Directed by:  Neal Slavin
Written by:  Kendrew Lascelles 
Adapted from the Novel by:  Arthur Miller
Starring:  William H. Macy, Laura Dern, Meat Loaf Aday, David Paymer
 

October 20, 2001

         In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the town of Salem was turned upside down when a bunch of children arbitrarily accused certain townspeople of being witches.  These so called witches were persecuted, prosecuted, and then hanged.  In the new film Focus, based on a novel by Miller, Lawrence and Gertrude Newman are persecuted by their neighbors and others because they look Jewish; neither of them actually are. 
        Focus displays a despicable time in our country’s history and really captures the feeling and emotion of that disgrace.  What’s even more interesting is that the hero, Lawrence, which may be one of William H. Macy’s most intense roles to date, is not all good; he falls prey to some of the same thinking of those who persecute him.
         Lawrence Newman is quickly established as a man who doesn’t stand by his convictions.  In the beginning he witnesses a rape outside his window, and fails to report it.  We later learn it was probably because the woman was Puerto Rican, and in the towns’ mind, doesn’t matter.  The rape continues to haunt Lawrence, so he knows he should have done something, but he falls victim to the thinking of those around him. 
        When his boss tells him that his office can’t employ anyone who may have that look, meaning Jewish, he agrees to root out applicants who may have shortened their name to hide their Jewish heritage.  What’s ironic is that his boss asks him to get glasses to help weed out the applicants, and these glasses, according to those around him, make Lawrence look Jewish.  He is in turn himself weeded out of the office. 
         To some extent, Lawrence is just as bad as the Christian fundamentalists, who want to clean up the neighborhood and make it more “American.”  Even after he falls victim to the same prejudice he practiced, it’s still taboo for him to be thought of as Jewish, or even to work for a Jewish person. 
         In one of the best scenes in any film I’ve seen on prejudice and racism, Finklestein (David Paymer), a local Jewish newsstand owner, asks Lawrence what’s wrong with the Jews, why all the hatred.  Lawrence, who Finklestein recognizes as an intelligent man, can’t give an intelligent answer.  That right there sums up the reason behind all the hatred that takes place between races and religions: ignorance.  Lawrence can’t answer him because there is no intelligent answer. 
         Focus is scary because our great nation practiced these prejudices many years ago.  What’s even scarier is that it’s still happening today.  In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, four men of “Middle Eastern appearance” were refused passage on an airline after the passengers complained to the captain that they were uncomfortable flying with them.  The FAA stood up for the airline saying, “the airline has no choice but to re-accommodate a passenger or passengers if their actions or presence make a majority of passengers uncomfortable and threaten to disrupt normal operations of flight”  (Derbyshire).  Since when did this country come under rule of majority control?  Aren’t we about individual rights, civil rights?
         This incident is exactly what Focus warns us against, and this film couldn’t have come at a better time.  Hopefully in this awful year of film so far, many will see this one and hopefully learn something about the prejudice and hate that our great nation is supposed to be against. 
         Aside from the message, first time film director Neal Slavin uses craft in what could have turned out to be the HBO movie of the month.  During certain scenes, we focus on certain characters while others are out of focus in the background, symbolizing that as characters they are out of focus.  One of these characters is Fred, who is played to the key by Meat Loaf Aday as the villainous ex-friend turned leader of the neighborhood fundamentalists. 
          By the end of Focus, the sad thing is the persecution and the violence is really just beginning for Lawrence, Finklestein, and the town.  Lawrence and Gertrude finally learn that there’s no need to differentiate themselves from Jews.  Who cares, they are all American, they are all people.  Yes, this film does have a moral, and it’s one everyone needs to see and can learn from.  Focus is a film that should be shown in schools, during history classes, and discussed.

Derbyshire, John.  “At First Glance: Racial profiling, burning
          hotter.”  National Review Online. <http://www.national
          review.com/derbyshire/derbyshire100501.shtml>

“Swedish Pilot Refuses Arabs on Flight.” 
          http://www.cair-net.org/nr/10-15b.asp

“CAIR Calls Upon Muslims to Boycott America West 
          Airlines” http://www.ianaradionet.com/E_newstext
           /newst_n29.html
 

Alternative Recommendations:  The Crucible (adapted from: Miller), Fargo (s: Macy), Fight Club (s: Meat Loaf), State and Main (s: Paymer)

-Reviewed in Theater- 

Best Adapted Screenplay Kendrew Lascelles

Best Supporting Actress Laura Dern

Check out these other Fidelio Film Reviews:
Bamboozled
Fight Club
Magnolia
The Pianist