Inherit the Wind (1960) - 8 stars out of 10

Inherit the Wind (1960) - 8 stars out of 10

"Inherit the Wind" is an awesome courtroom drama that brings to life (and fictionalizes) the events of the Scopes Monkey Trial.  While much of the truth from the actual trial is lost, the spirit in which this trial-turned-religious-debate was conducted is captured through the townspeople of this small southern town, the press, and the argumentative banter between Spencer Tracy and Fredric March.  The film is a bit frustrating as it represents Christians as a bunch of imbeciles but I suppose that's what this parabolic play needed to do to create its defense for intellectual freedom.  Regardless of the creation vs. evolution theme, the acting is fabulous in the overheated courtroom.  Comedy is occasionally interjected throughout the film but the majority is dramatic.  March speaks with passion and progresses from overconfidence to fumbling for words through dynamic (though sometimes annoying) acting.  Tracy is his standard wise-cracking self weaves together a convincing defense.  Gene Kelly adds a rare dramatic performance, stirring up trouble as the manipulative newspaperman while Dick York (the original Darrin) doesn't add much of anything to the film.  It may take a lot of flack for its historical inaccuracy, but there is no denying that Stanley Kramer's film adaptation of "Inherit the Wind" creates some of the most memorable court moments in film history.