SEVEN DAYS IN MAY

US, 1964, 118 minutes, Black and white.
Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Frederic March, Ava Gardner, Edmond O' Brien, Martin Balsam, George Macready, Hugh Marlowe.
Directed by John Frankenheimer.

Seven Days in May still has quite some impact and must have been quite strong on its first release in the mid 1960's. It deals with the tensions of a nuclear situation and the tensions of a right-wing, anti-leftist military coup. By now we have seen many films dealing with this theme, especially since the late 60's when the era of the 1930's and the Fascist history of Europe interested film-makers.

Seven Days in May was a best-seller along with Failsafe and both were filmed at the same time. Failsafe, considers the human element of mistake in a tense anti-communist atmosphere. Seven Days in May, like Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate, focuses on the atmosphere within the armed forces and in American society. While this serious exploration was going on - so soon after Cuba 1962 and the Bay of Pigs - Dr. Strangelove was being made by Stanley Kubrick, and the satire and parody element was being introduced into films critical of war; a trend which led to Catch 22, and M*A*S*H.

John Frankenheimer made several significant films in the early 60's of which this is one. It is also one of five he made with Burt Lancaster (including -Birdman of Alcatraz; The Train; The Gypsy Moths). Later Frankenheimer turned his attention to man's exertions and testing through strength and age - from Grand Prix onwards. Seven Days in May works well as a political suspense thriller with depth.

1. Discuss the impact of the title and the seven day structure of the film. What techniques were used for creating atmosphere during the film?

2. Was the story of this film plausible?

3. What picture of the United States did the film give? Was it accurate? What was the importance of patriotism in this film and what meanings did it have?

4. What kind of person was Jiggs Casey and what poj.nt of view and ideology did he represent? How were the audience meant to identify with him? Did you agree with his ideas?

5. what ideology did Scott represent? Did you agree with his ideas? Did you feel sorry for him when his conspiracy was stopped?

6. What kind of person was the President? Did he appear as a good President? How shrewd was he in dealing with the situation? What alternatives did he have? Should he have followed the advice of his secretary?

7. Comment on the presentation of the rightist military men. How were small scenes indicative of their attitudes and beliefs?

8. What was the importance of Ellie as a character in the film?

9. How effective was the conclusion?

10. List the major themes of the film and evaluate the success of the film's treatment of them.

11. Comment on specific sequences: the audience seeing conspiracy through Jiggs' eyes; the details of the Ecomcon plan and the ideologies behind it; Scott's playing God and his T.V. appearance; the advice of Paul Gerard and his visit to Gibraltar, his death; Ellie and the letters; Ray Clark and the El Paso cafe, imprisonment at the base; the President's decision about the letters; his final speech and its themes; the 'Judas' confrontation between Jiggs and Scott.

SEPARATE TABLES

UK, 1958, 115 minutes, Black and white.
David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, Wendy Hiller, Gladys Cooper, Felix Aylmer, Catherine Nesbitt, Rod Taylor, Audrey Dalton.
Directed by Delbert Mann.

Separate Tables originally consisted of two short plays for one programme in which the principal actor and actress took the main roles in each play. This aspect has disappeared from the film version and the two stories are interwoven. The film is somewhat typical Terence Rattigan material - a kind of drawing room drama with some powerful dramatic moments. The acting carries the film and makes up for what it lacks in structure.

Deborah Kerr gives another of her excellent, nervous character portrayals. David Niven, in the part that suits his style very well, is quite moving. He won the Oscar for this performance, as did Wendy Hiller for her role as the proprietress of the hotel. In contrast Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth look and sound like people from another world. In support Gladys Cooper is excellent. Separate Tables is engrossing and, sometimes, moving, with some incisive comment on human behaviour.

1. What are the implications of the title? Did the song add or detract?

2. The film was based on a play: was this evident? Were the two stories successfully interwoven? Did their conflicts and resolutions parallel one another in any way?

3. How well did the film communicate fear, love, hate, suspicion? Were these important themes for the film? How?

4. Comment on the special characteristics and contribution to the plot of the film of - Sybil, Mrs. Railton -Bell, the Major, John Malcolm, Anne, Pat Cooper, Lady Matheson, Mr. Fowler, Miss Meecham.

5. In having the group of people in the hotel did the film show a microcosm of the world?

6. Was the sub-plot of Charles and Jean important for the film?

7. Did the film show real insight into human nature? Were these particular individuals in the English hotel representative of human beings everywhere? Why?

