THE REVOLUTIONARY
US, 1970, 101 minutes, Colour.
Jon Voight, Jennifer Salt, Seymour Cassell, Collin Wilcox-Horne?, Robert Duvall.
Directed by Paul Williams.
More a film for people interested in cinema or for younger adult audiences. Jon Voight plays an idealistic college student of philosophy who becomes more and more involved in labour and direct action and whose knowledge of ideas and theories lead him to a harsher realisation of the real world of ordinary, uninterested and unchanging people. The film, which is pretentious at times about its own attempts at depth, leaves him and the audience with a choice of conscience about inhuman means to desired revolutionary ends. The film reflects the dissatisfied idealism of many school and tertiary students and its issues are worth discussing by such groups.
1. Is this film meant to be a reflection of the late '60s U.S. revolution amongst the young? or is it a film just about the need for, the styles of, revolution in the latter part of our century? Why?
2. Where is the film set? Is this important? What are the issues the revolutionaries are interested in, the causes they espouse? Do they bear any relation to U.S. situations? Is this important?
3. It is suggested that the change and revolution go on in the mind of the hero -how true is this? Does the film's style suggest this?
4. What kind of man is A as the film opens - what does he really believe in? Does he live it? The meetings he goes to (and his clothes?), studies? lover? How "bourgeois” is he? How radical?
5. Was his relationship with Anne important to him?
6. What does he learn by being asked to bribe the Assistant Commissioner - about the Party, about himself (his clothes) and his real beliefs and attitudes? How important is this episode in his becoming credibly revolutionary?
7. What kind of man was Despard? What did he stand for? Why did A serve him? What were the consequences? Was he happy? Did he really believe in what he was doing; especially the printing and the strike incitement? Was it important to him that he be expelled from the University?
8. Why did he go into the Army? Did he believe in it?
9. Did Anne's marriage affect him?
10. Should he have deserted? Was his reason good? Was it consistent with his belief?
11. What kind of girl was Helen - why did she love A? How far was she prepared to go in being revolutionary for his sake?
12. Why did A accept Helen's help, enjoy life with her?
13. Why did Despard fail A? Was Despard's caution wise? How far had A changed by this? Why?
14. Why did A let himself be swayed by Leonard? What did Leonard stand for?
15. What was the significance of A's final predicament? What were his options? Should he have reached this stage of thinking and acting? Was he a genuine revolutionary? Why?
16. Was the film right to end as it did ? Why? What would A have done? why?
