SON-RISE, A MIRACLE OF LOVE

US, 1979, 100 minutes, Colour.
James Farentino, Kathryn Harrold, Stephen Elliott.
Directed by Glenn Jordan.

A moving, well written American style telemovie. It focuses on the true story of Barry and Susan Kaufman and their autistic child Raun. In its brief running time, the film focuses on the problems of autism, the reactions of parents, families having to cope with a seemingly withdrawn and retarded child, the possibilities in State institutions. The film opts for the parents dealing intensely and interpersonally with their withdrawn child and drawing him out into the ordinary world.

The film has an authentic air about it and the screenplay was co-written with the parents. It is a plea for sympathy for autistic children and an urging disheartened parents to persevere with loving their children into an ordinary way of life. James Farentino and Kathryn Harrold are impressive as the parents. Direction is by Glen Jordan, a prolific telemovie director of the late seventies: Les Miserables, The Women's Room, In The Matter Of Karen Ann Quinlan.

1. The impact of telemovies for the home audience? Seriousness of themes, the quality of audience attention, the impact of real life drama? the telemovie style? adapted for distracted home audiences?

2. The authorship of the parents? The factual basis of the film? the screenplay? How authentic and persuasive? The offering of data about autistic children and their treatment? The sentiment of the title and the truth of the subtitle A Miracle Of Love?

3. The quick introduction to Barry and his successful executive work in advertising? Susie and the other children? The later explanation of their life story to the woman inquiring to fill in the form? Their meeting, romance, marriage, children? their taking in Nancy and making her part of the home? The build-up to the birthday of Raun?

4. Raun growing up, withdrawn baby, the birthday party and his reactions? The discovery of his withdrawn condition? Phe detailed visual presentation of his behaviour? The reaction of parents, family? Barry and his research on autism? Susie and her unwillingness to accept it? The sequences of their visits to doctors, hospitals, institutions?

5. The medical background of autism? Ought parents to fear? Institutions saying Raun was too young for treatment? The impact of the visits to institutions, the seeming cruelty in treatment? The audience's emotional response to this kind of dehumanized treatment of retarded children? The pathos and its effect on Barry and Susie?

6. Raun and his behaviour, the dramatising of the symptoms, his living in an inner world, his being mesmerized by repetitious motion? his own actions?

7. Susie and her decision to help, their deciding to keep a log of the therapy, Susie's dedication in terms of time, perseverance? The detail of their working together? Her sharing his behaviour and actions? The hope giving energy? Barry and his observations? Nancy and her being asked to help? The two sisters and their reactions from taunting school children, their participating in the therapy?

8. The gradual improvement, the joy for the family? Traces of communication? The gradual breakthrough and the alertness of Raun? The filming of his activities? The petitions for further treatment and the reasons for their rejection?

9. Raun's relapse and further withdrawal, the pain for his parents, their perseverance in starting again?

10. The repetition of the process and Raun's coming back into the ordinary world?

11. The final sequence of his playing in the park, the contact with the retarded child and Raun's being affirmed as ordinary and normal?

12. The film's communicating the reality of the autistic child's world, the anguish for parents? The dedication and love of parents and love being the major healing therapy? The worth of the sentiment in the film? Did the film avoid sentimentality? The moral impact of this kind of film and the encouragement and morale-boosting for parents in similar situations?

SPECIAL SECTION

France, 1975, 118 minutes, Colour.
Michael Lonsdale, Ivo Garrani, Heinz Bennent, Pierre Dux, Michelle Galabru, Claude Pieplu, Jean Champion, Yves Robert, Bruno Cremer, uncredited cameos by Costa-Gavras? and Yves Montand.
Directed by Costa-Gavras?.

Special Section is another of Costa-Gavras’s? political films. He made a great impact and won the Oscar in 1969 for his story of the Greek generals, Z. He followed it up with a film about the Iron Curtain, The Confession, with Yves Montand as well as making State of Siege about Latin America – a theme he was to take up in his American film, Missing, with Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek.

This is a film about France during World War Two. It focuses on political issues of right and left, sympathises with the Germans. And the Free French. It is a portrayal of the Vichy government, the officials, the judges, the military.

Costa-Gavras? and his regular writer Jorge Semprun are not sympathetic to the Vichy government and its fascist principles. To this extent, the film is a vivid portrayal of the characters and the period as well as an indictment. The film shows a group of defendants in court – the victims of a particular special section which was set up to rout out subversion in the Resistance, amongst communists, amongst journalists.

1. The focus of the title and its significance, its impact? Expectation from the title?

2. The work of the director Costa-Gavras: Z, The Confession, State of Siege? Audience expectation of its insight and critique of oppressive political systems? The work of his writer Semprun? How political was the film? The critique of the past, the critique of fascism in general, the critique of the present? Impact on a French audience, memories? Non-French? audience?