8. Sybil: as a person, as a woman, her immaturity, her inferiority, her being subdued by her mother, her fears? How were these illustrated by the film? Convincingly? Did she belong to this kind of Bournemouth hotel? Why did she like the Major? How did she react to the news about the Major? Why did it have such a deep effect? How did this change her? How was she unable previously to break from her mother?

9. Mrs Railton -Bell: how typical of this kind of woman? Was she a cruel woman? How self opinionated? How selfish? Why did she treat Sybil as she did? Why was she frustrated? Her friendship with and domination of Lady Matheson? Her attitude towards others in the Hotel? The way that she revealed the truth about the Major? Where was audience sympathy here? What motivated her to lead the group against the Major? How was she shocked when Sybil refused to obey her? Did she get what she deserved?

10. The Major: did his explanation of his background, his fears, his career make sense? Was he a man to be pitied? What was the audience attitude towards him? Towards his bluff lies? His poses? His bad behaviour? Did he deserve the contempt of Mrs. Railton -Bell and the others? Why was he made a victim? Why did he merit sympathy from Pat and the others? His relation to Sybil? His not wanting to hurt her? His attempts to get somewhere else to live? His response to peoples' "good morning" to him?

11. The relationship between Sybil and the Major - was the Major right in saying they were alike? Why was Sybil afraid of this? How well did they communicate with each other? Why? Would their friendship go any deeper after the ending of the film? Why?

12. How was the rebuke of Mrs. Railton-Bell? a climax to the themes of the film? Was it handled well dramatically?

13. What kind of a person was John Malcolm? Why was he at this Hotel? Was he a failure? Why had his marriage to Anne failed? How dependent was he on Pat? Did he love her? What effect did Anne have on him when she was physically present? Did she make him feel inferior? A class and social question? What was the effect of Anne's visit and his intervention in the Major's situation? Did he find out some truth about himself? About Anne? Did they have any future together?

14. Anne: what kind of a person was she? Did she immediately gain audience sympathy? Why? Her being at once drawn into the Major's scandal? What was her attitude towards John? why was she trying to win him back? Did you suspect her motives? Was the truth about her poor image of herself convincing? Why did she depend on John?

15. The inter-relation between the two - what insight did it give into human love, hate, fears? What effect did they have on one another? destructive, constructive?

16. The role of Pat Cooper in the film - as the manager of the Hotel, and therefore some kind of objective comment on each of the characters? As a person, involved with John Malcolm? Was she a tough kind of woman, a sympathetic woman? Her ability to take John's rejection of her, her willingness to help Anne? Her sympathy for the Major? How admirable an ordinary woman was she?

17. Lady Matheson - what did she contribute to the plot, her relationship with Mrs. Railton -Bell, with Sybil? Her breaking free at the end?

18. Mr Fowler - what did he represent? His continual waiting for a past pupil to come to see him? His comments on Mrs. Railton-Bell's campaign - his disapproval of her, but his following her? Why did he change in sympathy for the Major?

19. Miss Meecham - plain common sense, strength of character eccentricity?

20. The importance of the "good morning" to the Major at the end? How did you feel when people were sympathetic towards the Major?

SCARECROW

US, 1973, 114 minutes, Colour.
Gene Hackman, Al Pacino.
Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.

Scarecrow won the prize for Best Film at the 1973 Cannes Festival and has been generally acclaimed critically. The film has been compared to Midnight Cowboy and Of Mice and Men in its treatment of the themes of friendship, dependence and protection. This is true. It has some advantage in theme over these two films because Max and Lion in this film are much closer to ordinary human beings than Joe and Rico in the New York gutter, or the retarded Lenny protected by George in Steinbeck's story. Again, the former film ended with death. Scarecrow does not. Whilst it is grim in its conclusion, it is certainly not \without hope.

Scarecrow is also a version of the American dream 1970s style. The narrative takes us across half of America and treats us to the optimistic ambitions of the ordinary man that, somehow or other, always seem to elude his grasp. Again, the conclusion is not altogether pessimistic. In fact, it is very strong on human values, generosity and self-sacrifice. Gene Hackman gives, possibly, his best performance. Al Pacino is also excellent in a role completely different from his Michael in The Godfather or his Serpico. This is altogether a fine film which has much to offer.

1. How did the film explain its title? Who was the scarecrow?

2. what were your impressions from the opening sequence - the road, the
countryside. Max and Lion in themselves, hitch-hiking? What brought them together?

3. How much did the success of the film depend on the audience liking and accepting Max and Lion? Why?

4. How ordinary were they as characters? How easy were they to identify with?

5. What kind of man was Max - by his own account?

6. What kind of man was Lion - by his own account?

7. Did your impression of Max and Lion coincide with their accounts of themselves?

8. How did they relate to each other? How did they change each other – such episodes as breakfast in the cafe, the lifts, odd jobs, fights, night out with the prostitutes?

