BRIAN'S SONG

US, 1970, 75 minutes, Colour.
Billy Dee Williams, James Caan, Jack Warden, Judy Pace, Shelley Fabares.
Directed by Buzz Kulik.

Brian's Song has the old value of heart-warming sentiment to the fore in a humane story of two footballers, one black, one white, who become friends and show us what fine friendship can mean. James Caan is an engaging actor and is at his best here, matched well by Billy Dee Williams. They both carry off emotional scenes well and are convincing on screen, blending humour and sadness. Don't be put off if you feel you are not a football fan. The human story is what counts. The film is not just a tear-jerker; it is a film that could genuinely move you to tears. It is only short, but telling.

1. The meaning of the title: Brian singing as payment for his tripping his friend, Brian's swansong, his achievement before his death?

2. The principal impact of the film? Did you feel the audience became very involved? Did it respond to the sentiment of the film? (Was the film sentimental at all?) How humane a film was this? What principal human values did it propose? What audience response did it presuppose? What were its principal messages? How important was the friendship theme.

3. Comment on the narrative use of the film. Did this give it a self-documentary style? How much of the games material was authentic? Did this add to or take away from the film?

4. Did you like Brian Piccolo? Was he meant to be a likable character? Our first meeting of him at football: his sense of humour? what kind of man was he in himself? How happy a person? How good a footballer? The fact that he had always come second? His ambition to do something worthwhile and come first? His capacity for helping, even though with practical jokes? The fact that he was chosen to share a room with a negro? His friendship during his friend's illness? His challenging a man back to life? How shocking was the news of Brian's illness? How did you feel during this illness in the hospital sequences? The emotional impact of his death?

5. Brian's friend: did you like him? Why was he so shy? How talented a person was he? How well did he relate to Brian? Why? How important for the film was it that he was a black? The racial theme and his sharing a room with Brian? His talent as a footballer and coming first? His response to Brian's challenges in getting well again? His support for Brian in his illness? His speeches of loyalty and praise for Brian? How good a friend was he?

6. How well was the football world presented in the film? How important an environment for the friendship and understanding of the two men? The amount of film devoted to training programmes, to excerpts from the games, to the comradeship of the teams and the club, the rules of the club, the various rivalries, the joys of winning, etc.?

7. What contribution did the coach make to the lives of these two men? Did he see the good in them and draw it out of them? The coach as a typical American footballing coach? Comment on his style of getting a performance out of people. His attitude to the racial question and his asking Brian and his friend to participate?

8. The wives were introduced only by accident. Were they attractive women? Did the two men have happy marriages? Did the wives get on well as friends also? What did the friendship of the two men contribute to the success of their marriages?

9. How well did the film present the two illnesses and parallel them? How did it show that each helped the other for recuperation? Brian's challenge to his friend to make him run? The friend's helping Brian in his death?

10. How moving were the sequences of the annual dinner, the trophy giving and Brian dying? What truth was told in the friend's speech?

11. What is the effect of this kind of film? Does it merely jerk tears or does it move the heart? Why? How valuable is a film like this?