THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE

US, 1984,121 minutes, Colour.
Eric Roberts, Geraldine Page, Mickey Rourke, Daryl Hannah, Kenneth Mc Millan, Burt Young, M. Emmet Walsh, Tony Musante.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg.

The Pope of Greenwich Village is a slice of New York life, two young men with dreams and ambitions, caught up in crime and self-destructive moves. Mickey Rourke, earlier in his career, showed the smooth style and skill in acting which he showed in later films.

Roberts had made comparatively few films, and showed also an idiosyncratic style in acting. The cast is strong and includes Daryl Hannah as the girlfriend, Geraldine Page in an Oscar-nominated role as a detective's mother, Kenneth Mc Millan as a safebreaker and Burt Young as a Mafia type.

The film was made in the streets of Greenwich Village and has an authentic atmosphere. It is based on a novel by Vincent Patrick, who wrote the screenplay. There is a use of Frank Sinatra's 'Summer Wind' and a score by Dave Grusin). Direction is by Stuart Rosenberg, who has made a range of films from Cool Hand Luke, Pocket Money, Hall of Mirrors.

1. A piece of Americana, New York life, impact for American audiences, nonAmericans?

2. The use of the city atmosphere and locations, the feel and look of Greenwich Village? The style of life, range of characters and incidents? Musical score and themes? Frank Sinatra's 'Summer Wind'? The Italian and Irish background of the village?

3. The mean streets, the way of life, good and bad, ambitions and dreams, power and violence, corruption? The serious and the touches of the comic?

4. The portrait of Charlie: dressing to Frank Sinatra's song, work at the restaurant, relationship with the customers, his dreams, the money, bets, Paulie, being sacked? The background of his family, his ex-wife, the boy, the pigeons? His relationship with Diane and her Anglo- Saxon background? The aerobics class, at home, the discussions about pregnancy? His love for Diane, her expectations? The influence of Paulie, company, affection, the plan, visiting Barney? The money and visiting the restaurant with Diane, the possibility of achievement? Barney, the execution of the robbery, nervousness, the detective's death, his concern about the death, the escape, the aftermath? His decision to help Barney with the money? Going to the races? Diane and her straight talk to him, leaving, his drinking? Ex-wife and son? Paulie and the mutilation, helping him, the decision to go to Bed Bug, threatening him with the tape? The finale after Bed Bug's death, with Paulie - what possibilities?

5. Paulie as his cousin, his appearance and concern about it, waiting tables, money deals, talk and dreams, the racehorse, Charlie getting sacked? The plan and going to Barney? His talking too much, Bed Bug? The robbery, his attitude towards the death, towards the money? Talking, Pete and his interrogation at the racecourse? His lack of concern about Barney? Going to the races, the mutilation? Charlie's help, telling him that. he had revealed names? His killing Paulie without qualm? Walking off with Charlie? To what?

6. Diane as attractive, the WASP style, aerobics, living with Charlie, wanting a child, understanding of his hopes, the visit to the restaurant, basic honesty, telling him plainly about himself, going?

7. The Mafia types, sitting in the restaurants, exercising their power? Bed Bug and his contacts, with the detective? Pete and the members of the gang, interrogations, mutilations? The races? Wanting information about robberies? The police tapes?

8. Mrs Ritter and her relationship with Walter, love for him, manner of talking, drinking and smoking, tough? His death, being interviewed by the police, her offhand manner, her talk about her brother the priest, her son's piety, threatening to go to the media?

9. The police, styles, investigation, Walter, the tape for his security, his death?

10. Barney, his age, his eyes, experience, eating junk food, planning the job and his wife's looking in, the doing of the job, his rationale even though Walter was dead, having to leave the city, the farewell to his wife?

11. Portrait of New York? New Yorkers? A particular lifestyle?

PETE 'N' TILLIE

US, 1972, 100 minutes, Colour.
Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett, Geraldine Page, Barry Nelson, Rene Auberjonois.
Directed by Martin Ritt.