9. What impact did Max's visit to Coley make in the film - human interest, revealing more about Max and Lion? Frenchie? Was it well acted?

10. Why couldn't Max settle down, even with Frenchie?

11. What was the importance of the prison sequence and its effect on them? Why did Max become sullen, hurt, selfish?

12. What was the effect of prison on Lion, especially his naivety about the homosexual prisoner and his running of things?

13. How sorry were you for Lion's wife and child, and her deadened life with the Banana King? Did she have the right to torment Lion with the death of the child? What effect did this have on Lion?

14. How satisfying was the ending - Max's devotion to Lion? The hope that Lion would recover?

15. What did the film have to offer on the themes of loneliness, companionship, protection, friendship and love? The American dream and its possibility and impossibility? Optimism and pessimism? Self-sacrifice? The importance of human beings?

16. Why did this film win the Best Film award at Cannes 1973?

17. Max: irresponsible, yet responsible; a hulking brute, yet soft; in prison; ambitious for his car-washing project - why did it have to be in Pittsburgh? The extent of his planning and saving, how real was his dream? His liking of Lion for giving him his last match? Why did he accept him as a friend and want to rely on him? Did he have a hope of fulfilling his dreams?

18. Lion: Why had he married? Left wife without seeing the child? His love in supporting it? His experience of the Navy? How naive, how shrewd? His humour? His philosophy of the scarecrow? Why did he like Max and agree to his plans? But how important was his plan to visit Detroit? How had he grown up through his experience in the Navy?

19. The enjoyment of the birthday party? Showing what life could have been like for Max. Why did he fight? Why did he want to fight?

20. Max working with the pigs, but his immediate response to Lion in trouble?

21. Sow much courage had it taken Lion to ring his wife? His visit to the Church? The lasting effect on Lion? His being physically and psychologically stunned? His longing for children? The sadness of the fountain episode and his catatonic state?

22. How did Max change - symbolised by his repeating of the scarecrow theme and making people laugh by his striptease? How human had he become?

SAVE THE TIGER

US, 1973, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heinneman.
Directed by John G. Avildsen.

Save the Tiger is the film for which Jack Lemmon won an Oscar for Best Actor of the Year. While it received very good reviews, the film was considered not commercial enough for Australia and the prints were to be returned to America. However when Lemmon won the Oscar the film was released to very successful business.

The film is a well made look at a day and a half in the life of an average, ageing American businessman. As might be guessed, the film does not take a very optimistic view of its hem or of life. However, it portrays a typical enough character with insight and some compassion as he tries to cope with the present and assimilates his past.

Jack Lemmon's performance is very good. Audiences are so used to seeing him in comedy roles. He won an Oscar in 1955 for - Mr. Roberts - and has appeared in such comedies as - Some Like it Hot; Irma La Douce; The Great Race. He has also appeared in - The Apartment; and as an alcoholic in the sombre - Days of Wine and Roses. He is a very versatile actor.

1. What was the meaning of the title?

2. How did the film depend on Jack Lemmon's performance as Harry Steiner?

3. Comment on the progress of our insight into his character - his initial dreams and waking, impressions of him at home, relationship with his wife, age and mannerisms, his wife insisting that he see the doctor. Harry at work, relationship with Phil, money problems and temptation for fraud. Playing host to people he loathed. Plans with the arsonist, preparations for the show, then his breakdown speech and its impact. Memories of Capri and the people who'd died there, its influence on his life thirty years later. The meaning of his conversation with the old dressmaker, finding Myra at the end of the day, spending the time together. Myra giving him the opportunity to analyse his life (how much truth did he tell?). Finalising the fraud, the finale?

4. How is this a summary of his whole life even though this film comprised only a day and a half?

5. How accurate a picture was this of the American way of life?

6. What comments did Harry make during the film to show that he stood for modern disillusioned America? Was this a valuable film with insight?

7. Was it too cynical, without enough hope for the future? Why? What kind of man was Phil? Did he understand Harry? His moral scruples? Why did he go along with Harry? Did he escape into his fishing? The importance of Myra in the film - younger, her moral standards, her riding up and down the streets, her frankness, her relationship with Harry, her enabling him to talk out aloud? Comment on Harry and his relationship to the people at work. To the dress designer, to the dressmaker, to the lady-in-charge?

8. In its insight into Harry Steiner, how did the film show something of the meaning of modern man: his good points, his bad points, the fact that modern man is so often out of date, living in the past, trapped in the present, almost without hope for the future? Modern man's effort simply to keep going to try to survive good and bad? Is this an accurate picture of an average man's being trapped in the rat race?

