STEPPENWOLF

US/Germany, 1974, 106 minutes, Colour.
Max von Sydow, Dominique Sanda, Pierre Clementi, Carla Romanelli.
Directed by Fred Haines.

Steppenwolf is mainly for Hermann Hesse admirers - at least to see an attempt to visualise the introspective journey of an ageing Everyman: an animated segment on the myth of the Steppenwolf and its psychological symbolism, a wandering of a between-wars worldly city with male/female guides as well as the elaborate fantasy exploration of the Magic Theatre. Max von Sydow brings his authoritative acting skills to carry the whole film as Harry the Steppenwolf. Dominique Sanda looks good but sounds odd. The film's vision seems to be that of the tempestuous internal conflict of a man depressing and wasting him, needing testing and release but, more, the liberation of sense and humour.

1. The impact of the film? Its quality as an adaptation from Hermann Hesse? As a film in itself - without reference to the original novel, as the work of the writer-director?

2. How important is a background of Hesse for understanding the film? Hesse's German background, early 20th. century, his classic status? His themes, especially of the interior journey of a man? Hesse's treatment of themes and the relationship of the external life to the interior life? Incidents, phases of the journey as symbols of interior choice? The possibility of visualising the interior life on the screen?

3. The immediate impact of the musical score, its recurrence during the film? The adaptation of classics, contemporary music?

4. The immediate impact of the visuals? The director relying on visual impact for communication of Hesse's themes? The glimpses of night life in Hamburg during the credits? The re-creation of the between-wars period, life in a German city? Night and day, light and shadow, interiors and exteriors? The importance and impact of the special effects? The drained colours of drug sequences? The appearance and disappearance of the Magic Theatre front at the beginning? The insertion of the tract about the Steppenwolf and the long animated sequence illustrating the theme? Its place within the action of the drama? The use of close-ups for manifesting interior life? Colours, distortions of colours? Drug and hallucination atmosphere? The accumulated effect of the Magic Theatre - its decor, colours, sets, psychedelic hallucinatory atmosphere, the excerpts from World War One, the memory and the visits to Rosa, the presence of Mozart and Goethe, the sequence in the East? Reality and unreality?

5. The film's emphasis on decor - the sobriety of the homes and Harry's apartment, the dead decorum of the scene with the banquet, the night clubs, the streets? The masked ball as the prelude to the Magic Theatre? The decor and scenery as some kind of objectification of the landscapes of Harry's experience? How much was a sense of vision, how much technical skill on the part of the photographer and the editor?

6. Audience response to the nature of symbols, dreams? The world of the psyche and the conscious and subconscious? The historical placement of the Steppenwolf story and its origins in the past and application to the 20th. century? Symbols as revealing man's basic nature, strengths and weaknesses, sin, his basic drives of power, survival, sexuality, death?

7. The portrait of society between wars? The individual within this society? The critique of bourgeois life?

8. The significance of the Steppenwolf symbol and myth? Harry and his explanation of the two drives within him, that out of control, the surface layer of respectability? The insertion of the tract and its visualising? The visual presentation of Harry's face with the wolf face at the side? The animation showing how one could merge into the other, suppress the other, overcome the other? How was Harry Haller's life the Steppenwolf myth? The Steppenwolf as a symbol of western man with his culture and religion, repressions? Harry as the artist and the artist having this kind of dichotomy, schizophrenia in a heightened way? The irony of Harry presenting himself as this kind of artist, using schizophrenia as his excuse? The presentation of the boy wolf and repressions, what would happen if the Steppenwolf were let loose? The symbolising of the Steppenwolf devouring everything in the Magic Theatre?

9. Hesse's insight into the character of the artist, his vision, work, its value? As happening in his own life? The request for mad men only?

10. How serious was this exploration of Harry? Harry as an ordinary name for an ordinary person? The Americanised dialogue especially for Hermina and Pablo? The emphasis on a sense of humour and the ability to joke. The irony of Harry's being laughed out of court at the end? How ironic, satirical and cynical?

11. Max von Sydow's performance as Harry? His appearance - the visualising of the Steppenwolf? The uncertain man at the start, wandering the city, background of his art, his narrative and biography, drugs, illness, age, hallucinations? His serious outlook on himself, self-importance, self-disgust, imprisoning himself? The need to break out?

12. The significance of the magic man who continually reappeared, indicating and guiding Harry into various ways? His presence in the Magic Theatre?

13. The importance of Harry's visit and the meal, the small talk, drinking, his telling the truth? A portrait of the formalities and emptiness of bourgeois society? Its effect on Harry?

14. The classic them of the hero wandering through his life needing a guide? How did this film use the classic model? Heradna as a guide? What effect did the journey have on Harry, testing his values, his learning, the Old Testament background of Qoheleth and the testing of everything and finding it vanity, did he relax, indulge himself? What did he learn about himself? Could he accept himself? The humour, the laughing out of court?

15. Hermina as a guide - her background, her explanations of herself as a courtesan, the bland nature of her dialogue - the American slang spoken in continental English? Effective, not? The Beatrice guiding the wanderer through hell? Her capacity for listening to Harry, his enjoyment of her presence and seeking her out, her beauty and companionship? Her introducing him to Pablo and the effect of the male-female guide? The introduction to Maria - Maria's background, the relationship with Harry, sexuality and fulfilment. Hermina and guiding Harry through the trivial, frivolity, sexuality? Did she offer any escape? Her power over him? Her final command for him to kill her?

16. Pablo as the parallel guide? The masculine version of Hermina? His musical background, the night club, sexuality - and the overtones of homosexuality and the implications for Harry, his rejection of this and Pablo's seeming regret? The threesome? His continually seeking Pablo out? Pablo moving into the Magic Theatre, his presence as Mozart, as himself? What kind of force did he represent in Harry's psyche?

17. Maria and the complementarity of man and woman? Her place in the Magic Theatre?

18. The masked ball, the festival with its music and noise, Harry and his inability to find Hermina, the guidance of Pablo? Pablo introducing him to the theatre and its hellish nature? The request for suicide to enter - and the mirrors and the animation for Harry's changing face?

19. The significance and symbolism of his journey in the Magic Theatre? The use of devices from the theatre, burlesque, vaudeville, silent films? A labyrinth through his psyche - the various elements of war, the past, Rosa and memory, sexuality, music and literature, the unrepressed Steppenwolf, the eastern court and the pursuit of pleasure? The irony of the sequence of Harry's execution - he is accused of confounding illusion with reality and attempting to use it as an instrument of suicide and of showing himself devoid of humour. The court sequence, the jury, the famous people in the past condemning him -his cultural heritage and his being condemned to everlasting life? Being laughed out of court and Harry participating? The final image of Hermina's face?

20. The significance of his killing the nude Hermina? Of Pablo wrapping up the corpse and handing it back? Hermina as the final superimposed image?

21. How important a visual version of Hesse's novels? For interest, study, effect? Literary and visual fables of the 20th century - interpretation and vision of the contemporary person?