3. How well did the film recreate the atmosphere of France during the war? How necessary was an authentic atmosphere? The quality of the colour photography, acts and locations and costumes of the time? The use of contemporary music? Music to highlight the atmosphere? Audience involvement because of memories of the war, guilt memories about the war?

4. How clear were the political issues of Right and Left, Germans and French? The Vichy government, the Free French? How important was it that the film took stances? How could the stance of the director be described in political terms? The humanity of the critique of the Vichy government? Human issues, issues of justice?

5. How accurately did the film present the Vichy government? The people of France and their acceptance of the government? Petain? The French and their relationship with the Nazis? The hope for a compromise with the Nazis? The honesty of Petain, of the Vichy government? The potential for corruption and collaboration? Political and humane dilemmas? The speeches offered, the Minister of the Interior, the judiciary? How easy to all were the issues at the time? Now?

6. The importance of the Soviet-Nazi? rift? French fear of Communists? Sabotage? The Communists embodying the Left, the Vichy government the Right and the inevitable clash? The visualizing of this?

7. Resistance, war reprisals and the issues of justice and humanity? The visualizing of the attacks on the Germans? Reprisals for the French?

8. Response to the establishment of the Section and its charter? The people involved and their credibility? Qualifications, attitudes? The arguments for the establishing of the Section, the reasons for refusal for involvement? The legalism involved, the political implications? The episodes in the film an examples of what happened? The irony that the Section remained in power throughout the tenure of government?

9. How sympathetic the director to the defendants? Biased in their favour? The importance of visualizing them in the court, in prison? Ordinary people, resistance, communists, journalists? How were they found? Disgust at the lottery for victims? The handling of the flashback sequences and their appropriate placing within the trial? The glimpses of the past - were they adequate to sketch in the characters? To explain what they were doing in court? The mixing of the guilty and the innocent? The importance of the presence of Sampaix? What did he represent? The focus of attention on him?

10. Much of the film was devoted to speeches and to argumentation. The dramatic impact? The placing of these speeches and their cogency? The effect on the French, within the court? Audience response to them?

11. The contrast of the various attitudes of the men, in prison, in the court?

12. The significance of the abandonment of the trial, the executions? The importance of the aftermath and events being more important in their consequences?

13. The importance of the fact that this government and Section wore established in a world at war, where people were taking sides, where ideologies were battling? Where justice and injustice was not clear? Where ambition in present, stupidity, corruption? Moral scruples?

14. The film's comment on the machinery of government, of the fascist power of the State, the place of individuals? The significance of the final comment? Did the film try to alter audience attitudes? Ask questions? How successful was it in the raising of social consciousness?

SAILOR OF THE KING

UK, 1953, 83 minutes, Black and white.
Jeffrey Hunter, Michael Rennie, Peter Van Eyck, Wendy Hiller, Bernard Lee, Victor Maddern, Patrick Barr, Robin Bailey.
Directed by Roy Boulting.

Sailor of the King (Singlehanded) is based on a 1929 novel by C.S. Forester, Brown on Resolution. Forester also wrote the World War One story, The African Queen, as well as being famous for the Captain Horatio Hornblower series.

This is a straightforward World War One naval action adventure. The focus is on American Jeffrey Hunter as a young man who does not know his father, but serves under him later during the war. Wendy Hiller is his mother. Michael Rennie is the captain who becomes the admiral. There is good support from a British cast including Bernard Lee.

The film was directed by Roy Boulting, one of the Boulting Brothers who were responsible for an interesting series of films in the 40s and 50s including Brighton Rock as well as I’m All Right Jack.

The film works very well as an action adventure at sea as well as an attempt at sabotage of a German warship. (The plot is similar to the film with Peter O’ Toole, Murphy’s War.)

1. The film was originally called Singlehanded. It is based on a story called 'Brown on Resolution' which title is the most appropriate? Indicating themes?

2. How enjoyable was this film? How did it retain audience interest? A film of the early 1950s, as seen with the perspective of later decades?

3. The quality of the black and white photography, photography in Malta, the style of the First World War prologue, a navy war film?

4, The emphasis on the navy in the film: the people in the prologue, the interest and concern about the navy, the World War I heritage, the World War II heritage? How real was the world of the navy, ambitions, achievement and success in war? Was this convincingly communicated?

5. Did the film integrate the human interest well with the naval emphasis? The relationship between Richard and Lucy, the nature of naval leave, the talking in the train. the happiness of the holiday together, the pregnancy, Lucy's reserve in keeping to herself? The fact that there was no marriage? Lucy asking her own way in life? Savell going forward independently? Audience response to these human situations?