SUNDAYS AND CYBELE (LES DIMANCHES DE VILLE D’AVRAY)

France, 1962, 110 minutes, Black and white.
Hardy Kruger, Patricia Gozzi, Nicole Coucel.
Directed by Serge Bourguignon.

Sunday and Cybele won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Film of 1962. Its emotional story was appealing at the time - later critics have been somewhat severe on it. It tells the story of a war pilot with guilt memories of his relationship during the war, meeting a twelve-year-old girl abandoned by her father in a convent school. The pilot pretends that he is the girl's father and .they enjoy their Sundays together. Complications of course occur and the audience responds very emotionally to the tender relationship of the man and little girl. The screenplay is by Serge Bourguignon and directed by him. (He was later to make the film The Reward in Hollywood,but did not succeed there.) The photography by Henri Decae is very attractive, stylish and the music is by Maurice Jarre (famous for his scores for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan's Daughter amongst many others.)

Hardy Kruger is an attractive hero but Patricia Gozzi is the focus of the film as Cybele. (She was to appear to effect in a similar kind of role in John Guillerman’s Rapture, 1965). An attractive emotional film.

1. The overtones of the title? Do they indicate the style of the film and its impact? The film had some impact in the early sixties. Do you think it would have the same impact now? Why?

2. How much did the film depend on its style? Black and white photography and wide screen? The continual trying for effect with the photography? The distortions and the frames of the screen, looking through this at St Mary's etc.? Was this well integrated into the film or did it distract?

3. What was the final message of the film? Was it an emotional message? How real was it? Why? Was the story meant to be real or symbolic? Was it sentimental?

4. The impact of the start? What it revealed about Pierre? The collage style of the memory? The frayed memory?

5. What did it reveal about Pierre? What effect did the war experience and the deaths have on him? What kind of person was he? What motivated his life? The need to atone? His relationship to Madeleine and his dependence on her? The limited world in which he lived? His work in the aviary? What future did he have? What did he need?

6. Why did he respond so quickly to the little girl? How well was Francoise presented? At first? The relationship with her father at the station? Going to the convent? Her relationship with the nuns? The symbolism of her name? The fact that she seemed psychic? Or did she relate well with Pierre? How happy was he in pretending to be her father?

7. What was the joy of the relationship? What effect did it have on each of them? Did it make each dependent on the other? Or did it give them a new stability in their lives? Pierre and his growing independence of Madeleine? And yet his growing calm? Which incidents showed best the happiness of the relationship between the two?

8. The symbolism of their bargain: her name at the weathercock? What bond did this create between them? What quest did it inaugurate? The character of Madeleine? How important was she in the film? What had she done for Pierre? What was she worried about him? How satisfied was she when she saw the games that the two played as children? The advice she got from Cados? Was it sound?

9. The character of Madeleine? How important was she in the film? What had she done for Pierre? What was she worried about him? How satisfied was she when she saw the games that the two played as children? The advice she got from Cados? Was it sound?

10. How did the film suggest the variations in the relationship? Francoise's jealousy as Pierre went to the wedding with Madeleine? The sequence of the merry go round? The potential hurt and the potential violence?

11. The final sequence? was it fatalistic? What peak had the French reached? The atmosphere of the stolen Christmas tree an a symbol for the fulfilling of the bargain? The significance of Francoise giving her name as Cybele (and the mythic overtones of this name)? Pierre's achievement in not having vertigo as he got the weathercock?

12. The irony of his death? Was it avoidable? Was it inevitable? Was it in some way an atonement of what had gone before?

13. The story was presented rather solemnly if not pretentiously. Was it merely a sentimental story and melodramatic or was it a drama of some significance? Why?

SEBASTIAN

UK, 1967, 90 minutes, Colour.
Dirk Bogarde, Susannah York, Lilli Palmer, John Gielgud. Nigel Davenport, Margaret Johnston, Janet Munro, Ronald Fraser, Donald Sutherland.
Directed by David Greene.

Sebastian is rather lightweight on the whole. It was made in the period of disillusion with spies and spying and uses that theme, one always worth discussing for the rest it is pleasant-comedy drama, the clash between mechanical man of habit and unpredictable, emotional girl, A very good cast takes supporting roles. David Greene's films include The Shuttered Room. The Strange Affair, Godspell.

