The Netflix-produced movie about composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein is getting unexpected publicity because of star Bradley Cooper’s prominent prosthetic nose in its trailer. Cooper portrays the late Bernstein in “Maestro,” which is also the actor’s second time as a director. He also co-wrote the film.
Critics snipe that the large nose is an antisemitic swipe since it’s more pronounced than Bernstein in real-life; Bernstein’s family disagrees saying the imagery is fine and not derogatory.
Detractors include basic cable TV news/opinion channel MSNBC with, “It’s too soon to accuse Bradley Cooper’s Netflix ‘Maestro’ of ‘Jewface.’ ” The Washington Post also piled on, noting that the real-life Cooper is “not Jewish.”
This and other buzz are getting “Maestro” noticed. Commenters also raised now-criticized past Hollywood practices of inauthentic actors portraying native Americans, Asians, Jews and others, and also bigoted stereotyping.
On the other hand, a Washington Examiner story by Harry Khachatrian suggests that the exaggerated nose is a clever intentional marketing ploy, so the buzz is not unexpected. “A biopic on Bernstein doesn’t take place in Barbie Land, and you can’t choreograph banal TikTok dances to Mahler’s ‘Adagietto’ from his Fifth Symphony,” says the Washington Examiner. “Instead, Cooper cleverly baited social media lemmings into dedicating reams of coverage debating whether his prosthetic nose crossed a line.”
In real life Bernstein (who died in 1990) never shied away from his Jewish heritage. For example, he always insisted that his name be pronounced as the authentic “burn stine” instead of being anglicized.
Bernstein’s work includes composing music for legendary Broadway musical “West Side Story,” music for the Oscar-winning movie “On the Waterfront” and orchestrating televised Young People’s Concerts that popularized classical music.
In real life, Bernstein was also infamously satirized by author Tom Wolfe with the enduring phrase “radical chic.” That was a reference to upper-class wealthy embracing revolutionaries in high society that was immortalized in Wolfe’s essay “Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny’s.”
“Maestro” is scheduled for a limited theatrical run in November and then a Netflix streaming premiere Dec. 20.
Related content:
Leave a Reply