LIBERTY HEIGHTS
US, 1999, 127 minutes, Colour.
Adrien Brody, Ben Foster, Orlando Jones, Bebe Neuwirth, Joe Mantegna, Rebekah Johson, David Krumholtz, Richard Kline, Justin Chambers, Anthony Anderson.
Directed by Barry Levinson.
Liberty Heights is an appealing film, nostalgia for the 1950s, the time of Barry Levinson growing up in Baltimore (and the setting for his further autobiographical films Diner, Tin Men, Avalon). The film features sympathetic roles for Adrien Brody and Ben Foster before they became very well known and Brody won the Oscar for The Piano Player. Ben Foster is at the centre of the film, the action being seen through his eyes. He was later to develop into a reliable and quite repellent villain in such films as 3:10 to Yuma and The Mechanic. Joe Mantegna is very sympathetic as Nate, the patriarch of the family, involved in numbers games as well as burlesque theatres. Bebe Neuwirth is his wife. Orlando Jones is rather odd as Little Melvin, the manager of clubs wanting to get in on the numbers game.
The film is very interesting in reflecting on racism and prejudice during the 1950s, Jews, dogs and coloureds being notified that they were not eligible to enter the swimming pool. Jews in Baltimore thought that they were the only people, discovering that the rest of the world was ninety-nine percent non-Jewish. There is also some prejudice in both the white and the African American communities about mixing with each other.
Things were to change considerably during the 1960s – and this is a valuable opportunity to go back to look at images of the 1950s.
1. The appeal of the film, memory, nostalgia, the United States, the 1950s – and later change?
2. Barry Levinson, his Baltimore background, his autobiographical films? The autobiographical perspective of this film?
3. The visuals of Baltimore, the city, Liberty Heights, the Jewish section, the Jewish world, homes, schools, the Gaiety burlesque club, the downtown clubs, the theatres for black performers, the streets? The musical score – and James Brown’s song?
4. The period, costumes and decor, a lot of the film-making in 50s film-making style?
5. Ben’s voice-over, the Jewish perspective on the world, on Baltimore, exclusive and not aware of the rest of the world, ‘the other kind’? The ethos, at home, the grandmother, the synagogue and worship, hymns at school, the 23rd Psalm, the background for prejudice?
6. The family, Mother and her niceness, yet her prejudice against African Americans, supportive of her husband, loving her children? The scenes with Nate? Nate, his office, the numbers game, his assistants, the illegality, the burlesque theatre, its failure? The IRS and investigations? His relationship with his sons? Van, his age, going out, Dubbie, his being smitten by her, his going out with his friends, daring to go out as Jews, the fights? Ben, his age, at school, a good young man, his friends and their talk, the boys and their interest in sex, crude language? Noticing Sylvia after integration? Her praying the psalm? His wanting to be with her?
7. Issues of racisms, the notice about Jews, dogs and coloureds at the pool? The humour at the ending with the three young men and JEW on their chests, sitting on deckchairs at the pool? Van and the gatecrashing of parties? The fights against Jews? The WASP types? The African Americans, the wealthy doctor, his being anti-white? The range of prejudices? The importance of people getting to know each other, respecting each other, change? Ben and Sylvia, their talk, listening to the music, opening up different horizons for Ben? The James Brown concert? Van, his testimony in the court, friendship with Trey? Trey inviting him to the party, meeting Dubbie? The issues of law and Trey’s father helping Van’s father? Sylvia and her parents?
8. The Jewish atmosphere, social life, cultural life, not particularly religious? The recitation of Psalm 23 and Sylvia’s testing Ben about his understanding of its religious dimensions? The grandmother and her Jewish stances? The irony of Ben getting dressed as Hitler for the Halloween party? The various reactions, his father forbidding him to go out?
9. Seeing things through Ben’s eyes, his age, his place in the family? His questions, his friends, study? Psalm 23 and Sylvia? Going on the bus, talking to her, wanting to walk with her, her stopping him going to the house, coming back with the car, his being on the floor, her dress and legs? The playing of the music? His visit to her home, the sexual embarrassment, the bathroom, Sylvia hiding him in the closet? The meeting with her father? His driving Ben home, Ben wanting to stay and listen to Young at Heart and Frank Sinatra? Going to the James Brown concert, his being abducted by Little Melvin, his being a gentleman concerning Sylvia, her appreciation and kiss? The graduation, his family, the photos, his meeting with Sylvia and kissing her, people’s reactions? His future?
10. Van, his age, going to the party, seeing Dubbie, helping out Yussel in the fight, the search for Dubbie around the town with his friends? The issue of court, witness, discussions about saying no to ‘So help me God’? Van doing this, the uproar in court, the judge, his not being held in contempt? Trey and his appreciation? The phone number, the invitation to the party, Yussel and his dyeing his hair, meeting the girls? Trey and his surprise at Dubbie being at the party? The horse, her forgetting who Van was, yet meeting him, the bond, talking?
11. Trey, wealthy, the car crash, his friends, anti-Semitic? His relationship with Dubbie? Thinking Dubbie was in Paris, his inviting Van? His regrets? The break with Dubbie? His further crash, going to the hospital?
12. Dubbie, blonde, wealthy, her declaration about her unhappiness, going to visit Trey in the hospital, taking Van, going to the motel, her advances, her being sick, Van and his realisation of the truth?
13. Nate, his having to change, the burlesque and its failure, the range of girls, the scenes of performance, intercut with the rest of the story, the men in the audience (men only), stripper Annie and her missing costume, her performance, the reaction of the men?
14. The disaster in the numbers game, Little Melvin and his winning a hundred thousand dollars, his demands? Nate, the emergency, his spiel about letting Little Melvin into the numbers game, Melvin’s hesitation, acceptance? The plan, Melvin’s failure, Nate approaching with a further deal, eighty percent? Melvin as a character, Scribbles and his being always present with Melvin? Melvin’s self-importance, the issue of Nate’s car, allowing him to have it back, seeing it in the street, searching in the James Brown concert, realising who Ben was? The abduction of Ben, Sylvia and their friends? Holding the gun to Ben? Ben being a gentleman? Nate and his giving up all his financial interests to rescue Ben?
15. The arrests, Little Melvin and his talking? Nate, the FBI pursuit, the charges, gambling and prostitution, crossing state lines? Van and his getting Trey to help with Nate’s arrest? In the synagogue, the family together, his leaving the synagogue with dignity?
16. The graduation, Sylvia and her future, the college, her parents? Ben, the photos, his mother’s prejudice, the kiss?
17. The Jewish atmosphere of the film, language, customs, culture, the grandmother and memories?
18. The 1950s – and integration, the African Americans, the wealthy African Americans? The contrast with the world of Little Melvin?
Change, the consequences – and nostalgia for the period, despite its