6, The presentation of Brown, his explanation of what his mother had done to him? Was the audience satisfied with this knowledge about Lucy's life?

7. The contrast with seeing Savell rise to Admiral? His abilities? no need for achievement? His achievement during the war? The final decorations?

8. How convincing a hero was Brown? The ordinary seamen on the ship? The capture? The heroism of the plan and escape? His clash with the Germans? The nature of hie heroism? The presentation of the Germans? How fair? German ships, repairs, the attack?

10. The irony of the ending as father and son were decorated? Was the film right not to make the relationship known?

11. Was this a good adventure film? A good war film? A good humane film?

THE STATION AGENT

US, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale.
Directed by Tom Mc Carthy.

The short Peter Dinklage plays Finn, a station agent who encounters a middle-aged woman, Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) and a talkative vendor (Bobby Cannavale). Finn is a bountiful example of the meek – which is what the lonely Finn does for his friends in The Station Agent.

Finn, Olivia, Joe and Emily who inhabit the world of The Station Agent are solitary souls who feel overburdened. Finn is considered physically odd because of his being a dwarf (people want to photograph him or scream when they see him in unexpected places like a library). Olivia feels unloved and abandoned. Joe, despite his incessant talking, is lonely. Emily is young, fearful and pregnant. It is Finn whom they come to rely on. He starts to bear their burdens. While he does some have some outbursts of anger and frustration (especially when he stands of the bar and challenges everyone to look at him), he is quiet and gentle of hear, a meek, good man.

As he gets used to listening to Joe, becomes a kind of father confessor to Olivia and Emily, he finds that he is capable of friendship and that these new friends can, in fact, offer him love and lighten his burdens. By the end of the film, there is a degree of happiness in each of their lives which they would never have anticipated. And they did it themselves, for themselves. Finn inherited the railway carriage but it eventually hemmed him in. In learning to love each other, they have inherited their own part of the world

1. The popularity of the film? Its acclaim? Its portrait of human beings and the human condition?

2. The focus on dwarfs, highlighting their humanity, people's curiosity, criticism, insensitivities? Dwarfs, their life, relationships, love? People meeting them, the response of Joe, Olivia, the shopkeeper, Joe's friends and their mockery, the dwarf jokes, Emily and her scream, Cleo and her friendship, the class and the boy criticising? The bar and the drunk Finn asking everybody to look at him? Different, the same?

3. The opening, the trains? The rooms, Finn and his friendship with Henry, their walking down the street, the shop, his fixing the toy trains, the customers, the young boy gawping? Their going to the train club night, watching the home movies of the train chases, eating together? Henry's collapse and death?

4. Finn and his inheritance, the discussions with the lawyer, walking to Newfoundland, seeing the house, the station? Making himself at home? Cleaning it up, transforming it? Sleeping on the couch? The chairs for hospitality? His posters?

5. Finn as a person, very little known about his background, his wanting to be alone, his gratitude to Henry for inheriting the station, the meeting with Joe, the coffee? Olivia and her running him down twice? The woman in the shop taking his photo? Olivia and her bringing the bottle, their talk, her falling asleep? His wanting to be alone, reading, going out walking, sitting watching the trains, going to the library?

6. Olivia, her erratic driving, apologies, bringing the bottle, staying the night? Her loss of her son, her sadness? Estrangement from her husband while still loving him? Her painting, her friends calling and her hurrying away? Her encounters with Finn, going for the walks, watching the trains, on the train line? Her friendship with Joe? His continued chatter? Cleo and her inviting her into the train carriage to see the spikes exhibition? Her meeting Finn in the library, borrowing the book for him and leaving it, buying the video camera? Joe and Finn dressing up to go to Olivia's to watch the video? Joe and his cooking meals for them, sitting outside and eating his dinner? David and his arrival, her being hurt, the news that he was having another child? Her seeming rejection of Finn, his bringing the shopping to her? The love for Finn, friendship, the finale with the reconciliation between Joe, Finn and Olivia? Their sitting together, comfortable and talking?

7. Joe and his van, his father's illness, his incessant talking, wanting to be with people, feeling rejection from Olivia, not taking rejection from Finn? Following him, walking with him? Picking him up in the car? On the seat and throwing stones at the bridge, watching the trains? Gradually interested in trains? Happy to sit reading with Finn - All Quiet on the Western Front? The phone calls from his father? His friends turning up with the drugs? The puzzle about whether he ever made any money with his van? The father with the two children and his joining in kicking the ball even though he was closed? The camera, taking Finn in the van, racing and chasing the train? Wary with Olivia, growing friendship? His not turning up in the bar and Finn being hurt? His apology? Reconciliation, the happiness of the ending? His gestures of friendship, especially his cooking?

