ZANDY'S BRIDE

US, 1974, 116 minutes, Colour.
Gene Hackman, Liv Ullmann, Eileen Heckart, Susan Tyrrell, Harry Dean Stanton, Sam Bottoms.
Directed by Jan Troell.

Jan Troell made a number of significant films in his native Sweden, especially the epic films The Emigrants and The New Land starring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann. These were sweeping sagas of Sweden in the 19th century and migration and hopes in the new land of the United States.

He returns to something of the same themes, on a less grand scale, with Zandy’s Bride. Zandy Allen is a pioneer in the 19th century America and purchases a mail-order bride from Sweden. The film shows the male attitudes of the 19th century, the domination of the male, treating his wife as a mail-order response, as a possession. The film is ugly in its presentation of the lack of respect and humanity for the woman. However, Liv Ullmann portrays Hannah Lund as a strong woman and the film shows the interaction between the two. Gene Hackman, of course, is persuasive in the central role of Zandy. The film also has a strong supporting cast with character actors like Eileen Heckart, Susan Tyrrell and Harry Dean Stanton.

The film is interesting in its presentation of rugged pioneer life, of battles between the sexes, of the need for humanity, love and respect.

1. Who was the central character in this film - Zandy or Hannah? How important is the answer for a perspective on the film?

2. How enjoyable? How beautiful? How real? The basic message?

3. How well did the film use location photography? colour and beauty? The sense of reality of the Big Sur countryside? the mountain during the credits? use of the musical commentary (the fact that the film was made by a Swede and not an American?

4. What kind of man was Zandy? Could audiences identify with him? Could he be explained by the rugged environment in which he grow up? Why did he want a bride? Why did he want someone to work and be a sex object? Did he have any idea of love? How masculine was he? How male dominating? How selfish? Why was he at a loss how to communicate with Hannah? Why was this unrelenting and that he could not learn? The sequence of his raping Hannah and the results of this? What good qualities did he have? Industry, the building up of his farm?

5. How attractive was Hannah? Our first seeing her? Comparison with Zandy? background from the East? the lies about her age, her desire for marriage and having a house of her own, her response to Zandy, credible? Why did she resisted him sexually? How important was the value of love for her? Was she selfish in any way? Did she do her duty? What attractive qualities were there about her?

6. How well did the film portray the isolation of this pioneer age? The background of settling in California, the hard work and courage necessary? The value of owning one’s own things and building a life? What values were being explored here? Well?

7. Comment on the portrayal of the Big Sur society - in their isolated farms, the gathering at the picnic. the bar-b-que, the clothes that they wore, the food, the ship coming in and getting supplies, the shops in the town, the dances, the spirit of this society, their sharing and supporting of one another, and yet so primitive? Values presented and explored?

8. The importance of Zandy's father for the film? Their relationship and marriage as model of marriage for him? The harshness of their relationship, yet its moments of tenderness? The relationship of each to Zandy? The fact that he ran back to them? The advice they gave? The contrast of Zandy and his brother? The importance of Zandy's eventually supporting Hannah? Why not sooner? The mother as a help in the
reconciliation?

9. The dramatic importance of Maria for the film? In herself, Mexican, slatternly, as a sex object for Zandy and model for his relationship to Hannah? encounter during the dance? the relationship between Maria and Hannah? Her going?

10. The importance of the separation for Zandy, for Hannah? What did it effect? Hannah’s ability to support herself, especially the garden? the emotional impact of Zandy, running the cattle through the garden? How central for the theme of male/female relationships and love and exasperation?

11. What did Zandy learn in San Francisco? How was he changed by being away from Hannah? Repentance and remorse? The importance of the gifts? his change of heart? Why?

12. The importance of the babies for Hannah? For Zandy? the support of the family in the birth of the babies?

13. The importance of love as it eventuated from this? What insight into relationships did it give?

14. What future did Zandy and Hannah have?

15. What ware the most important themes explored in this film?