LE MANS

US, 1971, 108 minutes, Colour.
Steve Mc Queen.
Directed by Lee H. Katzin.

Le Mans is Steve Mc Queen's film on racing cars. It is a semidocumentary with a minimal (and weak) story. The action of the film takes place over the two days of the Le Mans rally.

The building of atmosphere is excellently done and the audience is drawn into the spirit of Le Mans with spectacular footage of the crowds arriving and a T.V. style coverage of the area. The racing sequences are excellently done and offer quite a display of techniques for communicating the sense of speed, daring and competition. The accident scenes are spectacular and give no illusions as to the destructive force of crashes at high speed. The film is a monument to the variety of today's expert technology and our absorption by technological achievement. Other films about racing have focussed on the 'human interest' side of racing as well - Howard Hawk's Red Line 7000, Frankenheimer's Grand Prix and the interesting story about people and driving, Winning, with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

1. Was this just a story? An action picture? A semi-documentary? Why did Steve Mc Queen make this film so lavishly?

2. How was the atmosphere of Le Mans built up and sustained throughout the whole film? You were meant to feel as if you had really been there, not merely watching the race. but absorbing the spirit, the background and the atmosphere. Was the film successful in this? How?

3. Did you get to understand Michael Delaney well ? what made him the kind of personality he was, why he drove ? did you find out anything more than "a man's got to do what he can do"?

4. Was the thrill and exhilaration of fast driving communicated? What screen techniques were used for this?

5. Was the spirit of difficult competitive driving communicated? How?

6. What was the impact of the accident sequences? They were spectacular, but did you find them too spectacular, too much larger than life and, therefore, great to look at but not really frightening? Or were they frightening?

7. The women in the story were not as involved in the risks of fast racing as their husbands were. Why do men want to compete and risk their lives trying to go faster than others? what do they achieve? Is it worth it?

8. What does a film like this show about twentieth century values adventure, excitement, sense of technology (the expertise and finesse of the engineers and mechanics), sense of exploration and achievement? (How effective was the silence, except for the heartbeats, at the beginning of the race?)

9. Why do people like to watch the cars in such great numbers? And why are films like this so popular?

LIFE, LOVE, DEATH

France/Italy, 1968, 116 minutes, Colour.
Amidou, Caroline Cellier, Janine Magnan, Marcel Bozzuffi.
Directed by Claude Lelouch.

Life, Love, Death was made by Claude Lelouch, best known for his romantic A Man and A Woman. Here he uses his rather lush, colourful style for a deadly serious theme: capital punishment. The first half of the film is the satisfying Lelouch we are used to. The second half becomes fittingly sombre, even passing into a silver-grey monochrome for almost unbearable prison sequences. The finale is one of the most anguishing one could sit through and makes the last word of propaganda credible. Recommended as thoughtful blend of commercial style with message about the grim realities of crime and human punishment

1. The overall impact of this film: in terms of enjoyment. interest, a harrowing experience? Which predominated? Why?

2. Comment on the style of the film: Claude Lelouch style. the variety of cinematic techniques,. the obviousness of the effects? The use of colour, the use of monochrome? Tinted scenes etc? Did this distract from the plot, from the message? Did it contribute to it?

3. The emphasis of the title,, the three phases of the film illustrating this? How much weight and depth in the exploration of these themes?

4. Critics were divided on the structure of the film. was it effective to lure the audience on and play with its sympathies in order to make a point? Was it too confusing? Would it have been better to have a straightforward narrative?

5. The initial impact of the prisoner? The portrayal of his ordinary way of life and its details, the adultery, the relationship with Caroline, the family? The judgement that the audience made on his way of life? The ordinary man?

6. The impact of the arrest, the police watching him, the interrogations etc? Audience sympathy for this? Did the audience think him guilty or not?

7. The scenes of the treatment of the prisoner, the way of prison life, the sermon, the film? The nature of prison life for anyone, even if he is not guilty? If the prisoner is discovered to be guilty, does it change the impact of prison life?

8. The French atmosphere, French courts and justice? The sermon on liberty? The visual exploration of freedom, imprisonment, justice?

9. The impact of the montage of the trial? Was this an effective way to communicate the trial?

10. Did the explanation of motivation come too late in the film, or was it just right for the theme? The satisfactory explanation and background, motivation? Was it clear what motivated Francis Toledo? Did it excuse him in any way?

