WUSA

Director Stuart Rosenberg and screenwriter Robert Stone, working from Stone's novel A Hall of Mirrors, deliver a curious artifact of social commentary on hate speech and demagoguery hiding behind the flag of patriotism and religion in this arch and cynical 1970 film. Paul Newman arrives in New Orleans to collect a debt and ends up a DJ on the right-wing radio station WUSA, reading (and sometimes writing) the twisted news and provocative editorials with the blasé cynicism of a man who doesn't believe in anything. Joanne Woodward is Geraldine, a former hooker with a scar across her cheek who moves in with Newman but is increasingly appalled by his apathy. Anthony Perkins costars as Rainey, the idealistic social worker next door who discovers that the welfare survey he's been hired to conduct is actually a political hatchet job he traces back to WUSA. While the current climate of partisan news channels makes the story oddly timely, the political message is hammered home with blunt force (we know Perkins is the film's liberal conscience because he spends his free time taking photos of poor black kids and old folks in the slums), yet the conspiracy drama remains vague, more symbolic gesture of outrage than convincing plot device. Laurence Harvey is also on hand as a con man in the collar of a revivalist preacher, while Pat Hingle plays the radio station owner with a greasy smile and an insincere wink. An optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)[Blu-ray Review—July 30, 2013—Olive, 115 min., PG-13, Blu-ray: $24.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1970's WUSA features a nice transfer, but no special features. Bottom line: an uneven film, but one that looks snappy on Blu-ray.]