GATE OF FLESH

Japan, 1964, 88 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Seijun Suzuki.

The films of prolific director Seijun Suzuki had some popularity as well as notoriety in the middle of the 1960s. They have been resurrected at various times in decades since.

This is a picture of postwar Japan, plenty of occupying Americans. However, the focus is on the young women who are prostitutes after the war, living in their own particular enclave, independent in their manner, not wanting pimps, but involved in some commercial deals.

The film is in colour, quite lavish to look at, especially with each of the women having her own distinctive clothes and bright colours.

There is a contrast between the poor young woman fallen on hard times who is actually taken in to the group, dominated by the leader, but eventually attracted to the wandering mercenary who lives amongst them.

The man is played by regular Suzuki star, Jo Shishido.

The film spends a lot of time focusing on the women, their interactions, their work as prostitutes, clashes with Americans, the initially innocent young woman falling in love, and their clashes.

The films of Suzuki are to be seen in the context of the 1960s history of Japanese filmmaking. Apparel from the 1960s and 70s might be to look at the films from the company, American International.

AFFLICTED

Canada, 2013, 85 minutes, Colour.
Derek Lee, Clif Prowse , Baya Rehaz.
Directed by Derek Lee, Cliff Prowse.

By the end of this film, afflicted seems to be a very mild word. Derek Lee is certainly far more than afflicted.

This is a film in the tradition begun by The Blair Witch Project. However, this is not found footage, but footage created along the way, designed for posting on social media and reaching its initial audience that way.

The film starts with two friends being introduced, rather happy-go-lucky types, deciding to go for a trip around the world for a year. However, Derek is diagnosed with the beginnings of some illness but decides to go nonetheless. Clif has a great deal of equipment to photograph the trip.

They do get to go to Barcelona and meet friends there who are playing in a band. They also get to Paris and they get to Italy. However, on the way, they encounter a young woman named Audrey – and she has quite an effect on Derek.

Derek begins to manifest extraordinary characteristics including smashing through a brick wall, running at 60 km an hour, an ability to climb buildings – touch of the parody of a superhero. Clif is continually worried, does film a lot of the episodes, but wants to get Derek to have medical care, to get him to a hospital. Sometimes this does happen.

However, Derek develops a thirst for human blood, waves down an ambulance, causes mayhem in hospital, Clif has to cut himself to provide some temporary blood… By this stage Derek seems to be completely vampiric, even trying to kill himself by bashing his head against a wall – but it heals.

Clif is concerned, disappears. A cousin comes from America to help Derek but is accidentally killed. Contact is made with Audrey and she comes to visit Derek but is unable to give him any solace at all.

What starts out like a young adults’ journey to Europe, transforms into an effective variation on horror themes and vampires.

Needless to say, it has its target audience and mainstream audiences will probably find it bizarre and offputting.

KM 72

Venezuela, 2015, 94 minutes, Colour.
Frank Spano, George Akram, Marco Antonio Alcala, Indra Santamaria, Jesus Nunes.
Directed by Samuel Henriques.

This is a police drama from Venezuela, with settings in the capital, Caracas.

A millionaire has been killed and the police go to investigate. One of the police is corrupt and tries to track down the rich man’s bodyguard and get the briefcase which has been stolen from the open safe.

However, the film focuses on the bodyguard himself, his police and driving background, his loyalty to his boss. When he comes to the house and finds his boss dead, he confronts the three people in the house, an exploitative magician, a young woman from a bar, the dead man’s son. He confronts them verbally and physically – and the film shows the three versions of the rich man’s death.

The bodyguard has taken the briefcase and buried it at a special place designated by his boss. When the corrupt policeman finds the bodyguard, threatens him with injury to his mother to whom he is devoted, and gets the briefcase it is full of ping-pong balls.

Memories of Kurosawa’s Rashomon with a variety of versions of the same story.

1. A film from Venezuela? Local themes? Universal?

2. The settings, Caracas, the streets, the homes, police precincts?

3. A police drama, investigation?

4. A crime drama, the murders, the police inspecting, the corrupt officer and his search for the briefcase, shooting the driver?

5. The various time shifts? The three versions of the killing?

6. The police at the scene, the audience seeing the dead people, hearing some of the background?

7. The bodyguard, the background of his story, the police, driving, 10 years, in himself, his care for his mother and concern for her health, the rich man as a father figure, his loyalty? Meeting the son at the airport? Resenting him? Finding the rich man dead, confronting each of the three suspects?

8. The bodyguard, his control, the visualising of the three stories, each of the characters in the different version of the background of what happened? Killing? Suicide? The bodyguard and his torture, killing the suspects?

9. The magician, his background, justifying himself, the woman, the son, the clashes, power, the briefcase? The woman and the killing?

10. The woman, and the clubs, being picked up, the later coincidences, the car, the drive, in the home, tantalising the man – and his shooting himself?

11. The son, his story, relationship with his father, defending him?

12. The bodyguard, getting the briefcase, burying it at KM 72?

13. The corrupt policeman, the briefcase, the ping-pong balls? The interactions with the police chief?

14. Crime, investigation, interpretation?

THE DARKNESS

US, 2016, 92 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, Lucy Fry, Matt Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Paul Reiser.
Directed by Greg Mc Lean.