Pete 'N’ Tillie is something of a change of pace for director Martin Ritt, who has been particularly successful with dramas with social implications, including A Man is Ten Feet Tall; Hud ; Spy Who Cam in From the Cold; Hombre; The Molly Maguires; Sounder (which received Oscar nominations in 1972). Here he tries his hand with comedy. Some of it, especially in the first half is very witty and funny. Later it becomes broader, but, in the meantime, the film has moved from comedy to human drama where Ritt is best.

The film is a rather wry look at a somewhat unlikely marriage, its ups and downs and the effect on the lives of Pete and Tillie. As such, it is worth seeing and offers thoughtful entertainment as well. Walter Matthau excels at this kind of performance. Carol Burnett, in one of her few films, acts well and convincingly. Geraldine Page, always a striking actress, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

1. The significance of the title, and the names of the persons concerned?

2. Was this a successful comedy film reflecting the 60s and 70s in the U.S.? Was it a significant film with a message? How did the director move the film from comedy to serious considerations? What techniques did he use?

3. Comment on the creation of atmosphere at the initial party, the matchmaking, the dating of Pete and Tillie, honeymoon and then the marriage. How did this engage audience interest and response?

4. Trace the development of the character and personality of Tillie to illustrate the themes of the film. A middle-aged woman, marriage, adultery of her husband, death of her son, loneliness, reconciliation. How well did Carol Burnett portray Tillie?

5. Trace the character of Pete - as a salesman, ideas, middle-aged man, marriage, infidelity, loneliness, as a type with wry comments. What did Walter Matthau add to the portrayal of Pete?

6. How well did the film explore the reality of relationships, successes and failures? The need for self-sacrifice and
depth?

7. What insights into the reality of marriage did the film give through Pete and Tillie and their son? The echo of Gertrude and her husband? The interior decorator?

8. Gertrude as a character and her importance in the film? As merely comic relief, social satire? Satire on the typical woman, her contrast with Tillie, her foibles? The fight with Tillie at the end?

9. The interior decorator - his purpose in the film, comedy, genuine feeling for Tillie? Importance of the sequence where he decides to propose? Bow moving was this?

10. What insights into human nature and behaviour did the film give? e.g. in the character of Tillie: Tillie in herself, as a person, response to Pete, her not being overwhelmed but interested? Allowing herself to be interested, allowing herself to be persuaded by Gertrude. The lovemaking: the reasons for her entering this affair - what was she seeking? Did she know the truth of the matter and Pete's character? The incident with the bobby-pin? Her wanting to marry Pete and the marriage itself? How happy was the marriage? What did the marriage do for her, how did it change her? The joy of the son? The reality of Pete carrying on with the secretaries: The importance of the sequence when Tillie confronts the secretary? The sorrow of the illness of her son, his death? The impact of the blasphemy sequence - was it marred by her immediate repentance? Her refusal to commit adultery with Gertrude's husband? Her loneliness, the separation from Pete, her life in the institution, the proposal from her friend; the fight with Gertrude, the means of reconciliation with Pete? How had she changed during the film? For the better? Could she face love at the end of the film?

PERFORMANCE

UK, 1970, 90 minutes, Colour.
James Fox, Mick Jagger.
Directed by Nicolas Roeg, Donald Cammell.

Performance is not an attractive film.. In many ways it is quite repellent, and yet, in its vivid portrayal of an evil atmosphere, it has its own fascination. As a modern parable of good and evil, it could be quite powerful.

The name of the film itself indicates that we are dealing with something contrived, performances as distinct from reality. This is borne out in the film with the contrast between a cruel gangster and a retired pop star and their power struggle. James Fox acted in a film with a similar kind of meaning - The Servant - by Joseph Losey and Harold Pinter. Mick Jagger is convincing in his role and makes one ask whether this is close to his own experience. The film is directed by Nicolas Roeg, the photographer who also made the striking films -Walkabout and Don't Look Now and by Donald Cammell (Demon Seed).

1. The meaning of the title? Who was performing? Appearances versus reality, truth, falsehood? How relevant were these ideas to the dramatic unfolding of the film?

2. How did the film rely on techniques of photography in the creation of its atmosphere?

3. The overall impact of the film is of its ugliness. What value is there in exploration of reality through ugliness? Is this what happens here?

4. What standards did the film show of good, evil, morality?

5. What kind of person was Chas - a typical spiv of the London streets, pride in his profession, performing his jobs, relationship to his bosses? Even though he was evil, was he meant to be portrayed as an Everyman, or not?

