The film tells of a widowed librarian named Alicia Hull (Bette Davis), who has an affinity for children, who served at the town's public library for the quarter of a century. The politicians of the city council learn (one played skillfully by Brian Keith) of a book titled "The Communist Dream", and order Ms. Hull to remove it from circulation. She refuses to oblige to the council, and when the council dig up revealing details that she had been the former sponsor of Communist fronts in the United States, she is labeled as a Communist and dismissed from her position.
Her removal takes a toll of her friend, Freddie (Kevin Coughlin), whose story is told in the film's sub-plot. Freddie is a devoted bookworm to the exception of his narrow-minded, blue-collared father played by Joe Mantell whom believes he should play outside with his friends.
The premise of "Storm Center" is interesting, and the picture is well-directed by Daniel Taradash who was also the film's screenwriter alongside writer Erick Moll. They skillfully tackle the themes of subversion, censorship, social paranoia, and social conformity. During her talk with the politicians, she asks an question questioning where the communists would allow books on democracy to remain in their libraries? In the film's climax, we see various classic novels and a book titled "The Life of Jesus" being burned, which makes us question whether those books should be removed from circulation.
Their premise falls short with its cardboard characters such as Freddie's father and when the film's second half falls into unintentional camp and over-the-top melodrama. In the film, after the town's community shuns Ms. Hull (and when members fear standing up for her will label them as communists), Freddie, who loved Ms. Hull for most of his life, turns against her, is pushed over the edge, and does the unthinkable. The nucleus of "Storm Center" revolves around their relationship, but the writers overdramatize their break-up, and I find myself longing for a resolution at the end.
Surprisingly, the movie is still relevant today with its themes, and is a solid B-film. Instead of "The Communist Dream" being ordered to remove, would the politicians prevent the circulation of "Tommy and his Two Fathers"? Betty Davis's performance is well-mannered yet effective, and so is the rest of the cast. The musical score composed by George Duning, while not too memorable, is subtle. The movie deserves a decent home video release, and much like Ms. Hull said before the council about the banning of Hitler's "Mein Krampt", the available the movie is, the sooner we can learn from it, and use it to combat the problems detailed within the film.
Her removal takes a toll of her friend, Freddie (Kevin Coughlin), whose story is told in the film's sub-plot. Freddie is a devoted bookworm to the exception of his narrow-minded, blue-collared father played by Joe Mantell whom believes he should play outside with his friends.
The premise of "Storm Center" is interesting, and the picture is well-directed by Daniel Taradash who was also the film's screenwriter alongside writer Erick Moll. They skillfully tackle the themes of subversion, censorship, social paranoia, and social conformity. During her talk with the politicians, she asks an question questioning where the communists would allow books on democracy to remain in their libraries? In the film's climax, we see various classic novels and a book titled "The Life of Jesus" being burned, which makes us question whether those books should be removed from circulation.
Their premise falls short with its cardboard characters such as Freddie's father and when the film's second half falls into unintentional camp and over-the-top melodrama. In the film, after the town's community shuns Ms. Hull (and when members fear standing up for her will label them as communists), Freddie, who loved Ms. Hull for most of his life, turns against her, is pushed over the edge, and does the unthinkable. The nucleus of "Storm Center" revolves around their relationship, but the writers overdramatize their break-up, and I find myself longing for a resolution at the end.
Surprisingly, the movie is still relevant today with its themes, and is a solid B-film. Instead of "The Communist Dream" being ordered to remove, would the politicians prevent the circulation of "Tommy and his Two Fathers"? Betty Davis's performance is well-mannered yet effective, and so is the rest of the cast. The musical score composed by George Duning, while not too memorable, is subtle. The movie deserves a decent home video release, and much like Ms. Hull said before the council about the banning of Hitler's "Mein Krampt", the available the movie is, the sooner we can learn from it, and use it to combat the problems detailed within the film.