ST IVES

US, 1976, 94 minutes, Colour.
Charles Bronson, John Houseman, Jacqueline Bissett, Maximilian Schell, Elisha Cook.
Directed by J. Lee Thompson.

St Ives is a Charles Bronson thriller which one can't help enjoying. It's an old fashioned mystery with robbery, murder and final twists - although a major surprise is that Bronson plays a newspaper columnist. However, he's much more at home tracking down the criminals amid the company of John Houseman, Maximilian Schell and a lovely Jacqueline Bissett. The film relies on chronicling and detailing the events, providing frequent crises and has some nice humorous touches (as psychologist Maximilian Schell exhorting his patient - a man of vast criminal dreams and ambitions - to watch old movies as a kind of dream therapy). The minor characters are well played to make a satisfying thriller.

1. The focus of the title on the character, Charles Bronson? A good thriller, satisfying?

2. The basic appeal of crime thrillers? Audience observation of crime, criminals, police work, the effect on society? The fantasy and dream of the criminal? Identification with him?

3. How was the style of this film old-fashioned. ingredients, crises, characters and types? The perennial value of the old-fashioned crime thriller?

4. The importance of the structure: the indication of days and time, progress through the week, the characters and the crises within this time framework and the build-up of suspense?

5. The background of Los Angeles, the old and the new, the contrast of wealth and poor, the background of multi-nationals and drive-ins? The complexity of the modern Los Angeles, as an environment for criminals, investigations? The musical style?

6. The introduction to Ray St. Ives in the pre-credit sequence? The background to the character, Charles Bronson and his personality and style? Marital problem, writing, jobs? Money? A tough background? Charles Bronson and his engaging style, as a type? The loner, curiosity about the job, the people? The challenge of a difficult job? St. Ives as the righteous hero, upholding the law? His relationship with Procane? The infatuation with Janet although his wariness of her? His relationship to the police? With Charlie? How likable a character? The initial sequence with his lawyer?

7. Audience interest in the job? The character of Procane and his background? His wealth, mysterious dealings? The place of Janet in his household, Dr. Constable? His-high style of living, butler etc.? The impact of the deaths and audience interest in the case? An old-fashioned style mystery, mysterious characters? The financial and criminal issues? The deaths and crises?

8. The focus on Procane: his seeming respectability, the revelation that he was a gangster? His record of no violence or murder? His personality, household, relationship with Janet, reliance on Dr. Constable? The gentle irony in his response to the films, tears, thrills? Dr. Constable's explanation of films and psychiatry? His anxiety, his employing St. Ives? His comments about friendship and the possibility of being a friend with St. Ives? His enthusiasm for the drive-in caper? His intrigue, the preparations at the restaurant? The importance of the sequences when it, was revealed that he was betrayed by Janet ~ by Dr. Constable? The pathos of his death? An ambiguous criminal?

9. Janet as the potential heroine of the film? Her initial toughness the unconventionality? Her background as a policewoman? Her presence in the various dealings, especially with the death of Franz? Her infatuation with St. Ives, sexuality? Her helping with the caper, the sudden betrayal? Her violence at the end? The pool, her being left with the police? The surprise of her being a villainess? Appropriate for this kind of story?

10. The portrayal of Dr. Constable: the comments on psychiatry, as an almost humorous distraction, the ominous clue of the cold, his attempts on St. Ives' life, his involvement in the betrayal and his greed? The bitterness of his final speech about Procane and his lack of friendship and his impatience with him? His death? A convincing villain?

11. The two policemen and their work together, presence at the deaths, the irony of their being the criminals? Franz and his observation of what was going on, at the station, his wanting to make money? The various incidents with the police? The scenes of the crimes at the laundrette, the apartment? The revelation of the truth and the police involvement? Charlie as the ordinary policeman and his belief in St. Ives? The humour of Charlie being left with Janet and the problem of her wet clothes?

12. The scene with the thugs and the background of Los Angeles violence, the heroics of St. Ives, especially in the lift well? The trading of information in the underworld, the deaths and the places that they happened, the beatings, the cafe with the man behind the counter supplying information, St. Ives' interview with the various thieves, especially the man for whom he bought the dinner, the hotels where St. Ives lived, where thieves hung out and were murdered, the hookers? An authentic atmosphere?

13. The contrast with the world of the rich, tapes, files, cars, guns, restaurants, the drive-in?

14. The reliance of the environment of the laundrette, the apartments, union Station, the drive-in, the poolside at the end?

15. The momentum of the mystery, the laconic humour, e.g. the toilets and the ending? A satisfying thriller?