6. What impact did the shop bashing have on you, in your attitudes towards Chas and his world of violence?

7. The role of chance and fate in the film, in the life of Chas? Has he really a victim of fate?

8. How did the atmosphere of the film change when Chas went to the flat? What kind of world did Turner live in - enclosed, solitary, foetid, sensuous? Was he a symbol for strange values especially in relationship to Chas?

9. Yet, in this world a little girl entered quite normally. What was her role regarding truth, reality, appearances? Was this important for audience perspective?

10. What effect did Turner have on Chas - shock, immoral, or did he complement this with his own immorality?

11. Chas's sexual and sensual experience in this atmosphere? Was his relationship with Turner and the two girls unsatisfactory? How did Chas's life in this perverse world become a performance? Was he masked by the values of Turner's world?

12. How did Turner become a boss during the trip and Chas lose his will? How was this visually presented in alternating Turner with the gang bosses?

13. What was your reaction to the final betrayal of Chas, especially by his brother? Was the shooting of Chas inevitable? Was violence the only way of breaking out of this particular world? Why?

14. Were the two girls a reality, have their own personalities, or were they elusive shadows in the world of Chas? What was their purpose in the film? How much was Turner's world a charade set within unreality?

15. What insight into a particular period did this film give? Did the film have social values?

16. Visual technique: differing tones and styles of colour photography, angle shots, symbols (paraphernalia of the performance?). The visual ugliness of violence, weird sensuality; hallucination sequence; the charade behind a normal facade?

PENDULUM

US, 1969, 109 minutes, Colour.
George Peppard, Richard Kiley, Jean Seberg, Robert F. Lyons, Charles Mc Graw, Madeline Sherwood.
Directed by George Schaeffer.

Pendulum looks like another tough George Peppard film (P.J., House of Cards, The Executioner), but is better than this. A competent police-murder-thriller, it also opens up questions of law and order, permissiveness, capital punishment, guilt and innocence. The dialogue is meaty (almost preaching at times) and gives food for thought.

Peppard is tough as usual. Stage star Richard Kiley is good in a lawyer's role. Robert F. Lyons is a psychotic killer - variations on this theme by him can also be seen in the western Shootout; The Todd Killings.

1. What did the title mean?

2. What kind of policeman was Frank Matthews? What values did he have? What stance did he take on the law and order issues? Was he too strict, tough?

3. What kind of relationship did he have with his wife? How was this illustrated? What kind of woman was she? Whose fault was it that she was having an affair? Why was he so suspicious and hard?

4. Why was he on the Senate Committee on law and order? Why did he oppose Woodrow Wilson King?

5. What did the trial of Paul illustrate? Did the law have enough strength to control him? Why did Frank Matthews loathe him?

6. What did King think of Paul? What effect did it have on his ideas of law and order?

7. Did Paul's mother reveal what kind of boy he was?

8. Was the film's structure effective in its set-up for the murder of Adele and her lover, Paul's absence and Frank's return?

9. Who did you think committed the murder, Frank or Paul? Why?

10. Did Frank act suspiciously or normally after Adele's death? What should he have done? Why did he hire King? What were his fellow policemen's attitudes? Did they suspect him, give him the benefit of the doubt?

11. Did King conduct his investigations well?

12. Did Matthews do the right thing in escaping and confronting Paul? What did this confrontation reveal about them and about Paul's mother?

13. Once you had found out the truth and that Frank Matthews was innocent, how did your attitude change towards him, towards King, towards the police?

14. What comment did this film make on law, the letter of the law, strict justice, civil rights' attitudes, leniency? Was the film in favour of more power for the police or not? What was the meaning of the final dialogue?

15. Did the film offer answers or did it leave questions with the audience? What answers would you offer?

PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID

US, 1973,104 minutes, Colour.
James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Slim Pickens, Katy Jurado, Richard Jaeckel.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid comes after a long series of Peckinpah westerns. Unfortunately (as with Major Dundee) the studios cut over a quarter of an hour from the film. However, the resulting film is still very interesting. Peckinpah's westerns include - Ride the High Country; Major Dundee; The Wild Bunch; the Ballad of Cable Hogue; and the modern westerns - Junior Bonner; The Getaway; Straw Dogs.