8. Emily, screaming when she saw Finn, wanting the mail address before a library card? Meeting him in the bar, telling him that she was pregnant, talking with him? Coming to stay the night, kissing him? Her boyfriend, his friendship with Joe, antagonism and mockery of Finn, his violence towards Emily and Finn intervening?

9. Finn and his not wanting to go to bars, the appointment with Joe, his not turning up, meeting Emily? His continued drinking, standing in the bar and demanding that everybody take a good look at him?

10. Finn, satisfied with being alone, his reading, eating? The gradual change, his concern about Olivia, beginning to listen to Joe?

11. The scenes of food and drink, sharing and bonding?

12. The film illustrating that it is not good for people to be alone, the nature of friendship - and the quiet scene with the three at the end?

13. A film of ordinariness but of deep humanity - especially those on the margin, those who suffer the curiosity, stares and ridicule of people who consider themselves normal?

STARSKY AND HUTCH

US, 2004, 105 minutes, Colour.
Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughan, Juliet Lewis.
Directed by Todd Fields.

Expecting another boom boom police thriller homage to the 1970s and the icons of TV land, I was surprised that the action takes a back seat (well, not entirely) to the more comic aspects of the characters and partnership of Starsky and Hutch. Some TV channels screened the original 1975 pilot at the time the new film was released and it is surprising (at least after the pilot; the stars were able to go on and develop their characters and style over four seasons) how comparatively straightforward Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul were. It is pleasing to see them turn up in a good cameo in the new film.

What we have is an Odd Couple buddy movie, Starsky obsessive, Hutch anything but. The uptightness that Ben Stiller has shown when under siege in recent comedies contrasts with the easygoing nonchalance of Owen Wilson that we have seen in Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights and I Spy. They make an entertaining comic couple and are given plenty of lines and situations to highlight these qualities (best of all the drop the dead pony sequence).

Vince Vaughan is the mastermind villain who is not nearly so smart as he thinks and Juliette Lewis is his girlfriend.

It's all a concoction and another example of the trend of TV series remakes, but it works well and entertainingly in its own right.

1. The popularity of the series in the 70s? A revival and remake? The police buddy genre, the investigation of the criminals, Starsky's car and its style, the good cop-bad cop routines?

2. 2004 and the remake, the update, the emphasis on comedy and irony, the stars and their previous films, screen persona? Buddies - and the sexual subtexts? The guest spot for David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser? The range of songs - "Don't Give Up on Me, Baby" (and David Soul as a singer)?

3. The Los Angeles settings, gloss and style? Starsky and his being prim, a touch obsessive, his apartment, his pride in his car? The contrast with Hutchinson, the robbing of the banks, his apartment and its not being tidy, his relationships? The introduction to each? The good cop and the bad cop? Going by the book - and interpreting the book broadly? Their chief, his exasperation? Their bickering in front of him, the comments about Starsky's permanent wave and hair and touching it? Their being put together as partners?

4. Vince Vaughan as the criminal chief, on the yacht, his style, the parody of the criminal? Kitty as his assistant? Doing his hair and manicuring him? His henchmen, the issue of drugs, his ruthlessness and killing one of his henchmen? His meetings with Starsky and Hutch, smooth manner? Kevin as his assistant, his using him? The celebration of the Bar Mitzvah at his home, Starsky and Hutch coming as clowns? The gift of the pony, its being understood in an ambiguous way, Starsky and his shooting - and the pony dropping dead? His contact with the criminal in jail, getting the pony, misinterpreted as a drug deal? The arrest, his anger, authorities releasing him? The build-up to the dinner, his speech, the guests, the raffle, the drugs hidden in the cars? His being exposed, his escape, the boat-chase? Kitty, her relationship with him, her looking after the funds, on the boat at the end? Kevin and his doing the office work? His wife, his neglect of her?

5. Starsky and Hutch and their personalities, their interaction, comedy routines, verbal humour? The contrast between the slow going by the book and Hutch's intuitions, and his being close to the truth? Their detective work, the clues, the information about the drugs, their contacts, the interview with the criminal boss? The contact with the girls, the cheerleaders - and the locker-room sequence? Starsky and his self-importance, reporting Hutch? Hutch upset about the complaints? Their going their separate ways? Joining together at the dinner, the dangers, the pursuit, saving the day?

6. The Bar Mitzvah sequence, the humour, the clowns and their performance, the bewilderment of the people, the pony and its death? The banquet, the disguise, Starsky and his risk of being exposed again? The showdown? The car pursuit, his crashing the car? Getting the new one? The guest spot for David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser and the humour about this updating and remake?

