Inherit the Wind Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Inherit the Wind Blu-ray Movie Review

Monkey business.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 19, 2014

Inherit the Wind might seem like a quaint relic of sorts, a depiction of a time when science was disparaged and mob rule helped dictate what could be taught in schools. Oh, wait, that's right. . . Yes, folks—the more things change, the more they stay the same, and as any cursory review of daily and/or nightly newscasts will confirm, our country is still ensconced in an often rabid debate about the “realities” of science (witness the furor over so-called global climate change, to cite one example, no matter which side of the issue you personally come down on), with so- called “groupthink” just as often controlling what gets taught in public schools. While Inherit the Wind is ostensibly about the infamous Scopes Trial, a court proceeding that sought to put the validity of the theory of evolution before a judge and jury, original playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee were never circumspect about revealing their real intent with their piece, which was to throw a light on the scurrilous activities of anti-intellectuals like Joseph McCarthy. Here, too, the play (and its subsequent film) seem almost frighteningly prescient, for there’s a rather potent strain of anti-intellectualism that still runs rampant through the American body politic, where so-called “elites” (in both liberal and conservative camps) are accused of having the temerity to actually think about problems facing the country, rather than simply acting reflexively from instinct or (at best) the lizard brain.

Inherit the Wind at least doesn’t pretend to offer a recreation of the historical record of the Scopes Trial, fictionalizing events and even characters, though it’s patently obvious that prosecuting superstar Matthew Harrison Brady (Frederic March) is patterned after William Jennings Bryan and defense superstar Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy) is based on Clarence Darrow. In this “alternate” history Scopes himself becomes mild mannered but forceful teacher Bertram Cates (Dick York, a few years before he would be immortalized as the first Darren on Bewitched). Rounding out the principal cast is cynical newsman E.K. Hornbeck (Gene Kelly), who hopes to orchestrate the trial to increase readership, somewhat akin to the gambit portrayed in Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole.

Cates invites the wrath of the local populace when he deigns to teach Darwin’s theory of evolution to a class of frankly perplexed looking kids. Cates is brought up on charges, since there is a state law forbidding such information be discussed, and soon enough Brady, never one to shun the spotlight, has signed on to assist the local prosecution in its attempts to corral Cates. Hornbeck has other ideas, helping to get Drummond involved. Drummond and Brady have a history with each other, which both the original play and the smart screenplay by Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith wisely utilize to inform several key scenes, both within and outside of the fetid courtroom.

Justice is hardly blind in Inherit the Wind, with an avuncular if machinating judge (wonderfully played by Harry Morgan) throwing obstacles at Drummond right and left, to the point that Drummond can’t even call any pertinent defense witnesses. The verdict seems to be a done deal, with the townspeople raised to a mob like fury by local firebrand preacher Jeremiah Brown (Claude Akins in what is probably the finest moment of his long career), whose daughter Rachel (Donna Anderson) is romantically involved with Cates (in one of the film’s few patent artifices).

Inherit the Wind shares a tendency with director Stanley Kramer’s “other” courtroom bound film starring Spencer Tracy, Judgment at Nuremberg, namely it’s an incredibly talky affair. But where Kramer invigorated Nuremberg with sinuous tracking and dolly shots, in Inherit the Wind he repeatedly sets up floridly theatrical tableaux where characters almost seem to be immovable symbols of ideas (see screenshots 4, 7 and 13 for some examples). Perhaps surprisingly, then, Inherit the Wind moves along quite briskly, never weighed down by the sheer volume of dialogue being expounded.

There’s a lot of potent intellectual back and forth between Drummond (as hobbled as he is) and Brady, but the film finally boils down to a showdown between the two with knowledge of the Bible central to the perhaps surprising outcome (at least with regard to the interchange if not the actual verdict). What’s interesting about this all is actually not the text (and/or scripture, as the case may be), but the subtext, for the mere fact that Drummond and Brady do debate in a way proves Drummond’s point that free thinkers need to be able to voice their opinions, no matter what more fundamentalist types may wish to shut down.

The film does tip over into a bit of hysteria toward the end, with a patently theatrical climax that provides a probably needless death of a major character. Kramer rather slyly frames the coda with a visual wink of sorts that indicates Darwin and the Bible may in fact be able to reside next to each other, despite any lingering controversies. Some may abhor acknowledging that “inconvenient truth,” but Inherit the Wind suggests rather forcefully that inquiring minds are bound to inquire, come hell or high water.

Inherit the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Inherit the Wind is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. Elements utilized for this transfer are in great condition overall, with really nothing major of any import detracting from what is a solid, stable viewing experience. Ernest Laszlo's Academy Award nominated cinematography is quite evocative, something that's rather remarkable given the cloistered setting of much of the film. Gray scale is very nicely modulated and blacks are deep and effective. Grain is natural and organic looking, and there are no signs of digital tampering.

Inherit the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Inherit the Wind's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track more than capably supports this nonstop gabfest, with dialogue being presented very cleanly and clearly, with no problems whatsoever. Ernest Gold's effective score is also clear sounding. Fidelity is fine, though dynamic range is somewhat narrow.

Inherit the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Isolated Music and Effects Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (480p; 4:05) features Stanley Kramer.


• MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer (1080p; 2:06)

Inherit the Wind Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Inherit the Wind is a film about ideas, but it's an unusually visceral experience, elevated by uniformly superb performances by (Oscar nominated) Spencer Tracy, Frederic March and a surprisingly effective Gene Kelly in a somewhat unusual role for the erstwhile hoofer. Colorful if somewhat disturbing considering many Americans' penchant for believing we're an open minded nation for the most part, the film remains a really compelling entertainment that deals with its surface issue brilliantly while also pointing toward an underlying thesis that continues to be at least as relevant today as it was in Scopes' time or indeed in 1960 when the film debuted. Technical merits are very strong, and even without much in the way of supplements, Inherit the Wind comes Highly recommended.