Colpevole di tradimento

I had never heard of this one before coming across it (via the Alpha DVD) at a local rental outlet; though I had expressed interest in watching it at the time, I did not get hold of the film until acquiring the more renowned later version of the same events – THE PRISONER (1955) – but, then, am only checking out either in time for the pious Easter season. The film deals with the famous trial in which Josef Mindszenty, a Hungarian Cardinal played here by Charles Bickford, is victimized for daring to stand up against Communism. The narrative, however, also takes in the experiences of a number of people who become involved in his plight – chiefly a local girl (Bonita Granville who, in spite of her clandestine relationship with Soviet officer Richard Derr, ends up tortured and killed for her troubles) and a middle-aged American reporter (Paul Kelly, who suffers himself at the hands of a neo-Nazi group!). Ironically, given the obvious anti-Red stance being promoted, GUILTY OF TREASON is most comparable in its preachiness to Hollywood efforts with Marxist leanings such as THE MASTER RACE (1944). As was the case with that one, too, the film under review manages to balance heavy-going (albeit clearly impassioned) politics with a variety of Noir trappings: for instance, the trial sequence is depicted in a stylized fashion – with Bickford standing in a beam of light at the center of the room while his accusers remain in the shadows. Compelling, modestly impressive and extremely well-acted, this proved a very nice surprise indeed which, in retrospect, has been unjustly neglected over the years.

It is a film defined by its political context. A piece from Cold war, maybe naif today , maybe too simplistic and, no doubts, too American but seductive for the try to discover to public , in large traits, a dark reality. A film about faith and opression, about people and their options ,a decent portrait of Joseph Mindszenty and , against its status of sketch, useful today not as accusation against Soviet Union policy but as clear and precise definition of freedom.

The most interesting thing about this film is that it was actually made only two years after the "1984" trial of Cardinal Mindszenty, condemning him to life imprisonment after careful preparation by medicinal, psychological, mental and physical brainwash with drugs for weeks. The film makes the effort to get something of the whole picture of this universally outrageous miscarriage of justice, entirely organised by the Russians under Stalin during his worst and last years. It does not entirely succeed, but it manages to get a fair idea by entering subordinate parts, like a Russian officer in love with a Hungarian music school teacher, who is very patriotic, while he has to be loyal to his Russian communist party. The American journalist Tom Kelly plays the most important part, risking his life for getting at the truth of the fall of Hungary under the communists and ends up in hospital for his efforts. The film is very realistic, and although it is painfully reminiscent of a propaganda film, it actually sticks to the truth. There were innumerable propaganda films against Hitler and the nazi empire during the war, and this film is like a continuation of that fierce exposure of the cruelty of dictatorships, but instead of attacking Hitler it now attacks Stalin and quite boldly, showing that bureaucracy from the inside, like "The Iron Curtain" with Dana Andrews two years earlier, which also was a true story. This film does not really penetrate the Soviet procedure of brainwashing, it only hints at its main principles of operation, but it is appalling enough. The film is most memorable for Charles Bickford's entirely convincing and realistic rendering of the personality of Cardinal Mindszenty.

The Story of Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty (Charles Bickford), A Roman Catholic Cardinal from Hungary.

He Stood-Up Against the Oppression of Russian Communist.

Arrested and a Private Mock-Trial Ensued, He was Tortured and Forced to "Confess" that He was an "Enemy of the State".

One of the Most Gripping, Realistic Anti-Communist Films of the Era.

It Strikes a Balance of the Famous Plight of the Cardinal with a Personal Story of a Journalist (Paul Kelly), a Music Teacher (Bonita Granville), and a Russian Col. (Richard Derr).

The Film is Stylized in a Film-Noir Pastiche with Surreal Scenes of Interrogation and Torture that can Disturb, even Today.

Gut-Wrenching at Times, Punctuated with Tender Scenes that makes the Totalitarian Regime even More Brutal.

Visually Stunning, Well Acted "Propaganda" Piece that is Mostly True and the Facts Speak for Themselves.

What could be Considered "Embellishments" for Political Purposes is Not Because these Things Actually Did Occur.

Although Paul Kelly's Journalist Breaks the Fourth-Wall in the Final Shot, Looks Straight Into the Camera and "Calls to Arms" the Fight for Liberty...

It is the Only Time the Movie Separates Itself from the Gruesome Reality.

This movie was a perfect example of good propaganda. With a blunt instrument, it assaults the viewer with the stark facts of the Soviet domination of Hungary. This is a movie that shows an appreciation of what was happening behind the "iron curtain", before it was known by that name . The most amazing truth revealed is that over 50 years later, the Catholic Church still preaches the same principles. It is eerie to put today's characters into the roles cast in the movie, but that is what the movie is about: that the Russians replaced the Nazis as the world's greatest oppressors. I also noted that the character who was accused of plagiarism considered it an honor, as long as the words he stole were worth stealing. This character had the most resemblance to a real person, and I suspect that the screenwriter put a little more of himself into that character. He may have felt that he was "plagiarizing" a lot of the popular sentiment behind this movie, using cliche phrases and such. Still, viewed as a historical piece of American culture, this movie tells the story of good vs. evil in the most realistic and straightforward way that I've ever seen in a Hollywood film. This is when Hollywood CARED about freedom and human rights, and knew that we were on the right side in that fight. Nowadays, Hollywood portrays Catholics as evil more often than not, and the USA as the tyrannical occupying oppressor, either directly or peripherally. There are so many levels to this movie, even if the acting wasn't the greatest. This is a classic cultural movie in that it expresses true political activism of it's day, even dabbling in feminism. I highly recommend this movie as an antidote for today's culture of Anti-Americanism, and Anti-Catholicism. If this movie were remade today, I would imagine that the Russian commander would find religion, and marry the Hungarian girl, while the Soviet Empire crumbled around them. That would be a romantic story with a happy ending, and be faithful to history, as this movie was. Too bad that today's Hollywood wouldn't touch that story with a 10 foot pole! This movie could have been more subtle, but it is powerful as historical propaganda. The message makes up for the lack in other areas, and there are even spots of greatness in the acting, writing, and shooting of this movie. Overall, it's an average period piece, but after knowing what we know now, it carries much more weight than it did originally.

Chris Leavitt, Lynbrook, NY