THE KEY

UK, 1958, 134 minutes, Black and White.
William Holden, Sophia Loren, Trevor Howard, Kieron Moore.
Directed by Carol Reed.

The Key is an emotional war drama with anti-war tones, produced by Carl Foreman (who wrote and directed such films as The Victors) and directed by Carol Reed. Reed had made his mark with such great films as Odd Man Out, The Third Man. He had made Outcast of the Islands and The Man Between and A Kid For Two Farthings in the 50s. In the late 50s he made Trapeze and Our Man in Havana. The Key comes from this period. In the 60s he made easy entertainments which do not impress as much as his previous films, e.g. The Running Man, The Agony and The Ecstasy. However, he won the Oscar for Oliver, 1968.

The film is a typical William Holden vehicle from this period - the American hero with a slightly weary and even cynical approach. Holden portrayed the extreme of this performance in Stalag 17, for which he won an Oscar. This was the period of The Bridge on the River Kwai. Trevor Howard gives a bluff performance, the kind of thing he was to do for the next twenty years. Sophia Loren is very attractive at this particular stage of her career, emerging on the international scene in American and British films. The Key is interesting, but the war themes, the romance and the anti-war tone do not blend together very feelingly.

1. The title of the film? Did it give the key to its meaning? How entertaining was the film? For what purpose was it made? War, romance anti-war? The overall impact?

2. How well did the film present war action? A tribute to the salvage boats, their work, personalities, the difficulties with which they worked? Lack of guns etc.? How conventional the action material? The heroics? How well did this blend with the romantic themes? Hero and heroine, the heroine with the past, the apartment and the key? The anti-war tone? How well did the screenplay and the direction blend these three facets?

3. The black and white photography, Cinemascope, musical score? The special war effects? The atmosphere of England and war in the early 40s?

4. The impact of the plot and audience identification with situations and character? Entry with David? The American in England? His involvement in the war? The friendship with Chris? The shared work, the dangers? The man of the sea going into war situations? The credibility of Stella, Switzerland and her background, her relationships with the Captains? The apartment itself and the key? The atmosphere of foreboding and fatalism and the breaking of this? A sufficiently credible plot for the purposes of the film?

5. William Holden's style as David? American,, Naval background, participation in the war, his impressions of England, of Chris, of his assistant? The British authorities and their dealings with him? The former Captain of the ship and his tight control? David's taking over the ship and having command of the men? The various personalities on the ship and their reaction to him? His treatment of them the drill? The heroics with which he was involved? Sharing Chris' apprehension drinking? The fascination with Stella? Reacting angrily to her, succumbing to her personality? The bond between the two? His possessiveness, his loss in thinking that she went away? His foreboding? His giving away the key? His reaction to the various comments made, e.g. the porter at the hotel and the stories about Captains and their drinking and their pills? His refusal to go into action? His changing his mind? His decision for ramming the ship and the appreciation? His chasing Stella to be reconciled with her? How rounded a portrait of a man in war?

6. Stella as the focal point for the film? Her enigmatic background? Sophia Loren's personality and style, her charm? Her lack of distinguishing between the various men? Her moments of foreboding, superstition and fear? Her bonds with Chris and her hold over him, her controlling him? Her response to David as different? Love, the prospect of marriage? The significance of her reaction to his death, to his giving away the key? Her being glad that he returned? The original novel was called after her. How was she central to the film?

7. Chris and Trevor Howard's blustering style? The Englishman at war, his skill, his friendship with David, the drinking and the fear, Stella and the bonds and his being about to be married? The impact of his death? His place in David's memory and his seeming apparition to him?

8. The war personnel, the officers, the members of the ship, the Captain and his strictness, and his warnings, his wanting David to sing etc.?

9. The tenderness of the love sequences and the strangeness of love in war?

10. The war action themes and the value of the tribute?

11. The anti-war tone of the film? The critique of war, the organisation, lack of armaments, brutality and violence, fear, repercussions on drinking, suicide? On displaced persons, grief? On love?

12. How much insight into men and women in war? A retrospect of World War Two?