BARFLY

US, 1987, 97 minutes, Colour.
Mickey Rourke, Faye Dunaway, Alice Kruger, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jack Nance.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder.

Barfly is a very sombre film about alcoholics. It boasts excellent performances by Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, both unglamourised. (However, Mickey Rourke affects a distracting W.C. Fields style of delivery which draws attention to itself.)

The film was written by Charles Bukowski, author of many books and of the film Tales of Ordinary Madness (with Ben Gazzara and Ornella Muti). Bukowski writes of the barflies, bums, prostitutes and the seedier world of the contemporary city - where he feels at home, where he has affection for people.

The film is a portrait of people at a bar, the interactions of their lives, their codes and values, the intrusion of the upper class world and its being out of place.

The film was directed by Barbet Schroeder, director of such films as Maitresse. There is a wide range of musical background, both contemporary and classic.

1. The impact of the film? For what audience?

2. Los Angeles, a world of interiors, bars, alleys, apartments? The contrast with Tully's mansion? Air of realism? Atmosphere of studio sets? The range of the musical score and its commentary?

2. The work of Charles Bukowski, life, art? The poor, alcoholics, suffering - compared with the sufferings of the upper classes? A credible picture of barflies?

3. Themes of alcohol and alcoholism - choices, effects, needs, affinity of alcoholics with one another, outlook, intelligence, sensitivity? A realistic treatment of the question? Sympathetic or not?

4. The audience entering and leaving the Golden Horn bar, beginning with fights, the focus on Henry and the group? What was experienced during this visit? What learnt?

5. The world of the bar: the barkeepers, Jim and his friendliness, support and help for Henry? The relief barkeeper? Eddie and his pugnacious attitudes? The range of the clients: the men eating the sandwiches, the old men and alcoholics - the old man who laughed, the man needing the scarf to steady his shakes, Lily and her cynical remarks? Eddie's girlfriends? The barflies and the raucous and crass prostitutes?

6. Henry -in this world (and the later information about his drinking, prison, tastes, creativity and writing)? The initial fight, his unkempt look, bruised and bloodied, fighting Eddie, bashed and left, people leaving him? His continual reappearances? Jim and his support, morale, drinks, financial? Henry's drinking, his pride? His writing on scraps of poor and creative expression? His apartment, its drabness and ugliness? back to the wrong room and stealing food and drink? His clothes, not changing his underwear? His fighting Eddie and winning? going to the cocktails bar, meeting Wanda? Glad to share experiences with someone who was not ordinary and was mad? The bonds between the two, going home, raiding the corn in the middle of the city, chased by the police? Wanda's tantrum, the casual sexual relationship?, Trying for the job, going to the bar, Eddie taking Wanda home and Henry's angry reaction, throwing her clothes out the window? Wanda's experience of the angel of death, the coming of the ambulance (and its previous visit)?

7. The encounter with Tully, her phone call, arriving, couple next door, Henry's intervention, their anger sadistic sex, the fight with the knife and stabbing the ambulance - again? Driving with Tully, cashing the hooker, going to her mansion, the drinks, talk, his returning to Wanda? The money, drinks for all, Tully, her fight with Wanda, his final fight, going and the film leaving him there? Henry needing this portrait of a drunk, a barfly? A life?

8. Listening to them about their man, calling the cheque, taunting sexual encounter, the arrival fight with Eddie kind of world? Wanda at the cocktail bar, her hating people, liking to drink, liking Henry, not wanting love, going home, loving the corn, chased by the police, escaping into the apartment, hiding, the phone calls to Wilbur and buying things on h-is account, her dependence on him? The green corn and her angry reaction about life? The night, sharing the apartment? Trying to get a job? The contrast with Wanda sober? Trusting the money? Paying the rent? Going to the bar, not promising anything to Henry, going with Eddie? Ringing Henry, the puzzle about the clothes, the vision of the angel of death and her performance as if she had died? Henry's return, the perfume, the money? Her anger and the fight with Tully in the bar? Going on with Henry? Portrait of a life?

9. Tully and the magazine, following Henry, hiring the detective, his taking the photographs of the writing? Her wealth, the magazine, her visit, fascinated by Henry, his way of life and appearance, the stabbed man, going to cash the cheque, going home, her ambitions for his writing, installing him in the guesthouse, drinking and not being used to it, sex, angry with him? His saying that she was imprisoned in a golden cage? Going to the bar, the drink, the fight with Wanda, her leaving -and saying that Henry needs this world?

10. The old prostitute and her enjoyment of her profession, of the fights? Lily and her venomous attitudes? The old men? The old man with the cigarette lighter grateful for helping Wanda? The humane touch in the presentation of the alcoholics?

11. The contrast with the ambulance men and their complaints, the hookers on the street, the police?

12. To what purpose this film? Portrait of people? Insight?