''WUSA'' is a 1970 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman,

Joanne Woodward Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward (born February 27, 1930) is an American actress. A star since the Golden Age of Hollywood, Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a charact ...

Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor, director, and singer. Perkins is best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller '' Psycho'', which made him an influentia ...

, Laurence Harvey,

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomina ...

and

Wayne Rogers William Wayne McMillan Rogers III (April 7, 1933 – December 31, 2015) was an American actor, known for playing the role of Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre in the CBS television series ''M*A*S*H'' and as Dr. Charley Michaels on '' House Calls ...

. It was written by Robert Stone, based on his 1967 novel '' A Hall of Mirrors''. The story involves a radio station in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

with the eponymous

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assign ...

that is apparently involved in a right-wing conspiracy. It culminates with a riot and stampede at a patriotic pep rally when an assassin on a catwalk opens fire.

Plot

Rheinhardt, a cynical

drifter A drifter is a vagrant who moves from place to place without a fixed home or employment. Drifter(s) or The Drifter(s) may also refer to: Films and television Films * ''The Drifter'' (1917 film), an American film directed by Fred Kelsey * ''Th ...

, gets a job as an announcer for WUSA, a

conservative talk radio Conservative talk radio is a talk radio format in the United States and other countries devoted to expressing conservative viewpoints of issues, as opposed to progressive talk radio. The definition of conservative talk is generally broad enough ...

station in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. He is content to parrot WUSA's reactionary editorial stance on the air, even if he does not agree with it. Rheinhardt finds his cynical detachment challenged by a woman he meets in a bar, Geraldine, and by Rainey, a neighbor and troubled idealist who becomes aware of WUSA's sinister, hidden purpose. And when events start spinning out of control, even Rheinhardt finds he must take a stand. Bingamon, the station's owner, is sponsoring a white supremacist hate rally that draws a protest from black militants. Rainey attempts to assassinate Bingamon, but after he misses and accidentally wounds someone else, the crowd beats him to death. In the chaos, drugs end up in the possession of Geraldine, who is arrested by the police and later hangs herself in jail. Rheinhardt packs his bags and leaves town.

Cast

Reception

Anthony Perkins was nominated for best supporting actor of the year by the National Society of Film Critics. In the 1970s Paul Newman called it "the most significant film I've ever made and the best."

Roger Greenspun Roger Greenspun (December 16, 1929 – June 18, 2017) was an American journalist and film critic, best known for his work with ''The New York Times'' in which he reviewed near 400 films, particularly in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and for '' ...

, reviewing the film for ''The New York Times'', wrote: "If it were an ordinary bad movie (and it is a very bad movie), ''WUSA'' might, in spite of the distinguished names, and less distinguished presence, of its leading actors, be dismissed with no more than a nod to the tension between Rosenberg's ponderously emphatic direction, and Robert Stone's ponderously allusive screenplay. I suspect Stone wins out, for ''WUSA'' feels more like poor theater than poor moviemaking—so, that it continually suggests a failed version of ''

The Balcony ''The Balcony'' (french: Le Balcon) is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It is set in an unnamed city that is experiencing a revolutionary uprising in the streets; most of the action takes place in an upmarket brothel that functions as a ...

'', even though it strives to fall short of '' The Manchurian Candidate''...Despite its obsession with collecting evidence, and its handy school of pseudo-documentary, ''WUSA'' fights unreal battles with an unseen enemy. Lacking either the grace of art or the vitality of guerrilla theater, it can offer only the coarsest nourishment—and only to the elaborately self-deceived."

References

External links

* * * {{Robert Stone (novelist) 1970 films 1970s political drama films American political drama films Films about radio people Films based on American novels Films directed by Stuart Rosenberg Films produced by John Foreman (producer) Films scored by Lalo Schifrin Films set in New Orleans Films shot in New Orleans Paramount Pictures films Works by Robert Stone (novelist) 1970 drama films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links