CHILD'S PLAY

US, 1972, 100 minutes, Colour.
James Mason, Robert Preston, Beau Bridges.
Directed by Sidney Lumet.

Child's Play presents the enclosed atmosphere of a school which can serve as a metaphor for the world of tensions, rivalry, power, cruelty and hatred. if... is the best-known example. This film concentrates on the conflict between two lay-teachers in a modern Catholic American boarding school and the evil affect on the boys, a young old-boy lay-teacher and the priest-staff. It is highly stylised in a melodramatic way even to the music and the photography with its darkened tones, the sinister rooms and chapel. And yet, Catholic audiences would recognise many of the elements as realistic enough. James Mason gives one of his best performances as the rigid teacher. Robert Preston is the popular, jovial teacher.

1. The irony of the title and its meaning? Its relationship to the opening of the film? The use of children throughout the film? How playful?

2. The film's structure: was it evident the film was based on a play, the atmosphere and dialogue, the constriction of sets? The contribution of colour and the atmosphere of the colour? Music?

3. How realistic was the film? In terms of the plot and what happened, in terms of treatment and style? Was the audience response to the realistic aspects or the symbolic aspects?

4. How well could the film be seen as a parable? A fable of good and evil? How did this work out in detail?

5. The film as a parable about power, ambition, manipulation, corruption, truth and honesty? How effective and impressive?

6. The fact that the film involved two lay teachers in a religious school, and only secondarily the clergy? The significance of this? Response to this?

7. The religious atmosphere of the film? How important and convincing? The specifically Catholic atmosphere and the priests, religious behaviour, rituals, the chapel. theological overtones?

8. The film's portrayal of the school: a small school, the details of the way it was run, the number of priests, the importance of the lay staff? The priests' fear about the school? The use of people by the teachers? The creating of crises in a small school? The final closing down of the school after tragedy?

9. The film's focus on Joe Dobbs? Immediate audience response to him? The presentation of his classes, sympathy and interest for him? The irony of the later truth? The hold he had on the boys and their response to him? The style of his confronting of Malley? Taunting him? Cruel in a genial way? The hints that Dobbs was a devil-figure? The particular nature of his evil? His lack of truth to the staff? To the boys? His hold on Paul. as his favourite student? His driving Malley to death? His reaction to his death? Seeing him in his true colours? The sinister nature of the ending and his control of the boys against Paul? Dobbs as a fable character and as a modern representation of the Devil? Convincing?

10. The contrast with Malley? As disliked by the boys, his nickname of 'Lash', his discipline and punishment, his dull classes? The hard aspects of his character and the way they were visualized? His seemingly being responsible for the evil? Yet the truth of his ageing, retirement, dedication to the school? The fact that he was victim and the audience tended to victimize him? Change in sympathy? His treatment of his mother and her death? The fact that he was desperate for his job? Pleading with the staff? Telling the truth? The importance of his conversations with Paul? The desperate nature of his death?

11. When were changes in audience sympathy evident? What made the change?,

12. The role of Paul Reece? The fact that the school could produce a satisfactory pupil, employ new staff, do its work? Paul's work, his response to the violence and his horror of it? Trying to seek the truth? Believing Dobbs, disliking Malley? His relationship with the priest staff? His discovery of the truth? Inability to save Malley? Becoming a victim of Dobbs?

13. The presentation of the priests and their characters? Especially the young priest who is drinking, thinking of leaving? Did this add to the atmosphere of the film?

14. The presentation of the boys? How ordinary did they seem? The scenes of their cruel behaviour? The sequences in the chapel? (The fact of Dobbs and Malley both praying?) The violence in the gym etc.?

15. Audience response to the violence and what it signified? The sickness of the society?

16. How interestingly explored were the themes of the parable? The educational overtones of the themes: proverbs, Latin, Hamlet etc.?

17. What were the main values explored? How perceptive was the film on values?