Five years after the critical and public success of his film A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper is returning behind the camera. Always inspired by the music industry, he directed Maestro, a biopic about composer Leonard Bernstein, known for, among other things, the classic West Side Story.
The film, produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, depicts the musician’s life and more specifically his marriage to Felicia Montealegre – here played by Carey Mulligan. This love story is not ordinary because Leonard Bernstein, a homosexual, lived a double life.
The trailer, released online on August 15, quickly sparked controversy. All the attention was focused on the prosthetic nose worn by Bradley Cooper, who plays the main role. To reproduce Leonard Bernstein’s features, the actor was surrounded by a team of make-up artists. The problem: Internet users believe this nose reinforces physical stereotypes surrounding the Jewish community.
Must a Jewish man, like Leonard Bernstein, be interpreted by a Jewish interpreter? That’s the question that comes up with some outrageous posts on X (Twitter). “I saw Bradley Cooper play The Elephant Without a Man on Broadway. But all of a sudden he’s playing a Jew and decides to wear a big nose? (He’s also a director so don’t blame anyone else)“, we read on Elon Musk’s social network.
The American Association for the Suppression of Anti-Semitism directly criticized Bradley Cooper, adding: “All this to turn down Jake Gyllenhaal, a genuinely Jewish actor who has dreamed of playing Leonard Bernstein for decades..”
Inevitably, one reaction leads to another, and the infernal machine quickly takes off. So much so that the composer’s three children – Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein – came out of silence to defend Bradley Cooper, a few hours after the controversy began.
“Bradley Cooper involved all three of us in every step of the amazing journey of making this film about our father.They write A statement published on Instagram. We were deeply touched by his devotion and love for his father’s music. (…) It breaks our hearts to see so many misunderstandings and misinterpretations.”
“Turns out, yes, Leonard Bernstein had a big nose. Bradley chose to use makeup to enhance his likeness and we’re totally fine with that. We are also sure that our father would be too..”
See the full press release:
In the face of this violent controversy – which directly accuses the actor of anti-Semitism – Bradley Cooper has not spoken publicly. In just one day, Maestro’s trailer got more than a million views. The actor and director are expected on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, where the film will premiere on December 20 before being released on Netflix.
The Maestro, December 20 on Netflix
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