1. Was this just a bright entertainment piece with a contemporary setting or did it have something to say?

2. How much did the film rely on breezing style and the personal charm of Dirk Bogarde and Susannah York?

3. What was the contribution to mood and tone of the computer-card credits and the bright musical score?

4. What was the significance of Sebastian's long Oxford run and his being called to work? What kind of man was Sebastian? Why did he do his job? Why did he live codes and puzzles? Was he a computer did he have any feelings, even in his programmed visits to Carol? the film take a stance critical of this aspect of Sebastian's life? How? How did Rebecca Howard contrast with Sebastian? How full of vitality was she, unconventional and unpredictable? Was her personality a rebuke to Sebastian - dancing, clothes, colours, her determination to catch Sebastian, re-decorating his rooms, her being put off by his impersonal way and his cracking her code?

7. Did they really fall in love with each other? What did Rebecca teach Sebastian? How did it alter his life?

8. What comment was made by the film about war and spying? the code room, the girls, their work (and method of hiring them), Miss Eliot and efficiency, Jamison and supervision, security and reporting the Director and his manoeuvring of people and knowing all their secrets, manipulating them, Elsa and her socialist loyalties, crises of conscience and leaking information?

9. Why did Sebastian resign over Elsa? Why did they let him go? Why did he blame Rebecca for manoeuvring this and running his life and career?

10. What kind of woman was Carol? (Sebastian's formal breaking of the liaison)? Her being used by spies?

11. How had Sebastian changed after his year at Oxford? How did he go back, allow himself to be persuaded? Why did the work intrigue him?

12. How serious did the film become when Sebastian's life was threatened? What comment did this make on spying? on the use of such means as LSD?

13. How interesting was the final job of decoding for the audience? Were you surprised to find the baby? Had it changed Rebecca? What was the effect on Sebastian?

15. How did the end - family and work - show what their future would be? What future would they have?

SHAME

Sweden, 1968, 103 minutes, Black and white.
Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Sigge Furst, Birgitta Valberg, Hans Alfredson, Ingvar Kjellson, Raymond Lundberg, Frank Sundstrom, Willy Peters.
Directed by Ingmar Bergman.

Shame is one of Ingmar Bergman'a many excellent films of the 60s. From the 50s to the early 60s he was preoccupied with explicitly religious themes from the experience of death in The Seventh Seal, ageing in Wild Strawberries through madness in Through a Glass Darkly, explicit religious themes in Winter Light , to the absence of God in The Silence. From the mid-60s, with Persona and its psychological exploration, Bergman’s interest moved into the wider world of contemporary society. War themes were present in Winter Light with the ordinary man terrified of the Chinese dropping a bomb. Vietnam and its atrocities are alluded to in television clips in Persona.

It was inevitable, perhaps, with the emphasis on nuclear apprehension in the 60s that Bergman would make a war film. With his regular cast of the time, Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann, he shows Swedish society confronted suddenly by war and their having to cope with it. His film does not rely on extraordinary alarms but her on ordinary people coping with uncertain situations. Bergman also works on the level of meaning and symbols by including a number of symbolic dreams.

While there is no really explicit reference to nuclear war, Bergman is clearly influenced by the discussions of the times and makes his contribution to understanding the effect of war on humanity.

1. The film as a Bergman film? His reputation, cinematic style, themes and insights?

2. Bergman and his view of war and anti-war? War as a social situation, its implications for people? The focus on people during occupation and invasion and the horror of an uncertain situation and how they would react in crisis? How did he communicate the basic horrors of war? the audience's emotional response by identification and judgment of themselves? Intellectual appreciation of the situations and intellectual judgments and decisions about war?

3. The quality of the black and white photography, the island atmosphere? The focus and filming of ordinary people and the emphasis on close-ups and profiles and combinations of these? The contrast with the sequences of violence and forests in flame etc? the atmosphere of ordinariness in transition to the horror of war? The importance of the environment, the sea, the contribution of the dream effects? The contribution of the long takes, of tableau, for conversations about issues?

4. The revelations of dreams to the theme and the title? Eva's explanation of being in someone else's dream and that they will awake and be ashamed? The significance of Jan and his happy dream about the orchestra? the meaning of the final dream and her explanation? The significance of beauty, war invading beauty, the fascination of roses burning and destruction? the significance Eva having a daughter when she was childless? The ability to remember something that ought to be remembered but has been forgotten? Indications of people, their conscious and unconscious as regards war and their reactions? The significance of the structure: the focus on three days in Jan and Eva's experience? A transition to the long day and the encounter with Jacobi until his death? The succession of short episodes and glimpses after this?

