• The Plot Against Harry

5/14/24 (Tues)

Michael Roemer famously lacked confidence in his 1971 film and didn’t release it until 1989, by which time the world had changed considerably. If nothing else, his film is a valuable and nostalgic timepiece capturing Jewish life in New York in the late 1960s to early 1970s.

Harry, a minor Jewish racketeer, is released from prison after nine months to discover that his neighborhood has become largely black and Hispanic and that his territory is now controlled by a black mobster. Having kept his past hidden from his sister and others, he tries to go straight by taking part interest in his brother-in-law’s catering business (which seems devoted mainly to weddings and bar mitzvahs), giving to charity, and getting closer to the Jewish community. He runs into his ex-wife – literally, crashing into her car in a fit of road rage – and not only meets his adult daughter for the first time since she was a baby but discovers that the ex was pregnant when they split and had another daughter. He tries clumsily to make good with them by giving them furs and money, but the ex remains unconvinced, while the daughters seek mainly to use him.

Events beyond his control gradually bring his criminal history to light, including a televised inquiry in Congress, which turns the community against him. He learns as well that his none-too-bright chauffeur/assistant had loyally been keeping careful records of all his transactions, including payoffs to the police. The chauffeur tries unsuccessfully to burn the books in an attempt to help, only to amplify the charges to attempted suppression of evidence. Harry, having wandered onto the set of a telethon, collapses on live television and thinks he is dying. His stricken conscience leads him to give a large part of his estate to charity and take the rap for the chauffeur’s actions. It turns out that he is fine after all – his trouble was not his heart but bad constipation – and he realizes his insignificance when even the mob, considering him small beans, shrugs off his court testimony. Newly revived, he nevertheless reaffirms his would-be deathbed actions in a sincere hope of going from schlemiel to mensch. He finds renewed acceptance by the community and the path to a better life.

It’s a droll film that rolls out the comedy slowly but surely through careful plot and character development, and for all the absurdities felt completely natural. Its satire was lightly delivered but right on target, such as the people’s criticism of Harry taking illicit money giving way to a more welcoming attitude when the money is coming to them. While the movie overall was a bit too low key for my taste and could have been tightened, the sharply drawn characterizations made it all worth it. The director mainly used non-actors, which can go either way; here, it worked wonderfully. Martin Priest as Harry combines a Keaton-like deadpan with a hangdog look that practically has “Kick Me” written on his face. Ben Lang is a standout as his ever-amiable friend and catering partner; I can’t help thinking he would have been a great character actor if he continued his career (this seems to be his only film). The other standouts among a fun cast are Maxine Woods as the ex-wife and Henry Nemo as the chauffeur. With the number of Jewish immigrants thinning and subsequent generations fully assimilated, the community portrayed here is long lost. But I wish it weren’t. A quirky but interesting film.