IF WINTER COMES

US, 1947, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Walter Pidgeon, Deborah Kerr, Angela Lansbury, Binnie Barnes, Janet Leigh, Dame May Whitty, Reginald Owen.
Directed by Victor Saville.

Shelley wrote, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind.” However, this is more a wintry film than a spring film.

The film is set in Britain in 1939 at the outbreak of World War Two. Walter Pidgeon portrays an ordinary man in an English village who is married to a rather shrewish wife, played by Angela Lansbury (in advance of her actual age) and who pines for his former friend, played by Deborah Kerr. With the war effort, a young girl appeals to him for help – this is misunderstood and gossip abounds in the village.

With such a strong cast, the film is well played. However, it is also the material of soap opera – 1940s style.

The film was directed by Victor Saville who made interesting films at this time like The Green Years and Green Dolphin Street, who was to make Kim as well as his last film, The Silver Chalice, which received many brickbats as one of the worst biblical films made in Hollywood.

1. The meaning of the title, the references to Shelley's poem, the references to the war, the reference to the personalities of the film?

2. The appeal to audiences of soap opera? The situations and characters? How authentic are they? How unreal? Was this a good soap opera?

3. The quality of M.G.M. films in the forties? British atmosphere, though made in Hollywood? Black and white photography, musical score? The atmosphere and memory of the war?

4. The strength of the character of Mark? Walter Pidgeon's performance, his entry into the film from work, his disappointment in marriage? The quality of his marriage as illustrated at the breakfast table? The dominance of his wife? His attitude to his work, the fact that he was disliked? The reasons for his being disliked? The theme of dislike, suspicions and their consequences?

5. How attractive a character was Nora? Her love for Mark, her mistake in marriage, the failure of her marriage, for example in the scene with the men gambling at home? Her visits to Mark, their growing encounters and love? The prospect of divorce and the reasons for their decisions? Nora's decision to wait when her husband went to war? Her involvement in the war? Absence from the town, yet support of Mark and his writings? How authentic a character did she seem?

6. The film's presentation of Mark's stances? His joke about the high?jinks? His sense of equality with the servants, and their involvement with the war? His attitudes to his work associates? Attitude towards the war and the publication of his articles? His stance on marriage and the failure of his marriage? His need for support?

7. How well drawn was Mark's wife? The reasons for her marrying him, her dominance, her control, attitudes to the servants etc., to Natalie? Her comments about allowing him his freedom? Her growing jealousy and suspicions? Her motivation for leaving him, her unreasonableness?

8. How attractive a character was Effie? As a young English girl, innocent and ignorant? her relationship with her father and his religious dominance? The harshness of his condemnation and her leaving home? her happiness at the cricket match? her happiness with the job? her participation in Popsy's death? Her pregnancy, her dependence on Mark, support of him and not wanting to bother him? The shock of the writ being served? The decision for her death, her letter of explanation? How was she a victim of the town and its narrowness and gossip? Who was responsible for her death?

9. The contribution of the minor characters and what they represented? How well drawn and interesting, for example Popsy and her son, the authority figures at work, Twining, the neighbour with the chests and the newspaper, Natalie and her cattiness and gossip, the maids and their same point of view?

10. The significance of Mark's kindness? His fearlessness in supporting people, not worrying about the consequences? The results? The hideousness of the nature of the village gossip?

11. The callous attitudes of the town and Effie's death?

12. The impact of the hatred of Mark and the inquest? The way the inquest was handled? The village of memories, gossip and accusations? The motivation for people's hostility? The comment on internal and external morality, the law? The jury's decision and their reprimand of Mark?

13. The audience satisfaction in knowing the truth, the finding of Effie's letter? The significance of Mark's deciding to burn it? The significance of the heart attack? The encounter with Twining and the death of his son? The influence of his speech and sadness in Mark's not burning the letter?

14. How well did the film present Mark's coming to terms with his dilemma? Nora's acceptance of this?

15. The significance of their burning the letter together? The possibility of a happy future?

16. The human values of life and death, love, marriage, gossip and pressure?