6. The importance of the war theme and the plausibility of war in Sweden? (Sweden's neutrality during World War II compared with that of Norway or Denmark and the repercussions on Bergman and Swedish audiences?) The length of the war, the occupation and its effect on people and their having to cope, live their ordinary lives yet be fearful? The significance of the radio and communication? The invasion, the invaders with their sense of liberation? The dangers of collaboration, the resistance? Battles, survival, terror and destruction? Amnesties, camps, refugees? The uncertain atmosphere, politics? The unknown? The reasons and motivation for people involved in war? Could audiences identify with such situation?

7. Eva and Jan as a couple? The significance of their being musicians, artists? Their work in the orchestra and their being used to training and discipline? The repercussions after they left the orchestra? The significance of their being artists and the discussions about art, especially the comments of Jacobi about art? Their marriage for seven years, their not having children? Moods, the war creating hostility between them? How much love was there in their love for the other? Their experience of the war, their breaking apart, their not understanding each other as they changed? The ordinariness of their waking up, the breakfast, going about their work? Woods and Eva's impetuosity, Jan's tears? Hie getting his coat? The
atmosphere of their buying their fish, the encounter with the man selling their goods and yet the background of troop movement and tanks? The happiness of the buying of the wine and the looking at the antique? Resting at the end of the day and the transition to the next day of violence? How well could audiences identify with Eva, and Jan as man and woman, ordinary couple, people with strengths and weaknesses, complex and ambiguous in their attitudes?

8. Eva and her saying that she was a strong woman? The contrast with Jan as weak? the humanity in each of them? How selfish? The long sequences and takes of their interrelationship, and estimates of the war situation and their reactions? Fear, their parking their car to escape, travelling through war landscapes?

9. The invasion and the television program? Torture and fear? The fact that they wore befriended by Jacobi? Their motives changing? Eva allowing herself to be seduced by Jacobi? Jan and his fear leading to hostility? The aggression of the coward? The sequence of their fighting before Jacobi's arrival, listening to his views? Jan and his weeping and hiding the money? reaction to the destruction of their home? The fact that Jan could shoot Jacobi, could deceive and shoot and rob the deserter? Eva and the contrast with compassion? How were they towards each other an they moved towards the boat and the final voyage? Would such hostilities have emerged in a peace situation? Eve, as a more ordinary person, moved by control and fear, love? The important sequence of their clash as they worked after the three days? The significance for her of her infidelity? Her decision to go along with Jan, provide the food and leave the house and go in the boat?

10. The importance of communicating fear, uncertainty especially at the day in which they left their house and packed, drive, encountered the war, moved through a landscape with tableau of death? Their return to their house after this experience and their resting in contrast with the night before?

11. The terror of sudden arrest, brutal interrogations, interviews, torture? The relief of the reprieve and their return home?

12. A war situation in which they depended on Jacobi for gifts? The humiliation of being dependent? The contrasting attitudes of permitting infidelity, Jan and his ability to kill? The significance of including long talks and explanations with Jacobi? The significance of the discussion of intimacy and his mother's death? on art and its strengths and weaknesses?

13. The Resistance, the search of the house, Fillip and his destruction and murder?

14. What did war leave after the gradual destruction of the house, the environment, the marriage, themselves? Only final instant burning and destruction?

15. The significance of the voyage on the boat, the payment,, the suicide going over the side, the rations of eating and drinking, the drifting, the drifting, bodies in the water? Brief episodes on a voyage of futility to nowhere? The future?

16. The basic war themes, insight into human beings and their strengths and weaknesses? Theme of fear, betrayal, love and hatred? humans as victims? inability to cope? The basic pessimism of the experience of life?

SHINING VICTORY

US, 1941, 80 minutes, Black and white.
James Stephenson, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, Barbara O’ Neil, Sig Ruman.
Directed by Irving Rapper.

Shining Victory is a Scottish medical story – from a play by A.J. Cronin, the author of the very popular Doctor Finlay’s Casebook.

The film was directed by Irving Rapper, whose first film as director this was after working as an assistant. He was to make a number of films over the next twenty years including a number with Bette Davis including The Corn is Green. He also directed Rhapsody in Blue and The Glass Menagerie. The film is a star vehicle for James Stephenson, a British theatre actor who had come to Hollywood in 1937 but who died of a heart attack in 1941. However, he appeared in thirty-nine films during this period including The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex and won an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor for The Letter. He is well matched by Geraldine Fitzgerald as his assistant, with Barbara O’ Neil as the cold secretary and Donald Crisp as a fellow doctor – and Crisp was to receive an Oscar for his role in How Green Was My Valley in this same year.

A small and modest B-film from Warner Bros during this period but of interest because of the association with A.J. Cronin and the medical story.

1. Was this an entertaining film? How uplifting was it and meant to be? The significance of the title for Paul Venner? For Mary Murray? The ending with Paul looking into the sunset? The sketch that Mary had made of Victory?

