Elia Kazan Compliance vs Defiance

Elia Kazan

COMPLIANCE VS DEFIANCE

Elia Kazan is known as a realist filmmaker who attended Yale school of drama after he immigrated to the United States. He had the honor of working with famous playwrights of his time like Tennessee Williams. He successfully directed plays and later graduated to movies and made some of the most popular movies of his time. His other claim to fame was his links to the communist party. He initially joined the party but later he was removed from it. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) called him in 1952 to disclose information but he refused in the beginning but later on acceded to their demands and gave out the names of eight colleagues. This act of his blacklisted them and involved him in a lot of controversies.

McCarthy anti-Communist hearings in Washington became a blot on Kazan's life. Senator Eugene McCarthy wanted to get ride of communist sympathizers from American soil. The testimony of Kazan brought difficulties and hardships in the lives of eight actors, writers and directors and their careers also got affected. People in Hollywood still have not forgotten what he did even though Soviet Union has collapsed and an honorary

Oscar for lifetime achievement has been conferred on Kazan. It was not just he named pro-communist writers but he also gave an ad in the Newspapers urging others to do the same. He also publicly denounced communism mentioning that his brief stint with the party has left bad feelings in him for communism. He has realized that communism was trying to instill hatred among people. He publicly made comments that communism was an alien conspiracy. He never apologized for his act and even considered his initial hiding of names something that communist party wanted.

There has been severe criticism on Mr. Kazan for naming people. Not just people from the communist party but also people from Hollywood fraternity criticized him People who sympathized with Kazan say that in order to understand the whole issue the politics of communism should be understood in Hollywood context. Since the 30s people have been politically inclined towards left in Hollywood. Kazan was also known for his left-wing views that eventually led him to the appearance before HUAC. However, with the inquiries of the House Un-American Affairs Committee problems for the supporters of left came up. Demand for anticommunist films required more writers with right-wing inclinations. The demand for anti-fascist films in late 30s through mid-40s could not match the demand for anticommunist films. Even though many blacklisted liberals fled to other countries to support their careers. Many people expressed different views regarding people who supported HUAC. For example Lillian Hellman's view of Elia Kazan's friendly testimony is that he simply couldn't do otherwise because he valued his own

American success story too much. Arthur Miller also mentioned in his autobiography that if he did not come out clean he would not be able to make another movie in Hollywood and moviemaking was his passion. Before 1952 hearing both Miller and Kazan worked with each other but after that they did not work together again. It was also the conscious effort on Kazan's part to work for social causes and social element. It was because of his attachment to social causes in plays that raised eyebrows for his involvement in hearing.