I WANT WHAT I WANT

UK, 1971, 105 minutes, Colour.
Anne Heywood, Paul Rogers, Harry Andrews, Jill Bennett.
Directed by John Dexter.

I Want What I Want is an earnest serious film about trans-sexuals. Audiences wondering about this minority in society may be helped by this fiction although it is not as credible as hoped for.

The film was produced by Raymond Stross for his wife Anne Heywood. She does as best she can with the double role of Roy and Wendy. The film undermines its effect by having an actress play a man who becomes a woman rather than using an actor who has to impersonate a woman (as did John Lithgow, for example, in The World According to Garp). This central casting decision seems to undermine much of the effect of the film. Harry Andrews is suitably gruff as the father, Jill Bennett sympathetic as the landlady and Paul Rogers sympathetic as the surgeon. The film is presented with a certain amount of British reserve even though some of the aspects of the plot are quite sensational.

The film is at least an interesting attempt to tackle a very difficult subject.

1. The purpose of the film? Interest? Entertainment? Understanding?

2. The title and its significance? As applied to Roy? To Wendy? The film's comments about trans-sexuals in contemporary society? The burdens that they carry during their childhood? Confusion in adulthood? Their trans-sexual behaviour? Peace of mind, isolation and secrecy, fear of relationships? Fear of discovery? The possibility of operations and their consequences? A sympathetic presentation of the theme?

3. The British style of the film: the London locations, Roy at work, home, apartments, schools, hospitals? The atmosphere of the-early '70s? The musical score contributing to mood?

4. The portrait of Roy? How credible was Anne Heywood made up to be Roy? Small, lonely, fearful? His life at home? Work? Expectations on him as a man? His attempts to be manly and live up to the expectations of his father? His relationship with his father? The modelling of his ex-army father and his womanising? His private uncertainties? Sexual ambiguity? Women's clothing, his knowledge, taste - and people's reactions? His dressing up in women's clothes and make-up? His father discovering him? The quarrel, anger, Roy’s departure? His decision to dress as a woman? Shopping, style of walking, bearing, talking? The name Wendy? His visit Margaret Stevenson? His deciding to board with her? Settling in? Privacy? His friendship with Frank? Frank attracted to Wendy? Wendy trying to discourage Frank? The difficulties? The help from Margaret? Margaret and matchmaking? Wendy and depression? The visit to the doctor? The discussions about the sex-change operation? The physical limitations to the operation? Psychological effect? At home, Frank coming into Wendy's room, the kissing and the advances, his discovery of the reality and his anger? Wendy and the impact, the attempted castration? The hospitalisation? The discussion with the surgeon?
The success of the operation? A possible future life?

5. The portrait of Roy's father? The brash army man, the masculine style and expectations? Attitude towards his son? Memories of his wife? Women? Hip reaction to finding Roy dressed as a woman? The affront to his values? His anger? Expelling Roy from the house?

6. Margaret and her sympathy, friendship? Her wondering about Wendy? Her match-making?

7. Frank and his work as a teacher, an ordinary young man, attracted to Wendy, life at the boarding house? Outings? Dates? Plendy's refusal? His coming into her room, the passionate advance, the Discovery of the truth, his anger? Audiences understanding his response? Accepting his behaviour or not?

8. The surgeon and his sympathy for Roy, discussions, the rational comments about trans-sexuals, background, their place in society, pressures and difficulties, the possibility of surgery? His support of Wendy?

9. The background characters in the film - as a background of ordinariness? At work? Men and women functioning in their roles? The feminine side of nature, feminine behaviour, interests? Stereotypes or not? Masculine behaviour, interests, ways of speaking? Workplace? Lodgings? shops? Hospitals?

10. The impact of this kind of film? Alerting audiences to the presence of minorities? Their confusion, struggles, being victimised?