7. The nostalgia for this kind of television program? The irony, the innuendo, the sub-texts about police and buddy movies?

SWITCHBACK

US, 1997, 113 minutes, Colour.
Dennis Quaid, Danny Glover, Jared Leto, Ted Levine, R. Lee Ermy, William Fichtner.
Directed by Jeff Stuart.

Switchback is a thriller, written and directed by the co-writer of Die Hard and the writer of The Fugitive. It is a story of the pursuit of a serial killer, played with breezy charm and sinister malice by Danny Glover. Dennis Quaid is the FBI agent tracking him, his son having been kidnapped by Glover, Quaid offers a rather grim and morose but effective performance. R. Lee Ermy, a character actor in many films from Full Metal Jacket on, has a much more substantial role in this film as a hard-nosed sheriff on the day of election, but one with compassion and a search for the truth. Ted Levine is his assistant. William Fichtner is the rival candidate for sheriff, egoistic but not without final compassion. Jared Leto is very good as the enigmatic young travelling companion for Glover, a suspect for the murders, but set up by Glover with malice aforethought.

The contrivances and coincidences in the plot do not bear thinking of afterwards, they would seem highly improbable. However, given the characterisations and the pace, while one is watching the film, one accepts the pursuit. There are some action sequences at the end, car crashes, fights on trains.

The film did not receive a wide circulation and release.

1. Entertaining police investigation thriller? The portrait of a serial killer?

2. Amarillo, Texas, the Texas locations, the Colorado mountains, winter? The action sequences, cars on the ice, the fight on the train? The musical score?

3. The title, its reference to Bob, his work on the railways, clearing the tracks for the trains through the Rockies?

4. The opening sequence, the man at the door, the babysitter, the menace, her being murdered, the taking of the boy? The effect on his father, his pursuit? The fact that he was still alive - Bob giving the address to Lane? The recovery of the boy at the end?

5. The focus on the murders in Amarillo, the mystery, the setting of the election for sheriff, the rivalries, the use of the media, one-upmanship? Buck and his earnestness, the long years in office, Nate as his assistant? His concern? Jack, his ambitions, muscling in on the investigations? The scenes at the motel, the clues? The mysterious young man? The assault, the family under siege, the criminal and his holding the knife, Frank's arrival, going right into the siege, confronting the man, getting the family out, shooting the criminal in the leg? Jack and his wanting to proclaim him the killer? Buck preferring to listen to Frank?

6. Frank, his arrival, the FBI? Morose and taciturn? Well-dressed? His role in the siege? The FBI ringing Buck to tell him to hold him, that he was off the case? His attitude towards Jack, the issues of the guilt of the man holding the family? His not being the murderer? The information, Frank and his getting the local police on-side? The confrontation with the criminal's lawyer, the demands the lawyer made, his being beaten down?

7. The intercutting of the sequences of Bob? On the highway, giving the lift to Lane (Lane and his previous lift with the family, on the road, waiting for hours, Bob picking him up)? The car with the photos of the women? Bob's story about the car? Being genial, letting Lane off when he requested? Lane and the fight in the bar, the accusations? Bob and the rescue, tough with the gun and the knife? Their leaving together? The bond between the two? Bob and his getting the car fixed by Shorty (and later killing him)? Everybody friendly with Bob, his previous work on the railroad? The going into the shop, confronting the girl - and Lane coming in and preventing any violence? Staying the night in the motel after crashing the car, the crash, the rescue of Bob, Lane getting his case but falling over the cliff, the rescue? The town, the men talking about the murders, the television report? Lane and his holding the gun on Bob, Bob and his smooth explanations? The going on the train? The hearing of the old man on the train talking about the killings, the box of matches with the address? The murder of the old man? The fight between Bob and Lane?

8. Lane and his background, enigmatic, his story, medical skills, pulling out? His helping the old man choking with medical precision? His suspicions of Bob? Those being allayed? The fight with Bob? Bob and his personality, genial, audience knowledge about the eighteen killings? His motivations - unclear?

9. Frank and Bob, the murders, the FBI investigations, the pursuit, the challenges to Frank, the abduction of the boy? The card and the clues? The train? Frank and his getting to the town, crashing the car? His going over the mountain, dropping onto the train? Saving Lane, fighting with Bob? Bob's death? Lane and his injuries, giving the address to Frank?

10. The FBI putting Buck in jail, Nate's opinion? Jack letting him out? The pursuit? Jack winning the election? Buck and his acceptance of it?

11. The action sequences, the nature of the pursuit, the work of the FBI, police investigations, serial killers?

SYLVIA

UK, 2003, 114 minutes, Colour.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jared Harris, Blythe Danner, Michael Gambon.
Directed by Christine Jeffs.

