FRIENDLY PERSUASION

US, 1956, 140 minutes, Colour.
Gary Cooper, Dorothy Mc Guire, Anthony Perkins, Marjorie Main.
Directed by William Wyler.

Friendly Persuasion is a warm film of a Quaker family in the years preceding the Civil War. Gary Cooper and Dorothy Mc Guire are ideally cast as the parents and Anthony Perkins was at the beginning of his career of neurotic young men. The film is an excellent piece of Americana.

1. The significance of the title and its relationship to the themes? Was this added to by the theme song?

2. The importance of the look of the film - the quiet locations, use of colour, use of the background music?

3. How likeable a film? How much sympathy for the themes, the people? Was it easy to identify with the principal characters? How were values communicated by sympathy with characters?

4. The film as a piece of Americana? The atmosphere of American peace, the inevitability of the Civil War, the impact of war on peaceful communities? American values and heritage? North versus South, slavery and freedom? Civil War? The importance of the Quakers' belief in non-violence?

5. How important for the film was the Quaker theme? Comment on the details of the presentation of Quaker life, strictness, especially with Eliza. The homely nature of the family and its work? The important belief in non-violence? The pressures on people to be violent? The opinion given that Quakers have a witness value even for those who fight wars? Moderation in violence?

6. How important was the setting of the scene? The details of family life and the inter-relationships of mother, father and children? The details of the Quakers' work, Churchgoing, spontaneous prayer? The carnival background and the temptation to worldliness? Jess's travels?

7. Jess and Eliza as a happy couple? The values that they stood for? The way they conducted their lives and home? The nature of their strictness?

8. How did the organ incident highlight the nature of the Quaker background? Eliza's strictness, Jess's enjoyment of the organ? The daughter and Gard playing the organ? The visit of the elders? The importance of the racing sequences, the competition amongst them? Racing as an outlet for enjoyment?

9. How enjoyable was the sequence with the widow and her daughters? Josh and his shyness with the daughters? The widow and her memories of her husband? The qualities of humour in this incident? The importance of the exchange of horses?

10. How did the talk of war change the atmosphere and tone of the film? Quaker principles about war? The Quaker men talking about principles and then becoming involved?

11. What kind of person was Josh? How attractive for a hero? His relationship with the family, his relationship to his father? The influence of Gard and the attractiveness of becoming a soldier? How well brought out was the clash between principles and the desire for fighting? Josh's going despite his mother's pleas?

12. The impact of war on Josh? The amateur nature of the siege? The ambush, shooting of the dying, Josh's shooting, being wounded? what impact did war make on him? His insight into the nature of dying and his reflections on this? The contrast with Jess and his letting the Reb soldier go? The pathos of Sam's death and its meaning, the memories of Sam and Jess in the past? The comment on all of this for war?

13. The humorous side of poking at Quaker principles? Eliza and the feeding of the Rebs? Hitting of the soldier with the broom because of a goose? What insight into principles and practice did this incident give?

14. How successful a film achievement about a particular part of the American heritage and its values?