Lens on America: Political Perspectives (Film Criticism)

McCarthy and the Red Scare: Point of Order and The Unquiet Death of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

Jul 28, 1982

Writer and film curator Michael Webb and film critic Annette Insdorf introduce a screening of two films about the Red Scare of the 1950s: Point of Order! (1964), a documentary about the Senate Army-McCarthy Hearings, and The Unquiet Death of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (1974), a documentary about the conviction and execution of the Rosenbergs, who were accused of Soviet espionage. After the screening, Insdorf moderates a conversation with Michael and Robert Meeropol, the sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. The Meeropols discuss the effectiveness of The Unquiet Death of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg despite the limited information available in 1974 and the details that have emerged since. They discuss the nature of antisemitism and anti-communism surrounding the trial and reflect on their ongoing fight for justice. They contend that, ultimately, “vindication comes from the poets” and the public rather than official channels. The discussion is followed with questions from the audience.

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