The Darkness is a rather quiet horror film from Australian writer-director, Greg Mc Lean. He made a an initial impression was Rogue that came to international fame with Wolf Creek, then making a sequel as well as a television series. He was to pick up his reputation for more extreme films with The Velcro Experiment (2017).

In the meantime, audiences were disappointed at the quietness of this horror film, a PG-13 rating.

However, it is more of a domestic drama, relationships within the family. Kevin Bacon portrays a successful architect, with extra projects, visit his office, pressurised by his boss, played by Paul Reiser. He is given an attractive assistant – which reveals that he had previously had an affair. Rider Mitchell is his long-suffering wife, patient with him, forgiving, but sometimes on edge. Have a teenage daughter Stephanie with the usual problems, resenting her parents intruding into the privacy of her room. However, she basically bonds with them.

The other significant character is the young son, Michael (David Moses) who is autistic. He requires special care, special treatment, toys and special treats at the supermarket… The film relies on the presupposition that some autistic children have a natural affinity with the transcendent.

On a family outing to the Grand Canyon and the beauty of the Arizona landscapes, Michael falls into cave and discovers stones which are connected with Native American myths. He takes them home, plays with them – which has significant effect on himself, even a fire in the house and the burning of the wall. The film shows the pressure on the rest of the family. The mother investigates myths and turns to experts who perform a ritual in the house, breaking through the burnt wall, Native American spirits arriving, the mythology saying that they would take children. The father then goes to rescue his son, trying to take hold of all the stones and put them in their proper symmetry. He succeeds in the family is reunited.

More of the domestic drama than horror story.

1. The title? Suggestions of horror? Indian myths? Possession? Visualising the darkness on the wall?

2. The Grand Canyon, the Arizona beauty, the caves, the highways, homes, school, workplaces, restaurants? The musical score?

3. The sunny opening, cheerful, Peter and Ronnie and the children, their friends, conversations, picnics, the walks? Michael and his going into the cave, falling through the sand, finding the stones, taking them?

4. The significance of Michael being autistic, the suggestions of greater connections with the transcendent?

5. Ordinary life, Michael, his needs, play, toys, Stephanie and her going to school, boys, friends, her resentments against her parents, intrusion into her room?

6. Peter, his job, the projects, his boss and talk, the new assistant and praising his lectures? The background of his having had an affair, Bron his reaction? Home, the bonding, the meals? Upset? Michael is concerned? Concern for Stephanie? The fire, the black on the wall? Advice about Michael in therapy? His denial of problems?

7. Bromley, her care, worrying, with each member of the family, the fire, not wanting to go to the dinner with the boss, the conversation with his wife, reading up background about myths?

8. Michael, the stones, the mythology, the friend on the wall, the fire?

9. Further research, the Native American myths, the stones, the ghosts taking the child?

10. Consulting the experts, the information, going to the house, the rituals, the family present, the spirits, the hole in the wall, Michael going, Peter to the rescue, retrieving the stones, the closing of the wall?

11. A family domestic story with horror and mythical overtones?

ARMY OF DARKNESS

US, 1992, 82 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie, Richard Grove.
Directed by Sam Raimi.

Army of Darkness follows Sam Raimi’s explorations of the demonic, Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2, both from the 1980s. By the time of Army of Darkness, he had already made such serious films as Darkman but was to go on to such notable features as A Simple Plan, For Love of the Game, The Gift as well is three Spiderman films. Other films include Drag Me to Help as well as Oz, The Great and Powerful.

This film reintroduces Bruce Campbell as the character, Ash. He is doing some work on a dark book manuscript from the past, the Necronomicon – his pages are seen filling out, blood-red. In his dealings with the book, he is transported back into the Middle Ages. What follows is something of a medievil action romp, confrontation with evil spirits, Ash not wanting to help the people in their struggles simply wanting to get home.

The humorous tone is set by having the media evil people speak with rather British accents and vocabulary with Ash strong with his American accent and strong with his American vocabulary and phrases, highlighting the incongruity.

When he arrives, there are battles going on, various lords dressed up in armour, angry ladies, including Embeth Davidtz. When people go down a mysterious well, Ash is pushed down himself, fighting diabolical skeletons, escaping the clamping iron gates. Wop what helps him, of course, is his rifle, something which terrifies the locals.

After the initial hostility, the leader, Arthur, begins to rely on him. Ash also lets the leader of the opposition, Red, escape.

What follows is a great deal of action, campaigning, monsters, gunfire…

Ash was later to appear in Sam Raimi’s 20-episode television series, Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2016).

This film is high on the list of cult schlock movies.

TUNNEL

Korea, 2016, 126 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Seong-hun Kim.

While this film might be expected to be something of a popular disaster film, it does have those ingredients but goes beyond them, for some social and political critique.