The present film takes legend and explores the legend and the west it represents, especially a violent and lawless west. The style of the film is ballad-like. Bob Dylan's music fits into this pattern. James Coburn gives a good performance as Pat Garrett and Kris Kristofferson gives his easy-going film personality to Billy the Kid. The film centres on death and is quite fatalistic. This gives foreboding to Billy the Kid's death. Robert Taylor, Paul Newman and others have played Billy the Kid.

1. How did the title correspond to the central interest of the film? Was this an anti-western?

2. Comment on the use of birds and children in the film. Were they symbolic of the themes of the film?

3. Has the structure of the film effective - the meeting at the beginning and end and the chase?

4. How did Peckinpah explore the themes of law, order, frontier life and styles, violence, death, the fatalism of the cowboys, land and land-ownership?

5. Pat and Billy - the nature of their friendship, bonds of the past, experiences shared? Pat said that times were changing and they would have to change. How important was this theme? Why did Pat change and not Billy?

6. The impression of violence at the beginning of the film and the desperate nature of Pat chasing Billy? The deaths?

7. Billy - as a person, an outlaw, a killer, a typical man of the west in the 1880s? Did he have charm, was he likeable? His love for the Mexicans and horror at their death - decision to return? Realisation he would be shot? Billy in prison, being persecuted by his religious keeper? His friendship with Bell but shooting him? His escape - the people seemed to be sympathetic in some way, was the audience?

8. Why did Pat Garrett pursue Billy so relentlessly? Was it his job, convictions?

9. Mc Kinney as Garrett's deputy? What hold did Garrett have over Mc Kinney? Why did he help him in pursuing Billy?

10. Garrett - his attitudes to law and order, relationship to his friends, other cowboys, toughness, typical man of the west? Was he admirable?

11. Was Alias an important character in the film? what was his significance, his name? why was he fascinated by Billy? Why did he join him?

12. The nature of Billy's associates - typical western gunfighters? What values did they have?

13. The themes of the west - as a bleak picture, as the basis of modern America? The themes of betrayal, friendship, bleakness - do these give further insight into the nature of Americans?

14. How typical a Peckinpah film was this - use of colour, violence, music, artistic presentation? Has it entertaining? e.g. prologue, shooting competition, birds in the mounds, cock-fights, boy throwing rocks at Garrett; the old man, shot, dying fatalistically but with dignity?

PAPILLON

US, 1973, 150 minutes, Colour.
Steve Mc Queen, Dustin Hoffman, Don Gordon, Victor Jory, Anthony Zerbe.
Directed by Franklin Schaffner.

The novel of Papillon has gained a wide readership in recent years. It was only to be expected that it should be filmed and given the big-budget treatment, with stars like Steve Mc Queen and Dustin Hoffman and a Director like Franklin Schaffner (whose two previous films were – Patton, Nicholas and Alexandra).

Many readers of the novel were not satisfied with the film as it compressed too much detail of the book. Some filmgoers who have not read the book found the film too episodic. They felt that the film, despite its two and a half hours length, contained too much. This seems to indicate that Papillon is a good example for discussion of the relative merits of films and books. However, despite its length or incompleteness, the film contains a vast story of an innocent man condemned to the horrors of a tropical prison, of cruelty and inhumanity, of friendship, of the desperate drive for survival, of escape and yearning for freedom. This is all eminently worthwhile, and the film offers plenty of illustration of these themes. Prison films challenge audiences in an area which we all hold dear - freedom and independence, and the effect of prison on man. What of solitary confinement - for one day, one month, one year, many years? Papillon is an adventure, but more important it is about the confinement and freedom of man.

1. The symbolic significance of the title and the butterfly? Its use in the film as a motif, the overtones of freedom, flight, escape?

2. Was this meant to be an entertaining adventure, or to teach a message?

3. What was your overall impression of prison life and its effect on people? Contrast between the beginning and the end? Papillon still wanting to escape? How inhuman and cruel are prisons?

4. How deep was the sense of humanity in the making of this film? Did the film exploit violence and suffering, or did it give an insight into its effect on human nature? What sequences best illustrate this?

