestselling source material. Throw in some top-notch acting, and it seems like you should have a recipe for an all-time classic. Why then does this movie feel more like Oscar bait than an instant classic? Gregory Peck brings the thunder as Philip Schuyler Green, a New York City journalist who is tasked by his publisher to write a story about antisemitism in America. Though reluctant at first, he takes a method acting approach to the assignment and pretends to be Jewish to learn about how various corners of society respond to, interact with, and shy away from those associated with the Jewish faith and culture. His commitment to the assignment, however, strains his relationship with his son (Dean Stockwell) and h...
