WHIFFS



1. The appeal of satire the robbery comedy? How well were the two aspects blended?

2. Indication and tone of title, its irony? The focus on America, the army, etc.? Red. white and blue of credits, the lack of gratitude to the army?

3. How serious was the satire about the issues of chemical warfare? The impact of the satire and its heaviness? The appropriateness of black comedy and its good taste or not? The opening sequence of the tribute to the hero? The automaton group, the applause, the double talk of the officer, the film of the experiments, the humour at the physical suffering and illness, physical illness as a sign of patriotism, the detailed experiment shared with the prison criminal? The irony of the dismissal, the list of illnesses, the arguing about the pension? The quality of this kind of black humour and the effectiveness of hitting the targets?

4. What kind of person was the hero? The ordinary American male? His hopes of the army? His pride in his work? His allowing himself to suffer? The irony of his suffering with the various seeking of jobs and his mistakes for example at the shoe factory, the salt mines etc.?

5. The humour of the robbery with his friend from prison? The man behind the bar and his laughing? The use of chemicals to effect a robbery?

6. The humour of their forming a company for robbery? The detailed sequences of his robbing the gases from the depot? The example of the robbery in the restaurant and its effect on people? The gas masks and the report of the waiter? The police investigations?

7. Was it inevitable that this should lead to the big plan for the bank robbery? The irony of using the gases for these purposes? The humour of the sequences of hiring the pilot and the story given him? The satire in the pilot's remarks about health freaks and those against phosphates etc.?

8. How well staged was the robbery? The detail and timing? The role of the police? The effect of the gases and the smog?

9. The irony of the army being called in? Their inability to cope with the gases? The head officer suffering?

10. How important was the subplot of the hero and his impotence? His relationship with Scotty? The use of the gases? His abandoning the money to meet her in the caravan? Their future? The morality of the robbed money?

11. Why is this kind of robbery film enjoyable? The moral standards of robbery being left out? Heroes and villains? Standards of right and wrong?

12. How effective is this kind of black comedy? Is it effective? Useful? Does it date?