2. How typical a film of the Hollywood forties was this? In its themes and noble attitude? In its styles of filming, studios, emotional encounters? The need to edify? What needs in the forties' audiences was this film satisfying? Successfully?

3. How strong was the medical interest and the background? The interest in psychology and the treatment of mental illness and nerve illnesses? How well does the medical background stand up now?

4. What emotional response was asked by the Hungarian sequences? The strong sense of injustice towards Paul? Was the drama credible? Why? Did this shape our view of Paul for the rest of the film?

5. How much sympathy did you have for Paul Venner when he went to England? Why? Did he deserve it? Were you happy at his gaining the research job in Scotland? His behaviour in that job, attitude towards patients, attitude towards the staff, towards his work? How did he begin to lose sympathy? How well did the film communicate this in the dialogue?

6. What judgement did the film make on his unemotional approach to science? Completely humanistic? So cold? So experimental?

7. What did the minor actors contribute to the film? Dr Dm**tt? His friendship with Venner, his game of patience his succeeding with the game? Dr Blake and his management of the institute? His needs for practical support from rich patients, for reputation? Dr Fulton and his ridicule? Was he a stock character?

8. How attractive a heroine was Mary Murray? Her nobility, a doctor, a missionary? How conventional was her behaviour and dialogue? How did the character come through despite this? Loyalty and support, emotion and love?

9. How did Paul and Mary change during their work together? Why? Why was Paul so rude to her? Their work with Foster? Mary's success because of her humane approach? Venner's harshness waiting for him to die?

10. How satisfying was the preparation for change and the change in them both? Did this look too good to be true? Why?

11. How well-written was the character of Miss Leeming? A strong spinster? Her inquiries of Venner? Her love for him and her attacks on Mary? Was the melodramatic behaviour at the end credible? Why?

12. The impact of Mary's death? Expected? Emotional response? Her nobility in helping Paul? The result of this on his success? His coming to his senses? credible?

13. Impressions of his going to China? Why was he going? Would he be a success? Was this a shining victory for him? Doing Mary's work?

14. How true was this of people's behaviour in the thirties? What effect would such a message film have on the audiences of the time? Impressions now?

LA PEAU DOUCE (SOFT SKIN)

France, 1964, 119 minutes, Black and white.
Jean Desailly, Francoise Dorleac, Nelly Benedetti, Sabine Haudepin.
Directed by Francois Truffaut.

Soft Skin is an early film from Francois Truffaut, after his debut with The Four Hundred Blows and such films as Shoot the Piano Player and Jules and Jim. Truffaut was a critic and writer, moved into film direction and had an illustrious career – before his untimely death.

The film is a familiar tale of a middle-aged publisher and lecturer, married with a young daughter, who meets a flight attendant and begins an affair with her. He doesn’t understand the flight attendant, makes a decision to move away from his family, is concerned about the effect on his child but not on his wife – which leads to a melodramatic ending and death. The film has a very strong cast including a film a performance by Francoise Dorleac, the older sister of Catherine Deneuve. After appearing in a few films, she was killed in a car accident at the age of twenty-seven.

1. The significance and irony of the title, the indication of themes?

2. The quality of the black and white photography, the musical accompaniment, the use of locations, the emphasis on profiles, on small details for atmosphere and theme?

3. How typically French was the film? In theme, treatment, moral judgment? (How would the same theme be covered by other national directors?)

4. Haw enjoyable was this human drama? How much did it retain the interest, involve audiences in the plight of the hero and his mistress? Where were audience sympathies directed?

5. The importance of the initial hurry: life and jobs, the superficiality and rush of relationships, rush generating needs?

6. How interesting a hero was Pierre? The middle aged man and audiences being able to identify with his needs and plight? The emphasis on the hurry of his home life, the quality of his work, his reputation as a celebrity. the emphasis on his career? The background of literature and his linking with French celebrities? The world of art and reality? The contrast with real life and feelings? His eye for women? His wandering eye in the plane? The nature of his involvement with Nicole? The phone conversations and their ambiguity? The apologies and the drink? The build-up to a relationship with Nicole? The turning on of all the lights? The follow up phone call, the snatches of involvement? The plan for the lecture? Career related to relationship? Trying to escape? The happy sequences with Nicole and the taking of the photographs? The contrast with the separation? Leaving his wife and setting up the flat? No future in the relationship? Audience interest, understanding Und sympathy?

7. Themes of selfishness, realism? The nature of true love - hurting his wife who so loved him, the children? Nicole and using her and her lack of passion for him? His Incessant talking to her? Her capacity for irritating him?

