CHILDREN OF THE CORN

US, 1984, 93 minutes, Colour.
Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong.
Directed by Fritz Kiersch.

Children of the Corn is based on a short story by Stephen King. Many of King's novels have been well-filmed, Carrie, The Shining, Cujo, The Dead Zone. This is a brief film by a new director. Made on a small budget, it has many good special effects and shocks and scares. However, the story is familiar and slight and comes to a rather quick ending. It was not favourably received by critics - who compared it to other film versions of King's novels. The film is interesting in portraying Middle America, religious fanaticism - and echoes of the atmosphere of the U.S. during President Reagan's term of office.

1. The popularity of Stephen King's novels? Horror? Imaginative horror? Suspense, scares, shocks?

2. Critical comparisons with other versions of King's novels? This film as a short story? Its title and evocation? Its mood, atmosphere? The blend of reality and unreality? Fear? The devices for shocks and scares? Special effects for the malevolent power and its destruction?

3. The religious symbolism of the film? The background of Nebraska and the Middle West? Fanatical Christian groups? Their hatred and destruction? Negative attitudes towards life? Fear? The excerpts heard on radio and the severe morality? The nature of fanatic communities? Madness? Children ruling the community - and their mimicking of adult behaviour? The vision and inspiration of the Corn God, the diabolical power? The hold over the children? The two leaders and their being possessed? Commands, violence? Closing in the community? The background of the sect and cult behaviour? The use of corn and its earthy ancient symbolism? 'He who walks behind the rows'? The scattering of corn, the collapse of the town and its ordinary way of life, the desecration of the church? The ritual sacrifice and the parody of Christianity - the crucifixions, the carving of the victim and the taking of the blood, the sharing in the blood? The icons of corn? Puritan morality? The attitude towards rebels, to Outlanders? The inattentions within the group - Malachi confronting Isaac? Isaac's death and his diabolical resurrection? The final monstrous presence and the fire? The quotation from the Book of the Apocalypse and the burning lake? The Old Testament names of the children?

4. The focus on the children? The initial church-going and the peace of the town? The malevolent children in the streets, in the cafes? The leaders and their power? Hunting down rebels? The killing of the adults? The individuals and their willingness to be sacrificed at 19? Isaac and Malachi confronting one another? Rivalry and destruction? The malevolent girl in the car at the end - with the tongue-in-cheek rejection of her? The children who saved by being rebels - Job and Sarah?

5. The presentation of Gatlin: the ordinary town, church-going, the adults, the ordinary morning, the horror of the deaths and their visual violence? Job's narrative and the comment on what happened? Feelings? The repercussions for the children - isolation, the decay of the town, the banning of music, the deploying of the corn in the church, the school? The visual impact of the tall cornfields?

6. The old man let live, his working at the garage, the detour, his dog, the confrontation and the dog's death, his death?

7. Burt and Vicky - in love, the motel, the discussion about career, driving along the roads, hitting the boy and discovering that he was dead, Burt searching the cornfields? Vicky's dream and the diabolical violence? The discussion with the old man and his putting them off? Their becoming lost on the roads, getting nearer to Gatlin, driving through the cornfields? The search of the town? The discovery of Sarah and Job? Burt searching, Vicky and the children and her being caught, being crucified? Her being substituted for Isaac? The chases? Burt's ingenuity, the help of Sarah and Job? Burt wounded, saved? The final confrontation in the night? The escape, the burning up of the diabolical power through the corn liquor? Vigorous hero and heroine?

8. Sarah and Job and their being rebels, playing, the records, Monopoly? Sarah and her visual insight and the power to draw? Job the saviour? The children going off at the end?

9. An effective short story, an example of occult storytelling, as a religious allegory of Right-wing America?