5. Your first impressions of Papillon - in the procession at the beginning of the film? His protestations of innocence, desperate yearning for survival? His relationship with Dega? Protection moving towards friendship? Was he meant, in some way, to be an Everyman?


6. Comment on the emotional impact of the voyage out to French Guyana. Was it too violent, gory, too spasmodic in its sequences, or did it make a deep impression about prisoners, cruelty and exploitation, authorities and victims? Comment on Papillon and Dega within this framework.

7. Dega - the fact that he was guilty, a weak little man with glasses? Did he evoke sympathy in Papillon or was he merely being used? Why did he accept Papillon's protection and what bond was created between them?

8. The impression given in the film of French Guiana, especially the prisoners arrival and the: Governor's speech against the background of the guillotine? Prisoners living quarters, work situations and the swamps with the crocodiles?

9. How symbolic was the catching of the butterflies? How well did Papillon arrange his escape and why did he defend Dega?

10. Were you shocked at Papillon's betrayal? Did this indicate man's exploitation of man and his cruelty and lack of
feeling?

11. Papillon's solitary confinement? How well filmed were these sequences? The symbolism of his dream about the past, injustice, fantasy of happiness, dream of death? How important was this in revealing some of the inner depths of Papillon? Should they have been shown earlier in the film?

12. Did the film need an intermission? Why? Was it effectively placed?

13. How did the film indicate the emergence of Papillon from solitary confinement as an achievement? The calmness of infirmary life afterwards? Why was he still determined to escape? Did his continual planning become an obsession? Comment on the character of Clusiot and his help?

14. How had Dega been transformed by this time? Sense of being owned; peaceful existence but lack of independence?

15. How exciting was the next escape - background of the concert, split second precision and failures? Was there any alternative to leaving Clusiot? How did Dega hamper the escape? Did you feel there would be a new betrayal?

16. Was the sequence with the lepers important dramatically and did it add to the horrors of this part of the world? The importance of the chase? Did Papillon have any choice but to leave Dega? Comment on the emotional effect where Papillon and the other convict were chased by head-hunters.

17. Sequence with the Indians - their truce and then treachery with the Arab? The tattooing of the butterfly on the Indian chief?

18. Sequence with the nuns, betrayal of the superior? Did she have any choice when faced with the convict?

19. The passing of five years in solitary. Did the film convey this effectively? Had this broken Papillon's spirit - had he aged? Do you think he felt a certain peace on being relegated to Devil's Island?

20. What had happened to Dega during this time? Had imprisonment broken him? Was there still some bond between Papillon and Dega?

21. Why was Papillon still obsessed with escaping although it seemed impossible? Was the final escape plausible? Why did Dega stay behind?

22. What did this obsession about freedom show about the human spirit? Did the film show insight into man's drive to live and be free? Comment on the contrast between Papillon and Dega in their will for freedom.

23. Would you say this film was -good, excellent, solemn, valuable? Why?

PANIC IN YEAR ZERO

US, 1962, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, Frankie Avalon.
Directed by Ray Milland.

Panic in Year Zero was a small-budget film produced at the time of the more serious nuclear scares in the 1960s. It appeared about the time of Berlin, Cuba, the Bay of Pigs, the time When people were reading Failsafe and Seven Days in May. The film versions of these novels were to appear in a year or two to frighten people. Dr Strangelove was soon to be released.

Panic in Year Zero is quite successful in its attempt to frighten and warn. The film concerns a family going on holiday from Los Angeles who are caught in the fear and lawlessness following the nuclear bombing of Los Angeles. They fight to survive and find themselves acting violently in ways they never expected. Their plight and struggle with thugs is a small mirror of what might happen to any family. Ray Milland directed the film, fairly unpretentious science-fiction. (Cornel Wilde's 1970 film - No Blade of Grass - tells practically the same story but about pollution. However, Wilde's film is not as good as Ray Milland's).

1. How convincing did you find the opening of the film - the family situation, holiday preparations, then the unexpected explosion, followed by difficulties in radio transmission, telephone connections etc? If a bomb were dropped do you think most people would find themselves in such situations or would they be prepared?

2. What did you expect to happen when communications broke down? Order became chaos, people robbed and ran. Do you think this would happen?