8. The nature of disillusionment in such affairs, the nature of breaking off love, the reconciliations?

9. The finality of death? How melodramatic was the death? How credible?

10. How attractive a heroine was Nicole? Her coolness, her being dressed in white, her lack of passion? Her being a hostess, able to move from one end of the world to the other? The reason for her starting the relationship? Being flattered and flattering Pierre? The amount of involvement? Allowing herself to be used? Waiting for him in Rheims? Enjoying the idle and the photography? The real world and the break? Her decision to be sensible? How much realization of Pierre's feelings and needs did she have? and her melodramatic ways, Italian background, love for her husband? Inability to fulfil his needs, her hurt at the discovery of the truth, her tantrums, the melodrama of her shooting her husband? How credible? The film's insight into her feelings and motivations?

12. The minor characters and their contribution to the film and its plot, to themes, to highlight reactions of the main characters, Odile, the governess, Clement and his persistence in Rheims?

13. How interesting was a conventional plot made? The sense of movement, the details of the scenes at home, lectures, restaurants etc.?

14. Although the film was French, how accurate a picture of the problems of modern society did the film give?

SEVEN WAVES AWAY

UK, 1957, 100 minutes, Black and white.
Tyrone Power, Mai Zetterling, Lloyd Nolan, Stephen Boyd, Moira Lister, James Hayter, Marie Lohr, Finlay Currie, John Stratton, Victor Maddern, Eddie Byrne, Gordon Jackson.
Directed by Richard Sale.

Seven Waves Away is similar to Hitchcock’s Lifeboat. A luxury liner sinks and a young man finds himself in charge of a lifeboat full of survivors – however, the lifeboat will not contain all the survivors in the rough seas and some have to be sacrificed.

The film is grim, gets audiences to identify with the passengers in the situation, the desire to stay alive, the issues of self-sacrifice for others.

Tyrone Power is the officer and Mai Zetterling is the nurse. There is a strong cast of British character actors as well as Stephen Boyd in an early role.

The film was directed by Richard Sale, novelist and screenwriter who made a number of films in the 1950s, light films including A Ticket to Tomahawk, Half Angel, Gentlemen Marry Brunettes. The film was remade in 1975 for American television, a much shorter version with Martin Sheen in the Tyrone Power role and a strong supporting cast of American actors who made their mark mainly in television films. This film was adapted by Douglas Day Stewart (who achieved some fame in the 1980s with his screenplay for The Blue Lagoon and, especially, An Officer and a Gentleman) and was directed by Lee H. Katzin, a prolific director of television movies during the 1970s.

1. How interesting a film, how serious, entertainment? Its overall impact, message?

2. The indication of the title? An alternative title was 'Abandon Ship'. The atmosphere of the sea, the ship, disaster, survival and decisions?

3. The use of black and white photography, the moods and atmosphere of the sea? The contrast between the ship, the lifeboat? The musical score far the atmosphere of the disaster?

4. Audience response to disasters and accidents? Identifying with the situation, with the survivors, particular types in the lifeboat?

5. The theme of survival and man's wanting to live desperately? The people in the lifeboat, the people hanging on? The significance of life? The overwhelming fear? Motivations, greed, selfishness?

6. How interesting was the cross-section of people, the varying types, good and bad, selfish and selfless? Crew and passengers, men and women?

7. Were the survivors types or were they dramatised characters? Did they represent issues and values? Did they typify various responses to dangers and fears?

8. Tyrone Power as the hero? How heroic was he by temperament and character? His role on the ship, in the lifeboat? As a person, doing his duty? The questions of conscience, emotions? The difficulty of his decisions? The
criteria for people who were to die? His motives? The effect of these decisions on himself, on the various people? How well did the film offer pros and cons for his decision? Did some people have to die?

9. The presentation of the people? The situation of the dog and the indication of what was to follow? Those who stayed? Those who had to go, those who decided to go? The bonds of fear?

10. The significance of Julie and her support of Holmes? Her place on the lifeboat?

11. The character of McKinley? and the clash with Holmes? A legitimate point of view? Fear? Orders and duty?

12. The significance of Kelly, his words of advice, the impact of his death?

13. How important was the dialogue, the interaction of the characters revealing themselves and their attitudes, especially Edith with her background, her sarcastic way of speaking? Her spurning of her lover? Her rising to the occasion?

14. Other minor characters and the way they were presented? The playwright, elderly couple?

15. The impact of the rescue ship arriving? The survivors? Holmes changing from hero to villain and the fickle aspects of human nature in the survivors turning against him?

16. The purpose of making the film? Entertainment? A serious story? Insight into human nature and themes of conscience?