...far more exposure on this site, and way more reviews. It's a sad commentary that so few IMDbers have seen this film. The example of his life and the sort of things that Dalton "Spartacus" Trumbo had to say "back in the day" (beautifully voiced in this doc by any number of top actors) are as timely and relevant right now as they were then, and IMDbers are all the poorer for ignoring them (or even simply being unaware of them).
"Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,""Rocketship X-M,""The Brave One,""Cowboy,""Spartacus,""Exodus,""Hawaii,""Papillon,""Always;" all bear the Trumbo imprint, as do dozens more, including perhaps his most enduring masterwork, "Johnny Got His Gun," based on his own novel and arguably the most blisteringly effective anti-war tale of the 20th century, even more than "All Quiet on the Western Front." Trumbo was a master screenwriter, and a fine writer besides; this eponymous doc was adapted by Trumbo's son, Christopher,from his own play, and was directed by Peter "I'm in with the Hedwig crowd" Askin, edited by longtime Michael "I'm big" Moore associate, Kurt "At the Edge of the World" Engfehr, shot by Frank "Night of the Living Dead (1990)" Prinzi, and scored by Robert "Teeth" Miller. They all did a magnificent job, with (to reiterate) no small thanks to C. Trumbo's well-crafted script and, as I've already mentioned and will mention again, the superb readings of D. Trumbo's letters by several handfuls of accomplished actors.
"Trumbo" is as perceptive and trenchant a look at personal integrity as one might ask, and an interesting little history lesson to boot. It's also a reminder that there is exactly one thing that creates the foundation for a top-quality movie: the screenplay.
"Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,""Rocketship X-M,""The Brave One,""Cowboy,""Spartacus,""Exodus,""Hawaii,""Papillon,""Always;" all bear the Trumbo imprint, as do dozens more, including perhaps his most enduring masterwork, "Johnny Got His Gun," based on his own novel and arguably the most blisteringly effective anti-war tale of the 20th century, even more than "All Quiet on the Western Front." Trumbo was a master screenwriter, and a fine writer besides; this eponymous doc was adapted by Trumbo's son, Christopher,from his own play, and was directed by Peter "I'm in with the Hedwig crowd" Askin, edited by longtime Michael "I'm big" Moore associate, Kurt "At the Edge of the World" Engfehr, shot by Frank "Night of the Living Dead (1990)" Prinzi, and scored by Robert "Teeth" Miller. They all did a magnificent job, with (to reiterate) no small thanks to C. Trumbo's well-crafted script and, as I've already mentioned and will mention again, the superb readings of D. Trumbo's letters by several handfuls of accomplished actors.
"Trumbo" is as perceptive and trenchant a look at personal integrity as one might ask, and an interesting little history lesson to boot. It's also a reminder that there is exactly one thing that creates the foundation for a top-quality movie: the screenplay.