11. Did he deserve death? The change to monochrome colouring? The steely and grey atmosphere? The suddenness of the guillotine?

12. The film's exploration of themes of capital punishment? The kind of society which has capital punishment? The effectiveness of the film as a protest? The impact on the audience to harrow them? Is this means of commercial communication an effective way of making a wide-ranging protest?

THE GETAWAY

US, 1994, 116 minutes, Colour.
Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, James Woods, David Morse, Jennifer Tilly, Richard Farnsworth, Philip Hoffman, Burton Gilliam.
Directed by Roger Donaldson.

The Getaway is a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s 1972 classic. The film was based on a treatment by the writer of the original novel, Jim Thompson, and screenwriter and director Walter Hill. It was adapted for the 90s by writer-director Amy Jones.

The original film starred Steve Mc Queen and Ali Mac Graw. Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, husband and wife at the time, had appeared in The Marrying Man. Baldwin brings a suave charm – in contrast to Steve Mc Queen’s more rugged charm. Kim Basinger is a better screen presence and actress than Ali Mac Graw. Michael Madsen appears as the robber. James Woods appears in the part originally played by Ben Johnson. Sally Struthers portrayed Fran, played here by Jennifer Tilly.

Of interest is the appearance of Philip Seymour Hoffman (credited as Philip Hoffman) as Rudi Travis’s sidekick. He had made such films as Scent of a Woman but was to go on to a solid career as a character actor, with an Oscar nomination and many awards for his portrayal of Truman Capote.

The film was directed by Roger Donaldson, an Australian who began his career in New Zealand with Sleeping Dogs and Smash Palace. He made some significant films in the United States including Marie and Thirteen Days.

The film is a picture of professional thieves, professional gangsters – and their falling out.

1. The impact of the film at thriller? Crime caper? Pursuit and chase film?

2. The American locations, the big cities, banks, greyhound courses? Motels? On the road and the countryside? Mexico? The musical score?

3. The title, the complications of the crime, the dramatics of the getaway?

4. The amoral tone of the film, Doc and Carol, their relationship, crimes? The failure of the crime, prison?

5. Doc, his initial work, the robbery, Carol and the holding up of the van? Doc and his skills, explosives? Getting the man out of prison, the techniques? Taking him to his uncle, the shooting? Doc taking the money – the plane taking off, stranding him in Mexico, the police, prison? His experiences in prison? Jack Benyon getting him out?

6. Carol, her relationship with Doc, the marriage? The participation in the escape? Going to Benyon, pleading for Doc’s release, for the new job? Benyon’s taking advantage of her, her agreeing? The later consequences, Doc and his anger, her declaration of fidelity? Her coming in to Doc and Benyon, with the gun, shooting Benyon? Doc and his finally accepting that she loved him?

7. Rudi, in on the crime, tough? Trigger-happy? His taking off in the plane, stranding Doc? Doc later hiring him, punching him out? The tensions between them, the participation in Benyon’s robbery? With Frank Hansen? During the robbery, the hold-up, the shooting? The getaway – and Rudi shooting Frank, pushing him out of the car? His ambushing Doc, his being shot? Surviving – and the irony of wearing the protection which he had spurned? His pursuing Doc, his death?

8. Benyon, wealth, the planning of the robbery, his henchmen? Jim Jackson and his searching of Carol? His later pursuit of Doc and Carol? The other men? Their deaths in the motel?

9. Benyon, his plan, the greyhound course, the money? The robbery, the skill, opening the safe? The shooting? The getaway? Carol and Doc, in the car, Rudi’s ambush, his being shot?

10. Rudi, meeting the Carvies, getting his wound healed? Their characters, vets? Harold and his fear? Fran and her being seduced by Rudi? His taking them as hostages? Fran and her fear during the shoot-outs?

11. Doc and Carol, their bonds, his suspicion? The money, dividing the money? Going to the railway station, Carol putting the money in the case? Its being robbed? Doc and his pursuit of the thief, on the train, getting the money back? Their going to the motel? Their realisation that they were being pursued, Doc seeing Rudi, the shoot-out? With Jackson and his men? Their survival?