Over the decades, Sylvia Plath's reputation as a poet has continued to increase. Her posthumous book of poetry was edited and published by her estranged husband, Ted Hughes and her novel, The Bell Jar, became a bestseller and a film in the 1980s. This is her story.

Most audiences will know that Sylvia Plath killed herself with gas from her oven in February 1963. They will also know that her more celebrated poet husband, Ted Hughes, was blamed for her depression and death and kept silence about his relationship until a book of poems in 1998, shortly before he died of cancer. He had been Poet Laureate since 1984.

This film takes us back to Cambridge in the mid-1950s when American student, Sylvia, first met Ted, won over by his poetry and swept off his feet by his manner (after he had reviewed her poems unfavourably). It shows their courtship and marriage (despite the hesitations of Sylvia's mother) and their living in the US for three years while they both taught. Already Sylvia was affected emotionally by the women who flocked around Ted. On their return to England, they started a family but Sylvia's feeling she could not write creatively and Ted's infidelity led to her despair.

It is not so much a film where we want to know what is going to happen next. We know that. Rather, we are continually asking why it happened, trying to understand characters, the tension of personality clashes, situations of love and betrayal.

Director is New Zealander Christine Jeffs (Rain) who brings an un-Hollywood seriousness and plainness to her treatment of John Brownlow's screenplay. She re-creates the period effectively both in England and in the US so that we enter into the drama rather than merely observe it. Gwyneth Paltrow is intense as Sylvia and her interpretation of a difficult woman who makes life even more difficult remains in the memory. Daniel Craig's Ted Hughes is a rough and ready poet who exercises charm and gets entangled by it, loving Sylvia but wearied by her emotional demands and easily succumbing to relationships with other women.

The basic nature of the plot is commonplace but, when it is a look at public figures, it is intriguing and puzzling.

1. Audience familiarity with the life and death of Sylvia Plath? The work of Ted Hughes? Their relationship? Their poetry?

2. The film's focusing on Sylvia and her life and death rather than on Ted Hughes? The Sylvia perspective? The critique of Hughes as a personality, a husband?

3. The world of Cambridge in the 50s, New England, Devon? The 50s and 60s, moods, décor, costumes? Songs? The mood of the musical score?

4. Sylvia Plath's background, her German father, his death when she was young, her mother in America, a strong woman? Sylvia at nine and unhappy? The background of her suicide attempts, her descriptions of them, her mother's descriptions? The reasons for the attempts? Her love of language, her studies, her poetry? Seeing her in Cambridge on the bicycle, the student hiding the review? The review of her poem by Ted Hughes, her reading Hughes's poem? Her wanting to meet him, the dance, her approaching him? The talk, dancing - and the soundtrack going quiet, indicating the nature of the interaction, the beginnings of a relationship between them? Ted Hughes and his admirers, the women around him? Sylvia falling in love with him?

5. Getting to know each other, sharing opinions, their sexual relationship? The significance of his poetry, his acclaim, his explaining winning the prize to Sylvia? His career? Their going to the United States, their hopes for their marriage, the social and meeting Sylvia's family? Mrs Plath's reaction to Ted, the discussion with Sylvia about liking him or not, asking Sylvia whether she loved him, then Mrs Plath liking him? Claiming that she had read his poems and his question? Her reaction? The women at the party and their adulation?

6. The rowing sequence, its naturalistic style, the two of them out on the water, talking, sharing, talking about poetry, Ted helping Sylvia to see what her topic for poetry should be? Truth and love? Their marriage?

7. Their time in the United States, the summer holiday, Sylvia trying to write, her cooking? Her lecturing, the range of corrections? Her going in to listen to Ted and his lecture, reading Yeats, again, the adulation of the women? Glimpsing him with his student, the introduction, seeing her later, her running away? Ted arriving home late, Sylvia's tenseness, her inability to write? Waiting up for Ted, the confrontations? Her growing anger? His response, offhand, changing heart, wanting to love her? The effect of this on her, on him, the scenes of reconciliation?

8. Going back to the United Kingdom, the children? The change in her life, caring for the babies, at home, the cooking? His lecturing, his relationships, the women? Their time in Devon? Alone, her working on her manuscript, the corrections over the phone? Meeting Aissa and David? Their looking over the house in London, inviting them to Devon? Their arrival, Sylvia's suspicions of Ted, the meal, her making a scene, the tension, David offering to leave in the morning? Her agreeing? Her publication, waiting for the reviews, the launch and the offhand attitude of the range of reviewers, coming just for the party? The meeting with Al Alvarez, their discussions, his support of her, his insight into her poetry, his good review?

