Bradley Cooper and his nose give stand-out performances in Bernstein bio 'Maestro'

Bradley Cooper's fake nose in his brand new film, 'Maestro' has, to say the least, caused a bit of a stir in the lead up to the film's release. The words 'stereotyping' and 'Jewface' have been flung around the media. But was the controversy worth it?

Bradley Cooper wears a prosthetic nose for his role as the spectacular composer Leonard Bernstein. This caused an uproar as soon as photos on set were released and then, even further, as the film's trailer came out earlier in 2023.

Many actors wear fat suits and prosthetics for films. In fact, Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for best actress for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in ‘The Hours’ wearing one, so why the reaction to Bradley Cooper?

Apparently, because Leonard Bernstein was Jewish and it’s the same as black-face, according to some. British actor Tracy-Ann Oberman wrote on X “If he needs to wear a prosthetic nose then that is, to me and many others, the equivalent of Black-Face or Yellow-Face.”

She concluded: “If Bradley Cooper can’t do it through the power or acting alone then don’t cast him – get a Jewish Actor.”

As the first reviews come in for the show, critics are confident that the film is an all-round success. The Guardian states, "Cooper's impersonation of the great composer is eerily exact, and gets to the heart of the sacrifices great artists feel they need to make." A potential Oscar candidate?

However, Carey Mulligan who plays Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, steals the spotlight as the critics cry in a resounding applause. Empire have said it is her "best performance", while the LA Times also says it is Carey Mulligan 'at her best'.

However the Author Ben M Freeman wrote: “Bradley Cooper should not be playing Leonard Bernstein. He should not be wearing a prosthetic nose.”

“This isn’t about making a non-Jewish actor look more like Leonard Bernstein; it’s about making a non-Jewish actor look more like a Jewish stereotype.”

In the photo: Leonard Bernstein

Noah Berlatsky, writing for The Independent, also criticised Cooper’s decision and claimed that using prosthetics “effectively turns Jewish people into their physical characteristics. It makes us caricatures.”

In a statement on their father’s X (Twitter) account, Bernstein’s children responded “It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts. It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose. Bradley chose to use make-up to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that.”

In the photo: Leonard Bernstein with his daughter, Jamie

They continued by saying “We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father’s music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration.”

In the photo: Leonard Bernstein with his daughter, Jamie

"Hollywood cast Bradley Cooper — a non Jew — to play Jewish legend Leonard Bernstein and stuck a disgusting exaggerated 'Jew nose' on him," StopAntisemitism, an organization aimed at countering antisemitism wrote on the platform formally known as Twitter.

In 2021 the comedian Sarah Silverman highlighted concerns about "J e w face" in Hollywood portrayals, stating the film industry had a "long tradition of non-Jews playing Jews."

“No one likes to admit this, but, we got beat at our own game,” Gyllenhaal told Deadline in 2021. Speaking of his disappointment in losing a bid for the rights to a Leonard Bernstein film to Bradley Cooper. He admitted he had been yearning to play “one of the most preeminent Jewish artists in America” for almost two decades.

Dave Rich, the head of policy at the Community Security Trust, which protects British Jews from anti-Semitism, said: "It is very difficult to imagine that nobody involved in this film was aware it might be a problem to put a ridiculously outsized and pointy fake nose on a Jewish character.”

Binyomin Gilbert, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: "We live in a world that is more sensitive to the racial portrayal of characters on the screen and which actors play them.”

Daniel Sugarman wrote on X: “As has been noted in a number of places, Bradley Cooper literally played 'The Elephant Man' on stage without any prosthetics. The decision here to slap on a big nose to play a Jewish composer therefore seems… even more suspect.”

Regarded by many as one of the most significant composers of the 20th century, Bernstein is best known for popularising classical music; he wrote the musical, West Side Story, among others.

The film about the composer's life, entitled ‘Maestro’ which also follows his personal life and relationship with Costa Rican actress, Felicia Montealegre, premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2023. It is available in theaters from 22nd November.