12. The encounter with Slim, his giving them a lift, their offering him the money for the truck, his wishing them well? Their going to safety?

13. Gollie and his management of the hotel, the pressure put on him by Jackson? The gun shop salesman and his urging the sales for Doc? The Mexicans, the Mafia types, the shootings?

14. The popular ingredients for this kind of action thriller? Comparisons with the classic status of the original?

THEN CAME BRONSON

US, 1969, 100 minutes, Colour.
Michael Parks, Bonnie Bedelia, Akim Tamiroff, Gary Merrill, Sheree North, Martin Sheen, Burt Freed.
Directed by William A. Graham.

Then Came Bronson was the pilot for a successful television series starring Michael Parks. Parks had appeared in The Bible and a number of other films but was to find a long career on television. Bonnie Bedelia and Martin Sheen were at the beginning of their careers. Veteran Akim Tamiroff had been in films since the 30s. Gary Merrill and Sheree North had been stalwarts of many movies of the 1950s.

The film, set in 1969, the year of the release of Easy Rider, resembles the story and ethos of that film. This time a newspaper reporter decides to leave his work after his friend commits suicide. He travels across America by motorcycle encountering a number of typical and representative characters of the period. The film was popular as was the series because it echoed the searching spirit of the times, the period of the Vietnam war, university campuses and their revolutions, the changing of values that had occurred during the 1960s.

1. The implications and tone of the title? Atmosphere of the hero and his impact on people? A TV pilot? What is necessary for a pilot – as regards ingredients, outlining characters, tone for the series? A successful pilot for a successful series?

2. The filming of the initial suicide, cinematic styles for the impact of the suicide? What tone did it give? The impact on Bronson of his friend’s death? Suddenness, feelings, response to the situation?

3. How did this compare with Bronson’s clash with the editor, his being pushed off? Comment being made about Bronson and his clash with the establishment?

4. What kind of hero was Bronson? The nature of his heroism? Why did he drop out? The bike, the riding, the exhilaration of the sequences along the road, nature and beauty? The exhilaration on the beach? The cleansing of his memories of the past? The aims for his journey?

5. His encounter with Temple, a heroine for this kind of film, the mystery of her behaviour, attraction for him, clash, clash on the road? Car versus bike? The challenge between man and woman? Why did she ask to go with him? Why was he surprised? Why did she continue, what choices did she have? What was wrong with her? Why did she fail in her engagement?

6. How successful was the picaresque style of the film? Too episodic? Too drawn out? Sustaining the interest, the era, the bikes?

7. Bronson’s encounters with the family, being at home with them, the wisdom of the father, the effect on Temple?

8. The ride up the hill, the effort that Bronson made? Achievement and success, symbolising? The importance for Temple?

9. The contrast with the sequence where the pipe went into the water, being tested by the man? Bronson’s reactions? The group effort of getting out the bike? Symbolising?

10. New Orleans and the achievement, a goal? Did it give Bronson a chance for a new start? How did his memories fit in with this achievement? What choices open to him? Relationship with Temple? The choices that he offered her?

11. The accident, did it seem too contrived, Bronson’s reaction, Temple’s reaction? How did it bond her with him? A future together?

12. Why did this film have so much appeal to the audiences of the time? Ideals presented to the audience, relying on conventional clichés, the value of the images and their meaning, scenic beauty, symbols for achievement? The value of the songs, especially the song sung by Bronson and Temple?

A TIME OUT OF WAR

US, 1954, 20 minutes, Black and white.
Corey Allen, Barry Atwater.
Directed by Dennis Sanders.

A Time Out of War is a thesis film by Dennis Sanders. It won an Oscar in 1954 for the best short subject. It was also nominated for a United Nations award.

This brief film is a Civil War story, a meeting between a Unionist and a Confederate on opposites sides of a river – with dialogue leading to some kind of mutual understanding. It is a film for peace.

This theme has been used in many films – Hell in the Pacific by John Boorman had Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune as Japanese and American soldier stranded on an island and having to make peace. The French film, Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noel) took the same theme of a truce on Christmas Day in 1914.

Dennis Sanders made a number of films and series for television. His feature films include Crime and Punishment USA, One Man’s Way, Shock Treatment and The Invasion of the Bee Girls.