9. Ted and Aissa beginning an affair, his absences from Devon? His decision to go, Sylvia's anxiety, his not farewelling the little girl? Sylvia left alone with the children, working, the washing, cleaning, growing depression? Her beginning to write after Ted's leaving? Her intensity of writing? The visit to Al Alvarez, talking about her relationships, suggesting that he become her lover? His refusal? Her gaining in self-confidence?

10. Ted's return visit, the sexual encounter, his declaration of love for her, her seeming to be happy, the possibilities of the future, his not coming back, Aissa being pregnant?

11. The build-up to the suicide sequence, her getting everything in order, the details of her using the masking tape for the doors and windows, the gas, her death? The people coming in afterwards, finding her dead, the body being taken out? Her funeral?

12. The aftermath, the publication of Arial, Ted and his doing the work, her writing becoming popular over the decades? Women finding support in her writings?

13. The film as a love story, a love-hate story, a story of fidelity and betrayal, emotional demands, reconciliation and forgiveness - but, ultimately, to despair and death?

14. The film's perspective on poetic creativity, inspiration? The significance of the boat scene and Ted's discussing things with Sylvia? The reviews? The desire to write, the compulsion, the achievement?

THE SACRED FOOTSTEPS

Iran, 2004, 100 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Mohammad Mahdi Asgarpour (pictured above).

The Sacred Footsteps is a film that would play well only in Iran itself or in countries who understood the social and religious conditions that it portrays. It would be too difficult for a western audience.

The film focuses on a young man who is about to go on a pilgrimage to a shrine. He has been doing odd jobs in the village where he has grown up, assists the expert who is leading excavations of an old site, expecting to find a temple. During his stay at the shrine, he has a dream and is directed by an outstretched arm to return to the village to try to discover who his parents were.

In the village, the people help on the site of the excavations, run shops, carry out their ordinary lives. However, they are often cantankerous with each other, shouting and yelling. They are particularly severe towards a young boy whom they chase and beat.

After looking at a portrait of the particular people, especially the middle-aged and older men and their own disputes about shop-owning and lawsuits, it emerges in flashbacks that the young man's mother had been killed by the townspeople. She had been pregnant, one of the women had taken the baby and brought it up with her own child, their playing as brother and sister. There was speculation as to who was the father or who had had relationships with the woman. However, it seems that she was married or linked to an artist who had decorated the shrine and who was now dead. None of this had been told to the young man.

He had fallen in love with the girl who was supposed to be his sister, she is about to be married to another man. The small boy overhears the discussions about the truth and finally reveals it to the young man, the townspeople admit what had happened. He attends the ceremony of the marriage between his stepsister and the young man, finally holding a branch of lamps and moving with it in ceremonial ritual signifying that he was of age, accepted, and reconciled with the villagers. However, next morning the boy sees on the wall of his hut a drawing which indicates that he himself has gone on a long journey.

The film uses many Iranian religious rituals, ceremonies as well as folklore and speculation about moral law in Islam.

STRANDS OF HAIR

Iran, 2004, 81 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Iraj Karimi (pictured above).

Strands of Hair is a short-running film but is very difficult to sit through. The plot focuses on a divorced woman, her relationships, a company, her friends, her son and his involvement in demonstrations as well as his girlfriend.

However, the film is experimental insofar as most of its action takes place with people talking on phones, especially mobile phones. The credits sequence indicates this with the wide range of phone calls and people answering.

However, this means that it is very difficult to establish a rapport with the characters, even identify who they are and their relationships. The effect is that the film is more like visual radio. One can shut one's eyes, simply listen to the words and focus on what is happening. The visuals take place in the city as well as in the mountainous countryside but are merely a backdrop to the talk on the phone.

The film's writer, editor, director, shows initiative in experimenting with new forms of cinema but unfortunately, the whole approach to the words, the phones and the images does not work well dramatically.

STRANGE PLANET

Australia, 1999, 97 minutes, Colour.
Claudia Karvan, Naomi Watts, Alice Garner, Tom Long, Aaron Jeffrey, Felix Williamson, Hugo Weaving, Rebecca Frith, Marshall Napier.
Directed by Emma -Kate Croghan.

Strange Planet seems a strange title for a film about six young people in Sydney in 1999. However, Ewan, played by Sea change and The Dish's Tom Long, explains to his friend Joel, Aaron Jeffrey, that in a Twilight Zone episode some space explorers landed on a strange planet, started to attack one another until only one survived and then found that they actually had not left Earth. This is a story about six young twentysomethings, their ambitions, their sex lives, their interactions with one another. The film has a great deal of talk in it, the kind of talk of people trying to prove themselves and trying to get some kind of commitment into their lives, even if they don't believe that it is possible.

