1947 — Gentleman’s Agreement
Before he tackled the esteemed role of Atticus Finch, Gregory Peck starred as another character seeking justice for those who would be persecuted. Magazine writer Skylar “Phil” Green (Peck) is assigned to tackle anti-Semitism present in New York City. Unable to make his piece work with research and statistics alone, Green pretends to be Jewish for months in order to live the experience — and his results become increasingly startling.
Nearly every time he tells his coworkers or associates that he is Jewish results in exclamation and questions — no matter what he does, people wish to call attention to the religion, especially when they say it doesn’t matter to them. What starts as simple wayward glances from the people around him devolves into his young son Tommy being attacked by neighborhood children. Its conclusion is bittersweet, and far too unfortunate knowing the world we still live in today.
Gentleman’s Agreement greatest strength is the assertion that true evil lies in silence when good people do nothing. People who scoff at prejudiced jokes in their heads alone are in fact complicit in the ongoing crime — if you don’t stand up and say that it is wrong, it becomes a free pass for the rest of the world.
Image Source: IMDb