Netflix film starring Bradley Cooper has been heavily criticized and blamed on a controversial detail

Following his acclaimed directorial debut, A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper returns to music in his second self-directed film: maestro will on December 20, 2023 start on Netflix and has now released a first short teaser trailer. But the reactions to this insight into the biographical drama about Leonard Bernstein are not as positive as hoped. And the reason is an obvious detail.

Criticism instead of an Oscar advance: Bradley Cooper’s prosthetic nose makes the Netflix film Maestro problematic

There are films that the Netflix streaming service deliberately puts on the end of the year and even gives a limited theatrical release: mostly in order to recommend these prestige projects for an Oscar nomination at the same time thanks to their well-timed release. Maestro by and starring Bradley Cooper is one of those films. The biopic follows the life of the famous West Side Story hero over 30 yearsComposer Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).

Watch the first Netflix trailer for Maestro here

What many can’t overlook when watching the Maestro trailer is though Bradley Cooper fake nose.

At first glance, the outcry could be compared to the attention paid to Rami Malek’s false teeth in Bohemian Rhapsody. But one enlarged nose is charged with an anti-Semitic meaning in the historical context: In caricatures, Jews were often depicted with the “distinguishing feature” of large hooked noses. Studies have long since disproved this already stupid prejudice. In any case, Leonard Bernstein was the son of Jewish immigrants – and now Bradley Cooper wears an oversized, artificial nose in the film.

Anti-Semitic Netflix controversy: What’s behind the reactions to the Maestro nose?

Hardly anyone would blame Bradley Cooper for an actively propagated hatred of Jews Spreading hurtful stereotypes assume. Nevertheless, the nasal prosthesis does not raise questions without reason. The conspicuous feature becomes problematic because many observers show comparatively that Leonard Bernstein’s nose isn’t that big at all and even smaller than Bradley Cooper’s nose:

This feels vicious mostly because Bradley Cooper’s nose is already the same shape and size as Leonard Bernstein’s has, maybe even a little bigger.
Has the team for facial prostheses even tried it to do right?

I just looked up a photo of the real Leonard Bernstein… and the big, anti-Semitic nose on Bradley Cooper really wasn’t necessary.

Left: Bradley Cooper with his fake nose playing Leonard Bernstein.
Right: the real Leonard Bernstein.
This isn’t about making a non-Jewish actor look more like Leonard Bernstein; it’s about making a non-Jewish actor fit more of a Jewish stereotype.

@Neflix: Ok whose idea was it, giving Bradley Cooper a fake nose to play a Jewish character. I just want to talk.Leonard Bernstein’s family is behind Netflix’s Maestro and Bradley Cooper

A day after the Maestro’s trailer release on social media sparked this so-called “Jewface” controversy, the Children of Leonard Bernstein issued a joint statement and lined up behind Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, who involved them from the start. In her statement it says, among other things:

it breaks our heart [Bradley Coopers] Efforts misrepresented and misunderstood to see. It’s true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice big nose. Bradley chose makeup to enhance his likeness and we’re okay with that. We’re sure our father would have been too.

Additionally, they highlight Bradley Cooper’s sincere, passionate efforts and love for Bernstein’s music and condemn the complaints as unpleasant practice of attacking a successful personwhich her father also struggled with.

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From brutal war drama to dreamy fantasy adventures, from blockbusters to insider tips: you can discover some strong original films on Netflix. Even the lost work of a master director has appeared on the streaming service.

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