RED, WHITE AND ZERO

UK, 1966, 80 minutes, Black and white/ Colour.

Zero - Zero Hostel.
Directed by Peter Brook.

The White Bus - Patricia Healey, Arthur Lowe, Anthony Hopkins.
Directed by Lindsay Anderson. (46 minutes)

Red and Blue - Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York.
Directed by Tony Richardson.

Red, White and Zero is a composite film which had very little commercial release. The three component films are specialist films and may not have great general appeal. There was to be a fourth part, directed by Karel Reisz, but this segment was developed into the full length film, Morgan.

Peter Brook's short film is an amusing vignette of an opera singer hurrying in a car to his performance to the music of the Valkyries. Red and Blue is a music film also, of sensuous and romantic song and dance, focusing on Vanessa Redgrave. The White Bus is the main interest for discussion. It is a short film by Lindsay Anderson (he has made other films including - Thursday's Children). Themes of isolation, society, Britain itself are explored in realism, farce and fantasy, snatches of colour and black and white photography. The White Bus is fascinating viewing.

1. Zero - as a comedy, farce, parody, contrived situation, opera background, car situation, opera stars, parody of Wagner? Personality of Zero Mostel?

2. Red and Blue - style of the film, effect and impact, use of songs, singing and dancing, communication of the heroine, lovers, nature of relationships?

3. The White Bus - style of the film, its realism, black and white photography, snatches of colour, fantasy? What was the overall impact of this style?
- Was the film amusing, satirical? What were the best aspects of its satire?
- Was it sad, nostalgic?
- What was the main point of the film? The girl returning home, views of home through alien eyes?
- What vision of humanity did the film present? The girl - ambitions, insights, pretensions, anonymity and conformism?
- The white bus itself - as a symbol of a guided tour, the passengers, their activities, attitude of the guide to the passengers? Superficiality, lack of humanity?
- Were the passengers symbols of humanity and mankind? How were they being satirised?
- Why was the girl sad, cut off from the others, from the town and her home? Was she an image of the alienated modern person?
- How optimistic or pessimistic was this film?
- Was it a successful allegory of modern society?