ROGUE MALE

UK, 1976, 103 minutes, Colour.
Peter O' Toole, John Standing, Alistair Sim, Michael Byrne, Harold Pinter.
Directed by Clive Donner.

A top class BBC telemovie. It is a remake of Fritz Lang's Manhunt, 1941, with Walter Pidgeon. The novel by Geoffrey Household was famous in its time and continues popular. The remake indicates the popularity of themes of fascism and the Nazis so prevalent in the seventies. The screenplay was written by Frederic Raphael, the author of such screenplays as Nothing but the Best (directed by director Clive Donner), Darling and Two for the Road. The direction is by Clive Donner who made such films as Pinter's The Caretaker to Here we go round the Mulberry Bush and Alfred the Great.

The film itself in a tour de force for Peter O' Toole in the central role, bringing his very stiff upper lip British characterization to an ambiguous part of a would-be assassin of Hitler and the victim of a chase by the Nazis. He is very British with his upper-crust British remarks as well as a very long-suffering and enduring hero. Harold Pinter may be seen in a small role as Abrahams, O' Toole's contact; Alastair Sim appears as his uncle the earl in one of his last roles. The film is of a manhunt, uses the imagery and language of animal hunting a great deal. The title, 'Rogue Male', refers to the male of the species who is separated from the herd and has to survive. Intelligent and interesting film-making.

1. The quality of this BBC telemovie? Production values, style? Impact for home audiences?

2. The film was based on a popular story of 1940, filmed in 1941 when the events were contemporary. Why the interest in this story in the mid-seventies? The themes of Hitler, oppression? England and Germany? Endurance, survival? The individual?

3. The quality of Frederic Raphael's screenplay? The film as a Peter O' Toole vehicle? Its strengths?

4. The use of colour, locations for Germany, the atmosphere of London in the thirties, the English countryside? The exterior scenes and the contrast with the claustrophobic interiors, especially for Hunter's torture, for his hiding in the fields? The atmosphere of the musical score?

5. The significance of the title? The atmosphere of hunting and the extended metaphor of hunting throughout the film? The rogue male as separated from the herd, alone, fighting for survival? The significance of Sir Robert Hunter's name? That he had written a book about hunting? The impact of the initial hunt by the Germans and their killing of so many birds? The hunters themselves, their shooting, the dogs? The ugly aspects of hunting and killing? The transition to Robert Hunter hunting Hitler? Using hunting techniques? Shooting? The irony of the lame bird and his discovery? The pursuit of Hunter
by the S.S. and their using his techniques? His using his knowledge to survive and escape? His experience in England, hiding from his pursuers and his ability with hunting? The irony of Quive Smith using Hunter's own book to trap him? The final technique to free himself and elude his pursuer? How well integrated was the title? the symbol and theme of hunting?

6. The picture of Germany in 1939? Hitler, relaxing with Eva Braun? The contrast for Hunter with his memories of Rebecca and her death? The motivation for his attempting to kill Hitler? Audience knowledge that this would not be a success and response to his attempt? His rest, the torture by the S.S. and its gruesome detail, the sequence with his losing his fingernails? Hunter and the English defiance of the Germans?
The staged death and his escape? The pursuit and the dangers of Germany in the 1930s? The S.S. types? The contrast with the fisher man who sheltered him and gave him food and clothing? The atmosphere of the port cities? The police? The contrast with England in the 30's? The politicians at the sauna? The flippant and ignorant comments of the earl? The references to Chamberlain? 1939 as a crucial year of diplomacy, the inevitability of war, the forming of English attitudes for the European confrontation? The emergence of Churchill?

7. The picturing of the attempt on Hitler, suspense, having Hitler in the sights for so long? The inevitability of the failure? The repercussions for Hunter especially in the torture and its detail, the staging of his death and the falling over the cliff, his endurance in dragging himself along the ground, hiding, the tree, the river? The help from the German fisherman, the foiling of the pursuers in the hotel and the singing of the songs? Audience sympathy for Hunter? The picture of endurance and very British courage?

8. The melodramatics of his being in the hotel, making friends with the sailors, the device for escaping with the singing, his presence on the ship and his being hidden? Good adventure material?

9. The contrast with the atmosphere of London, freedom, his return to his own clothes, walking along the streets? The people following him? The encounter with the earl and the double talk? (and the irony of the earl being on his side later?) The decisions that had to be made and the gradual revelation of his motivations especially an the background of his love for Rebecca was filled in?

10. The contribution of the character of Abrahams, as a person, his position, information, Jewish background, sympathies, help?

11. The build-up to the man hunt and the newspapers, the deaths, the escape from London, the car, the buying of the bike, the suspicions of the postmistress? An atmosphere of pursuit?

12. The introduction of Quive Smith as the pursuer? The type, his British manner, German loyalties? His assistant? His cool and control in the pursuit of Hunter? his attaching himself to the people in the home? His using Hunter's book to track him down, trap him? The cat and mouse of his trapping Hunter in his lair? The holing up of Hunter? The dialogue and the expression of clashing ideologies?

13. Hunter's further survival? Endurance? The symbol of the cat and the friendly animal? The cruelty of Quive Smith in killing it? The irony of the instrument for his own death? How well did the film portray the extent of human endurance?

14. The build-up to the war, the change in English attitudes, the earl and his comments about his nephew, Churchill emerging? The changing of perspective on behaviour, the assassination attempt? Changed perspective for judging morality?

15. Themes of the individual and endurance law, morals, quality of society, a reflection on the thirties?