1. The impact of the film as a short story? Brief plot, human interest and relationships, war themes? Authentic atmosphere, the quality of the anti-war message?

2. The film was made as a university thesis. Its qualities as a piece of academic film-making? Its subsequent commercial popularity, awards? The appeal to the popular audience?

3. Technical qualities: sharpness of the black and white photography, locations, visual presentation of the river, the presentation of the men, close-ups and long shots, across the river, fighting, arguing, shooting, exchanging things, fishing, burying and saluting the dead? Light and darkness, handheld camera? The audience placed in the middle of the war?

4. The musical score and the tones of patriotic themes? The visual impact of the differing uniforms, different accents, sharing the news, sharing the jibes? The unity and division in the war? The futility of war?

5. The men as ordinary men and soldiers, Connor and Alden and representing the North? Craig and his style of the South? Ordinary men in themselves: presence, manner of speaking, ordinary things? The time out of the war? The decision to fish, talk, smoke, coffee and loyalties?

6. The irony of the war in this context? To what purpose? How did the war affect them? The formalities of war as being meaningless?

7. War at the personal level? What sense does it make? Friendliness, shooting, retorts? Finding the dead man? The waging of war at an official level, its repercussions for ordinary soldiers? Ironies of the situation, non-resolution?

8. The quality of the film’s representation of detail, Connor’s shooting, Craig’s replies, scenery, the river, fishing, the talk, the salute to the dead? Craig silhouetted in the distance as the enemy? His view of Connor and Alden?

9. The quality of the message, the reflections of war in twenty-two minutes of visual communication?

HOUSE OF CARDS

US, 1969, 105 minutes, Colour.
George Peppard, Inger Stevens, Orson Welles, Keith Michell, Maxine Audley.
Directed by John Guillermin.

House of Cards is one of a number of thrillers that George Peppard made at the end of the 1960s. He had emerged as a star in such films as Home from the Hill and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Later he was to make a career on television with such series as Banacek. Here he is the typical American hero of an action film. He is well supported by character actors like Orson Welles and Keith Michell.

The film has an Italian setting. In the light of the 1960s, it is interesting to see an exploration of a neo-fascist movement and neo-fascist rearmament. The film benefits a great deal by its Italian location photography.

The film was directed by John Guillermin who had made a number of films in his native England, moved to America in the 1960s with bigger-budget films including The Blue Max. He was to make several blockbusters during the 1970s including The Towering Inferno and the remake of King Kong.

1. The title, the credits sequences and the significance of tarot cards during the film?

2. How did the film create and keep its thriller atmosphere, the dead body at the opening, murder attempts, chases?

3. First impressions of Reno Davis, as a boxer, as a man? His way of life? Paul’s shooting at the car? Davis being hired as a tutor?

4. First impressions of the family: Anne and her attitudes with Paul, Paul as a little gentleman, the dinner and the right-wing colonialist conversation, snobbery, Algeria? Surprised to find that the group was involved in a right-wing plot, to overthrow democracy? The background of such ideals? Origins, what gave the group the right to be a law unto themselves, murder and kidnapping, rearming, revolution?

5. How convincing was Paul’s growth in trust of Reno?

6. How sinister was the doctor? What role did he play? To discover who he really was? How did this alter the perspective on the film, on Anne?

7. Why was Reno dangerous? Why such elaborate plans to frame him? Was he too heroic – in a melodramatic way?

8. How did such sequences as the escape from the chateau as it burnt, the train trip to Rome, the visit to Villa Frascati add to the significance and excitement of the film?

9. Was the resolution effective, the meeting with the head of the organisation, the fight in the Colosseum, the threat to shoot by Paul, the death of the head in the Colosseum?

10. What kind of woman was Anne? How had she been used? How did this affect her, her love for Paul?

11. Would they have been able to make a life together after this?

12. The effect of the on-location scenery to the atmosphere?

13. What political and moral stances did the film take? Was its picture of neo-fascist rearmament farfetched?

HANDS OF THE RIPPER

UK, 1971, 83 minutes, Colour.
Eric Porter, Jane Merrow, Angharad Rees, Keith Bell, Derek Godfrey, Dora Bryan, Marjorie Rhodes.
Directed by Peter Sasdy.

