CITY ON FIRE
Canada, 1979, 105 minutes, Colour.
Barry Newman, Susan Clark, Shelley Winters, Leslie Nielsen, James Franciscus, Ava Gardner, Henry Fonda.
Directed by Alvin Rakoff.
City on Fire is a routine disaster thriller. An American- Canadian co-production, it features a large number of stars who do their ordinary paces. Direction is by Alvin Rakoff, who directed some interesting British films in the '60s e.g. The Comedy Man, Hoffmann, but whose work in the '70s was rather more routine e.g. the horror Death Ship, made at the same time as this film. The screenplay is full of stereotypes and is almost like a city become towering inferno. The special effects, as always, are quite spectacular.
1. Audience enjoyment of disaster films? The popularity in the '70s? The conventions of the genre - the introduction of characters, situations, motives, disaster, death, rescue? Reality and fantasy? What if .... ? The quality of this disaster film in comparison with others?
2. American-Canadian? co-production? The impact of the modern city and audiences identifying? The refinery, hospital, TV studio? The special effects and the spectacle?
3. Conventional plot and expectations? Predictability of characters and events? Stereotypes? Soap opera? Audiences enjoying this kind of material?
4. The background of the city problems - the Mayor, elections for governorship, political implications and double deals? The refinery in the middle of the city? The danger for the city, especially with the madness and the inferno? The building of the hospital, finance, the dedication of the new wing? TV studios and problems? Personalities? Exploiting media coverage of disaster? The Fire Chief and his brigade? The firemen in action to prepare audiences for their work during the disaster?
5. The background to the crisis, the man losing his job, his vengeance? The moralising of the ending about one person wreaking such havoc? Destruction and its effects?
6. The variety of responses to disaster: media coverage and exploitation, concern and help, ingenuity of saving people? The scenes of help and the final scenes of survivors?
7. The characters and their stereotyping - and audience interest? Frank - his work. relationship with Diana, the working with the nurse, marital difficulties and helping people in the hospital, his final rescue and survival, reconciliation? Diana and her wealth, her marriages, the liaison with the Mayor, the photos for the scandal sheet, the opening of the new wing, her helping the mother give birth, her rising to the occasion with help, the final rescue and reconciliation? The Mayor and his deals about the refinery, liaison with Diana, his taking charge, the contacts with the television interviewers, the politicking and his aide, John, and his death, his rescuing Frank at the end? Jimbo and his wheeler-dealing with the TV station, exploitation, pushing Maggie Grayson to cover the disaster? Maggie Grayson and her style, glamour, age, opportunity for a big scoop, her drinking and inability to face up to it? The Fire Chief and his looking forward to retirement, the discussion about the boat, his son, the accident with the children smoking and the death of the fireman, the hospital sequence, his interviews with the media, his achievement in putting out the fire and rescuing people?
Shelley Winters as the nurse, her support for the doctor, her work, telling the truth, her death? The pregnant woman in the crisis situation and the birth?
8. The impact of the disaster? The spectacular scenes of fire? Deaths? Rescue? Special effects?
9. The popularity of this kind of film? Its nightmare aspects - people identifying and wondering how they would cope?