3. What would you have done in such a situation? Was it wise to buy groceries in quantity, to buy ammunition? Do you think you would react like Rick?

4. Did the father do the right thing in trying to protect his family at all costs - e.g. burning his way across the highway?

5. Discuss the lowering of civilisation as they burned their food, lived in caves, became suspicious of neighbours.

6. The rape of the daughter - was this to be expected? Your reaction to the father killing the rapist in cold blood?

7. The army and police seemed to be trying to control the situation. Should they have had primary responsibility?

8. The film says 'The End' and 'The Beginning'. What was its message about mankind and human nature in times of stress and panic? Did you find the film frightening? Convincing? A fair assessment of what might happen?

A PLACE IN THE SUN

US, 1952, 120 minutes, Black and white.
Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Revere Keefe Brasselle, Fred Clark, Raymond Burr.
Directed by George Stevens.

A Place in the Sun is based on Theodore Dreiser's novel, An American Tragedy, and this is what it is meant to be. It takes a fairly trite, basic story that could happen anywhere and uses it to convey something of the American character in the first part of this century. Montgomery Clift plays the callow American hero, the nice guy whose feelings are at surface level, who can love others but has the American ambition of success. A pregnant girl stands between him and success, prestige and a wealthy bride - a full place in the sun. He has murder in his heart and is guilty even if he did not deliberately set out to engineer the girl's death.

Shelley Winters is the factory girl and Elizabeth Taylor the socialite. They both give good performances - at that time they were both young, Elizabeth Taylor about nineteen. George Stevens (who also directed Elizabeth Taylor in Giant – 1956, The Only Game in Town - 1970) also directed the films - Shane; The Greatest Story Ever Told. A Place in the Sun looks slightly dated now but its issues will probably always be relevant.

1. What is the meaning of the title, how ironic is it? How American?

2. The title of Dreiser's novel, on which the film is based, is - An American Tragedy. Do you think this sums up the significance of the film?

3. Although the novel was written in the 1920s and filmed in the 30s and 50s, do you think it provides a pattern for a contemporary American tragedy or has society, young men's behaviour and ambitions changed?

4. What were George Eastman's origins and why was he so ambitious? How did the film convey his ambitions - by his face, the road, the Eastman hoarding? Did he resent his rich relatives?

5. Was he a pusher, an intruder, an outsider? Did he have any sincere feelings or was he too deceitful, callow and superficial?

6. Why did he take up with Alice? Did he love her? Your impression of Alice? Was she a typical victim?

7. Angela - was she spoilt? Did she love George?

8. What were George's conflicts and how important were they to him? What did he really want? Why was he not popular?

9. Was he cruel to Alice? Did he intend to kill her when they went boating, or did he try to save her? Did he have 'murder in his heart'?

10. Was the trial a fair one? Why?

11. How did Angela regard George after Alice's death? How should she have reacted?

12. Looking back over George's career, what led him to the disastrous end of his ambitions? Who or what were to blame or did he have only himself to blame?

13. Was this just a melodrama or a significant social drama?

PRIME CUT

US, 1972, 88 minutes, Colour.
Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, Sissy Spacek, Angel Tompkins, Gregory Walcott.
Directed by Michael Ritchie.

A very well-made gangster thriller, but a very ugly portrayal of violence. It has the advantage of having Lee Marvin pitted against Gene Hackman for the melodramatics and the clashes. Sissy Spacek, who was to achieve such success in films like Carrie and Three Women, has a small telling role. Direction is by Michael Ritchie, who has focused on some of the bizarre aspects of the American temperament and ethos, from comedy and satire in the area of sport, for example Downhill Racer, The Candidate, Smile, The Bad News Bears, Semi Tough. This is a well-made but unappealing film.

1. The meaning of the title? How interesting a film was this, how enjoyable? How attractive? Or was it too repulsive?

2. The impact of the credit sequences for the tone of the film, the process of making sausages? Significance of this?

3. The personalities of the people involved in the film? Any attractive ones? Or the repellent aspects of humanity? Gangsters? What tone did this give the film?

4. The Kansas versus the Chicago gangsters - in style, old fashioned versus new fashion, the whole thing as a commentary on the modern U.S.? How valid? How well filmed?