Claudia Karvan, after a career as a child star, established herself as a strong force in Australian cinema. Naomi Watts, rather pallid as the almost ordinary young girl, does not really give any indication that within two years she would have starred in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive and within five years would have Oscar nominations. Alice Garner, the wise young child of Monkey Grip, is a daffy young woman in this film. They are very striking compared with the men who also include Felix Williamson as an eccentric lawyer feeling very lonely. Hugo Weaving appears as a television executive.

The film was directed by Emma -Kate Croghan who made the small-budget and rather similar film, with a Melbourne setting, Love and Other Catastrophes. The film was co-written by Stavros Kazantzidis, writer and director of True Love and Chaos.

1. The appeal of the film for twentysomething audiences? For older and more experienced audiences looking at young adults trying to find their way?

2. The Sydney settings, taking place from New Year's Eve to New Year's Eve, the months passing, the city itself, the seasons? Apartments, the world of television, bookshops? The musical score and the long range of songs?

3. The title, Sydney as a strange planet? The reference to The Twilight Zone, the insertion of clips from the television program, Ewan and his description of the episode - and the point being made about the strange planet being planet Earth? As applied to the characters in this film, their relationships, the potential for destruction?

4. The screenplay and the talk, the interests of the young group, their sexuality and identity, wanting some kind of commitment but unable to find it? Liaisons, affairs, marriages, marriage break-up? The finale and the pairing off of the three couples? What future?

5. The collage during the credits, focusing on the three girls? Seeing them at the New Year's Eve party, their characters, Judy and her pushiness and her tone, ambitions, sex? Alice and her being something of a wallflower? Sally and her eccentricity, her New Year's resolutions, her taking the drugs, jumping into the harbour, not swimming, her being rescued? Setting the tone for the rest of the film and the glimpses of these three girls?

6. The three men, their discussions, their studies, their relationships or lack of relationships? Joel and his wife walking out on him, taking it hard? Morose? Ewan, his law degree, his abilities, his memory of his relationship with Sally, his keeping up a brave face? Neil, his law degree, his reading Cosmopolitan, having women's magazines' ideas of how life had to be led? His loneliness, his eccentric Freudian theory about handbags? His being a man of theory rather than action?

7. The months passing, the changes in fortune for each of the six characters? Transformations within a year?
8. Judy, her musician father, her meeting him, his being drunk and stoned, his buying her the shoes and her destroying them? Her going to the cemetery, her love for her mother, talking with her mother? Her relationships, especially with the older tutor and his going on his knees to propose, her rejecting him because she had graduated? Her relationship with Alice and Sally, memories of school, shared intimacies, the film of their play and Romeo and Juliet? Her wanting to be in television, interviews, the possibility of a radio job, her working with Amanda? Not knowing Stephen was her husband, her ambitions, bumping into him in the car, his gracious response, the dinner, her confessing the truth? Her ambitions to go forward in the media world? Having Stephen to dinner, showing him the film, his meeting her friends? Her affair, the discussions with Amanda and Amanda's view of men? The development, her having to face more reality, the meeting with Ewan, her relationship with him? A future?

9. Alice, the ordinary background, an ordinary person? In the shadow of Judy? At school, her looking at the film, her wanting to talk with Judy about more serious things? The working in the café, her liking it there, Judy urging her to study? The parties, the possible date rape and her reaction? Her learning martial arts? The change during the year, her meeting with Joel, their clicking? A future or not?

10. Sally, her appearance, daffy manner, the bookshop in which she worked? Drugs, sexual relationships, casual encounters, jumping into the harbour? Her being in the background? The casual nature of her life, her meeting with Neil, two eccentrics? A future?

11. The men, Joel, his separation from his wife, his being upset, phoning Ewan, the attempted suicide? His feeling of freedom, his change, his work? The meeting with Judy? Ewan, his seemingly in control, his past years with Sally, the separation? His talking with his friends, trying to advise them? His work as a lawyer, the disputing couples, their fights, his change of heart, becoming a taxi driver? The scene from Taxi Driver? His one-night stands, girls getting pregnant, the Catholic, the abortion, his having to face reality? His work, with Judy? Their compatibility? Neil, eccentric, reading the magazines, his approach to science and theory? His going to the dating agency, fulfilling all the details, his date, the preparation for the marriage, his leaving his wife, with Sally? Eccentric?

12. Stephen and Amanda, his walking out on his wife and children, TV executive, attracted by Judy, going to her house, the affair? Its not being able to last? Amanda, with the children, her bitterness, her radio program and advice on sexuality?

13. The range of supporting characters, the former lover kneeling to propose in the shop, Joel's ex-wife, Judy's father? The young people and the party going group?

14. A glimpse at the perspectives and life attitudes of young people at the end of the 20th century in Sydney?