Hands of the Ripper is an effective horror story. It is yet another look at the Jack the Ripper legend. There have been many versions of the Jack the Ripper story including fictional stories as Hitchcock's The Lodger, and its remake. Jack the Ripper was also linked with Sherlock Holmes in A Study In Terror, 1966. This film was made by Hammer Studios and uses much of its rather gory tradition. However it is well written and interesting as well as horrific and is quite a good addition to the filmology of Jack the Ripper

1. An entertaining horror film?

2. The continued fascination with the story and atrocities of Jack the Ripper? A healthy response? Curiosity?

3. The character of Anna, interesting to explore? Did the audience share Dr Pritchard’s fascination?

4. Did the seeing of the river kill his wife and his kissing of Anna adequately explain Anna’s madness? Could she have been cured?

5. Did Dr Pritchard have the right to bypass justice, experiment with a psychologically dangerous person? How responsible was he for Anna’s killings?

6. Were the number of murders in the film enough or were they overdone and unnecessary – in themselves, in some details? How effectively were they filmed for the development for the plod and audience involvement? Mrs Goulding the medium, Dolly the maid, Long Liz, the prostitute? Madame Bullard, Pritchard, the attempt on Laura?

7. Was the subplot of Michael and Laura important for the film? Laura’s blindness?

8. How did Michael and Laura provide occasion for the characters of Pritchard and Anna to be developed more fully?

9. Was the re-creation of the period effective – not only in the sets but in the characters, the mediums, politician Dysart and his worries and reputation, Freudian studies?

10. How effective was the climax? The symbolism of the final image? Is solitary, individualistic and obsessive medical research destructive?

HANNIBAL BROOKS

UK, 1969, 101 minutes, Colour.
Oliver Reed, Michael J. Pollard, Wolfgang Preiss, John Alderton, Peter Carsten.
Directed by Michael Winner.

Hannibal Brooks is an unusual war comedy. Set In World Wat Two, it parallels the original story of Hannibal crossing the alps with elephants. This updated version is an offbeat comedy starring Oliver Reed and Michael J. Pollard who was popular at the time, with Bonnie and Clyde. Direction is by Michael Winner, the English director, who had worked with Reed in such films as The System, The Jokers, I'll Never Forget Whats’isname. Winner was to make The Games and then move to America where he had success with a number of westerns with Burt Lancaster and some Charles Bronson thrillers, including Death Wish. A family kind of humorous war film.

1. An entertaining comedy? Adventure?

2. How seriously was the film meant to be taken?

3. Despite the humour, how grim and realistic a picture of war?

4. The picture of the POW camp life, the usual, humorous? The padre? The guards? The escape?

5. What kind of man was Brooks, his looking after Lucy?

6. Should the Germans have evacuated the animals? How important in the war situation? The prisoners of war working in the zoo?

7. What alternatives to the group were there when the guard was shot? Was the escape plausible?

8. What role did Packy have in the escape? His continual turning up and his raids? How real? How comic?

9. How well did Brooks handle the situation of escape, collaborating with Packy, quick thinking as in the house with the soldier?

10. The details of the escape?

11. Was the finale plausible, how well filmed? How tragic were the deaths, how heroic was the climb, the collapse of the guardhouse?

12. Were there any real parallels with the original Hannibal or was this just a comic idea for the film?

13. There were several anti-war sections of dialogue, many war sequences. What did the film have to say about war and its impact?

WHERE NO VULTURES FLY

UK. 1951, 107 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Steel, Dinah Sheridan, Harold Warrender, Meredith Edwards.
Directed by Harry Watt.

Where No Vultures Fly was one of the most popular British films of 1951. It was the Royal Command Performance film.

Where No Vultures Fly was made on location in Africa. It was directed by Harry Watt. Watt had begun his film career with the classic GPO film, Night Mail, in 1936. He mad propaganda films during the war as well as the comedy with Tommy Trinder, Fiddlers Three.

After the war, he went to Australia where he made the classic The Overlanders as well as Eureka Stockade, both with Chips Rafferty. He then went to Africa to make this film as well as its sequel, West of Zanzibar. He returned to Australia in the late 50s to make The Siege of Pinchgut.

Anthony Steel was one of the most popular leads in British films at the time (The Wooden Horse, Albert RN). Dinah Sheridan was also a popular leading lady and was to appear in Genevieve.

