Violation of Rights in the Film Guilty by Suspicion

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America is the land of the free. America is the land in which "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or the right of the people peaceably to assemble." (Amendment I to the US Constitution.) This means that Americans can say whatever they believe, and be part of any club, group, or political affiliation they choose. The Bill of Rights also declares in the Fifth Amendment that ?No Person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." This means that in court, a person may remain silent, and cannot be forced to incriminate themselves. An American also may not be deprived of their life, freedom, or belongings without a trial.

Guilty by Suspicion is about how the violation of these rights affected normal, innocent, Americans. Many, many lives were ruined by the unjust accusations and the insistence on confessing that others were Communists. In Guilty by Suspicion, I really understood how the characters felt. The one standout actor was Patricia Wettig, as Dorothy. She was heartbreaking as the actress who commits suicide after she is accused of being a Communist by her husband, she cannot find work, and her child is taken away from her. Joe Lesser was a small but memorable character played by Martin Scorsese. Joe was memorable because his hyper, obnoxious, Chihuahua-like acting style really took away from the solemnity of the rest of the movie.

The filming was not especially notable, but there were other nice effects. The period music was great, with motifs such as Louis Armstrong. The continuing music and film from the classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was wonderful. It was ironic that when David id being told to get a lawyer, so he won?

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