5. The sausage message and the effect in Chicago?

6. Nick Devlin - as a gangster, as a person, as willing to be hired out, what values did he have? His relationship to the young Irish murderer? The sequence of his leaving home? The relationship with the other gangsters?

7. The significance of the ride to Kansas - as a technique in the film of moving from one place to another, a journey and its revelation of characters?

8. The impact of Mary Annette's sale, the location, the manner of the people there, respectability and vice, the prostitutes and the cattle, the drugs, Mary Anne's giving people what they want: dope and flesh?

9. The character and personality of Mary Anne? How do you explain a person like Mary Anne? His power? The symbolism of his eating guts?

10. The importance of the confrontation of the two gangsters? how interesting in itself, how repulsive? When the two were compared who was worse? Why?

11. The drugged girls ? Poppy: done up as a mole, how did she get there, was she a victim?

12. The visit to the dive and the thugs, the fights and the drugging of Daisy? How important for the film?

13. The sequence of the fair, how well done in itself? Nick Devlin and the milk? Mary Anne and his importance at the fair? Clarabelle?

14. How well done were the shootings and the chases at the fair? The chase through the fields with Poppy? The car and the thresher?

15. The personality of Clarabelle, what explains a person like Clarabelle? Her stances, her values? Clarabelle and the yacht?

16. The final showdown? How effectively filmed? What was your reaction to the persons and to the story by this time?

17. The freeing of the orphans - the significance of this? Was it a touch of sentimentality in a brutal film?

18. What values did this film explore? What stances and attitudes? How did it use the gangster style and content to explore these values and stances? Did it show insight into the gangster world?

PORTRAIT IN BLACK

US, 1960, 113 minutes, Colour.
Lana Turner, Anthony Quinn, Sandra Dee, John Saxon, Lloyd Nolan, Richard Basehart, Ray Walston.
Directed by Michael Gordon.

Portrait in Black is an entertaining glossy thriller, produced by Ross Hunter, famous at Universal for his plush touch and the appeal of his films, especially to a female audience of the 50s and 60s. It was a Lana Turner vehicle, teamed with an unlikely Anthony Quinn. It came from a period in Lana Turner's career where she specialised in this kind of soap-opera melodrama, like Imitation of Life. It is enjoyable raising questions of guilt and responsibility.

1. The overtones of the title and the illustration during the credits?

2. Was this too much of a melodrama? How plausible was the story? Was it made up of stock ingredients of melodrama? Were the situations and the characters and their behaviour somewhat cliched? Even if they are cliches, does this matter? Why?

3. Was this an entertaining film? To whom was it directed? Why are films like this enjoyable to watch? Where was audience sympathy? Why are audiences interested in this kind of family and behaviour? Is there anything wrong with this?

4. Why did Sheila and Doctor Rivera decide to commit murder? What motivated them? Were you in sympathy with their love before their decision to commit murder? Why? Did you disapprove of their behaviour from the beginning?

5. What kind of person was Sheila Cabot? Why had she married an older man? How did she feel in this family? Her relationship to Peter? Why had she fallen in love with Doctor Rivera? Her tactics to avoid suspicion? Kathy's dislike of her? Doctor Rivera as a sympathetic person? Was he likeable? His ambitions for study and doing good? His dilemma in trying to give up Sheila?

6. What kind of a person was Matthew Cabot? How unlikeable? How murderable? Did the film make this point strongly?

7. Howard Mason? how villainous, how murderable? Why was audience sympathy against him? How cruel and ruthless was he? Did he deserve to be murdered?

8. Did the romantic sub-plot add anything to the film - as regards young romance, the working in of the dockside story to the main plot? Blake Richards as a stereotyped hero? And victim for police suspicion? Miss Lee's intervention to tell the truth?

9. How entertaining were the melodramatics of Howard Mason's murder and the disposal of his body, especially when Sheila couldn't drive? Why did they both break down? Why were they so afraid? What did this do for their love for each other?

10. The plausibility of Peter's hearing the shot, and his telling Kathy? Was the ending too melodramatic, on the rooftop?

11. What was the overall impact of the film - any insight into values? Human behaviour? or just sheer entertainment?