The film shows the origins of the game reserves in East Africa – and has a rather spectacular with a rhinoceros attacking a truck.

The film is of its time, showing the aftermath of the British Empire and the presence of the British in Africa. It precedes the Mau Mau terrorism of the 1950s and the moves for independence.

1. How did the title sum up the theme of the film? In the US the title was changed to The Ivory Hunter. A good or bad substitute?

2. How successful was the narration style for the film? Did it seem more realistic? Or too obtrusive?

3. The points being made at the opening of the film about progress, animal-killing, nature and hunting, the natives, ivory poachers and exploiters? The setting was 1947. The film was made in 1951 – does it fit in with the contemporary outlooks on conservation?

4. How satirical was the sequence of the wife photographing the hunter, the contrast with the live calf and the dead mother?

5. Why was Bob Payton sick of killing? Why did he give up his job?

6. Mary’s violent reaction against this? Good reasons? How frightening for her to be living in the bush? What home did they have?

7. What did Payton’s failure to get the park and then his gaining of public opinion through the hoax mean for the family and for his working ambitions? Was he right to use the methods he did?

8. Mary’s solid support in this?

9. Was the villain obvious, audience suspecting him or not? Why?

10. What right had the ivory traders to poach, sell the ivory? How lucrative?

11. How did Payton dedicate himself to his new job? Why? Of what real value was it to Africa?

12. How exciting the presentation of life in the African bush? The climax, chase?

13. What good does a moralising film like this do about conservation? Besides entertainment? Information and motivation?

THE BUCCANEER

US, 1958, 120 minutes, Colour.
Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, Charles Boyer, Claire Bloom, Inger Stevens, E.G. Marshall, Lorne Green.
Directed by Anthony Quinn.

The Buccaneer was a 1938 Cecil B. de Mille action adventure with Fredric March as Jean Lafitte. Anthony Quinn appeared in a supporting role (he was married to de Mille’s daughter, Katherine, for many years and appeared in a number of de Mille features).

De Mille intended to direct this film after the success of The Ten Commandments. However, he fell ill and the film was directed by Anthony Quinn.

Yul Brynner had appeared as Pharaoh in The Ten Commandments and appears a Jean Lafitte. Charlton Heston who was Moses in The Ten Commandments appears here as General Andrew Jackson (he appeared as President Jackson in the 1953 The President’s Lady).

The film has a good cast led by Claire Bloom and Charles Boyer.

The film focuses on the 1812 war against Britain. Jean Lafitte was a pirate and fought against Britain. Andrew Jackson was the general, with only twelve hundred men and was in charge of the defence of New Orleans. The film recreates the war, the battle for New Orleans and the atmosphere of the period. (The film’s action takes place thirty-five years after the Declaration of Independence from Britain.

Quinn directs in the Cecil B. de Mille grandiose style for a lavish adventure epic.

1. An entertaining adventure story? Merely adventure? Something more substantial about American history?

2. A strong film, the old-fashioned Cecil B. de Mille spectacular style, gesturing theatricality, dialogue and acting? Is this important or not?

3. Does the film throw genuine light on the historical period it deals with? De Mille’s own prologue setting the tone?

4. The situation between America and Britain at the period? The aftermath of the War of Independence? Who was the aggressor? Did the film give a fair presentation of both Americans and British?

5. How did the pirate, Jean Lafitte, fit into the situation? Why did these men become pirates? Why did society tolerate the pirates?

6. The film’s stances about loyalty?

7. The significance of the main characters:
(i) Jean Lafitte: convincing pirate, convincing patriot, his
motivations, ambitions, his love for Bonnie? Why did he help
Jackson? Why did he accept the humiliation and separation at
the end?
(ii) Annette, daughter of the governor, the class she came from, her
love, her loyalty, final suffering?
(iii) Bonnie as a pirate, her father, her love for Lafitte, her cruelty?
(iv) Dominique You: a Napoleonic fraud, why a pirate, loyalty to
Lafitte?
(v) The governor and his dilemmas?

8. The role of Andrew Jackson, his heroism, Charlton Heston heroics compared with those of Yul Brynner? The backwoods hero, the strategist, the respected man of his word?

9. The overall impact of the film, as action adventure, as a piece of Americana?