Bradley Cooper's Maestro (2023) - "jewface the music, and dance..."

[Blinder Data]

if anyone can think of a better pun for the title let me know and i would gladly change it...

trailer for Bradley Cooper's Oscar-baiting biopic of Leonard Bernstein was released among instant accusations of "jewface" due to the gentile Cooper wearing a substantial prosthetic nose

i can see lots of other make-up on Cooper, including to play Bernstein when he's older, so maybe they didn't foresee the sensitives of the nose itself

is this OK? i'm genuinely not sure that it deserves the opprobrium. Bernstein's kids have given it the all-clear.

FWIW the cinematography in the trailer is exquisite. reminds me of the Master in its perfect evocation of 50s/60s life in the US

[Gulftastic]

Is the size of his nose important to the plot? Genuinely asking.

Seems a bit pointless if not.

[madhair60]

Is the size of his nose important to the plot? Genuinely asking.

yes.

[Bad Ambassador]

Not commenting until we know what Baddiel thinks.

[Butchers Blind]

The Bernstein estate has released a statement saying they're fine with the big nose. All ok then.

[Terry Torpid]

I don't think a white gentile playing a white jew is equivalent to blackface. I wouldn't necessarily mind him wearing a prosthetic nose in principle, any more than if they gave someone fake jowls to play Nixon, as long as it helps him look more like the real bloke.

The problem is, it's nothing like Bernstein's nose. It's fucking rubbish! Cooper's natural one would have been good enough. If the makeup team put in no effort, it actually would have worked out better.

[Jerzy Bondov]

I'm not Jewish but I've got a big nose, so I feel like I should weigh in here. He looks good with the big nose and should have it permanently.

[The Culture Bunker]

Main problem for me is that Cooper is basically too bloody handsome for the part - maybe the nose is part of taking that away. Not that Bernstein was ugly, he was an alright looking chap, just that Cooper is a complete specimen.

I'm tired of these beautiful men, Cillian Murphy being another example, taking the roles from plain looking types.

[Mister Six]

American moment.

[lipsink]

I mean, could they not have just made the film without the prosthetic nose? Is the nose that important?

[Keebleman]

Main problem for me is that Cooper is basically too bloody handsome for the part

Bernstein was very handsome himself though, especially as he got older.

[ProvanFan]

@Shit Good Nose

[Butchers Blind]

I think at one point in the film someone says, "This Bernstein nose how to conduct an orchestra".

[kalowski]

In the film they do have Bernstein say, "Oy vey. And they call this an orchestra?"

[ProvanFan]

It's a shonda

[curiousoranges]

Main problem for me is that Cooper is basically too bloody handsome for the part - maybe the nose is part of taking that away. Not that Bernstein was ugly, he was an alright looking chap, just that Cooper is a complete specimen.

I'm tired of these beautiful men, Cillian Murphy being another example, taking the roles from plain looking types.

If a 10 uglifies themself they win an Oscar. Nothing new here.

[curiousoranges]

[Armin Meiwes]

Not sure those kinds of prosthetics are ever a good idea, they just end up looking weird and being distracting eg Steve Carrell in Foxcatcher. But in terms of it being anti semitic.. it's not hooked if they'd made it hooked youd be treading in some dodgy water but it looks pretty straight to me.

[El Unicornio, mang]

If a 10 uglifies themself they win an Oscar. Nothing new here.

First thing I thought of was Nicole Kidman and her fake nose in The Hours

[Gulftastic]

Never go full Noseybonk. Steve Martin in Roxanne went full Noseybonk, went home empty handed.

[Terry Torpid]

Accusing Hollywood of antisemitism is a bold claim.

[Pink Gregory]

In the film they do have Bernstein say, "Oy vey. And they call this an orchestra?"

and such small woodwinds!

[beanheadmcginty]

Always had him down as more of a Montego man.

[curiousoranges]

Hugh Grant has seemingly been taking a bit of flak for his upcoming Oompa Loompa portrayal.

But it might just be certain corners of the press trying to stir shit up.

[Mister Six]

This Cooper thing is daft, because this is a common thing. Meryl Streep has prosthetics to turn her into Thatcher, so did Nicole Kidman to become Virginia Woolf.

Blackface is a very specific practice by whites originated to denigrate and mock black people who were slaves, and subsequently second-class citizens. There isn't an equivalent for Jewish people (not saying nobody ever stuck on a fake conk to play Fagin or something, but it's not a widespread phenomenon, hence the co-opting of the term "blackface").

Also, blackface in cinema has the added problem of reducing the number of jobs available to black actors. Jewish actors of all races are entirely capable of playing (and routinely do play) gentiles.

Also also, the implication that Cooper putting on a fake nose to more accurately portray a specific guy who happened to be Jewish is somehow mocking Jewish people ironically promotes the (inaccurate) antisemitic trope of all Jewish people having massive schnozzes.

[shoulders]

I saw from the BBC article on this they'd chosen to quote 2 of the most mendacious bad faith Israel lobbyists and antisemitism witch hunters in the UK.

It was amusing seeing their conceited bilge underneath the Bernstein family saying they love Bradley Cooper and they're certain Leonard would have had no issue whatsoever with the makeup.

We've got ourselves into a very confused position where certain groups must be portrayed by actors belonging to the same community yet it is simultaneously unthinkable and bad form to object to others being played by people of different gender, race, etc.

[greenman]

Is the size of his nose important to the plot? Genuinely asking.

Seems a bit pointless if not.

To be fair I spose its not really unique, modern Hollywood has definitely pushed towards trying to get people to look as much like the subjects of biopics as it can.

Questionable whether its really needed but not unique.

[Funcrusher]

Really hope someone makes a David Baddiel biopic with Harry Styles equipped with fake hooter.

[Old Nehamkin]

That whole practice of caking an actor in prosthetics so they can superficially resemble the actual person they're depicting always seems to be presented as something very worthy that demonstrates how extremely serious and dedicated the actor is, but to me it just reads as a bit silly and pointlessly literal-minded. Who cares if your nose or your forehead or your chin is actually the exact same size as the real guy. Who fucking cares. It's acting. Come on.

[shoulders]

I guess it may help draw the audience closer to a depiction of reality.

There are thresholds aren't there? Presumably if John Hurt had played the Elephant Man without makeup you wouldn't have said 'who fucking cares'. If this was an animation they'd have drawn a likeness of Bernstein wouldn't they.

A philosophy of who fucking cares should logically apply the other way around. It's makeup. Do whatever, go for it.