The plot is fairly straightforward. We are introduced to a young man, husband and father, filling up with petrol, doing business deals on his mobile phone. He drives along Korean highways and into a new tunnel which collapses on him. While he is trapped, he is still mobile, has his phone and is able to communicate with the authorities as well is his wife and daughter – though warned by the authorities not to talk to the television shows in order not to waste his battery. He has only a few bottles of water and a cake. It appears that it will take several days for him to be rescued. In fact, it is 35 days before he is rescued – with a television announcer gleefully telling his audience that this is a record.

Another person is trapped under the tunnel, a young woman with her dog, who is able to make contact with the man, get some water from him but who dies. And the dog eats the man’s cake – but he later finds dog food and shares this with the dog.

The other central character in the film is the man in charge of the rescue operation, the solid serious man, reassuring the trapped man, doing his best to study the situation, the engineering consequences, driving into the tunnel with an assistant with more collapsing and his having to drive backing out, quite a tense scene. It is discovered that the blueprint is wrong, part of the shoddy workmanship in the building of the tunnels. A man is also killed in an accident with a circular saw, putting pressure on the wife of the trapped man apologising to the dead man’s mother and the little girl being attacked at school for her father being responsible for the death of the worker.

There is also political comment with the Minister turning up as well as the media, and intrusive media quite insensitive and being told off, about everybody taking the opportunity for photos and television interviews.

When it seems impossible for the rescue, the wife signs a document and goes on a radio broadcasts which her husband can hear saying that she regrets having to stop the rescue operation.

However, the man in charge still has faith, himself going down into the tunnel, and finally rescuing the trapped man – with an ironic ending with the man whispering to the overseer and the minister wanting to know what he said: a swearing outburst!

1. The impact of the film? Audiences identifying with the characters, situations, dangers, facing death?

2. The locations, the highways, service stations, the tunnel, the mountains above, the highways and bridges, the interiors, the special effects of the collapse of the tunnel? The musical score? And the classical music and popular songs to sustain the buried man?

3. The blend of disaster film with social commentary?

4. The man, his age, at the garage, phone call to his wife, the gift for his daughter? On the phone, all the business deals? In the tunnel, the beginning of the fall, his car, the rocks crashing down, his being trapped? His using his phone but urged to preserve the battery? Talking with the authorities, the television studios, with his wife and daughter? The battery of the car, the lights? The limited bottles of water? The cake? The advice for him to ration the water? The number of days he was expecting to wait before the rescue? His being reassured?

5. The director of the rescue, his personality, in control? Estimation of the damage, co-workers, his urging them not to be flippant about a man and his fate? The amount of equipment? The blueprints, identifying the fans, the drilling, the mistake on the blueprints, drilling in the wrong place? Driving with his assistant into the tunnel, the collapse, backing out of the tunnel, the tension? Continuing with the plans, contacting the man, his blowing the car horn? Eventually going down to find the man?

6. The woman trapped, making the noise, the man going to find her, her injuries, the dog? The phone call to her mother, her apology? The dog and the water? The dog eating the cake? The man later finding the dog food and rationing it?

7. The effect of the confinement of the man, keeping up his hopes, the communication, the broadcast each day? The long time?

8. His wife, present, the little girl? The man with the saw and his being killed? The children mocking the little girl at school because of her father causing death? The effect on the wife, her apology to the mother of the dead man? The food, her helping? The issue of resuming the blasting on the other tunnel, her decision, signing the document, the radio broadcast to her husband, her regrets?

9. The political background, the minister coming, television, opportunities, her coming at the end – and the swear words?

10. The shoddy contracts, the poor building, collapses, wrong blueprints? The alternate tunnel and the need for blasting?

11. The man surviving, his being rescued, on the stretcher, his swearing, the photo opportunities for the Minister? And his surviving with his family – and the dog? Daring to drive through another runnel?

12. An effective combination of disaster movie with human drama and political and social comment?

TOWN ON TRIAL

UK, 1957, 95 minutes, Black and white.
John Mills, Charles Coburn, Barbara Bates, Derek Farr, Alec Mc Cowen, Fay Compton, Geoffrey Keane, Margaretta Scott, Meredith Edwards, Harry Locke, Raymond Huntley, Harry Fowler, Maureen Connell, Dandy Nichols.
Directed by John Guillerman.

This is a murder mystery from the mid-1950s, the British setting, with a very strong British cast led by John Mills and character actors like Alec Mc Cowen as the murderer. The film was directed by John Guillerman, director of small budget British films before moving to America and making a range of big-budget films including the 1976 King Kong.

The film also has two American cast members, Charles Coburn who appeared in How to Murder a Rich Uncle in the UK the same year, and Barbara Bates.

The film opens with John Mills reading out a confession of the murder in the murderer’s words. He is an experienced detective, losing his family during the blitz, hard in his dealings with people, putting fellow officers sometimes offside, and certainly alienating the people in the town, putting them on trial for the murder – and a second murder.

The screenplay has him having a romantic interest with Barbara Bates – not entirely dramatically convincing.

More dramatically interesting is the climax of the film, the murderer climbing the spire of the local church and the detective going up to reason with him.

There are quite a number of suspects, including Charles Coburn as the doctor who had trouble in Toronto. There is the Secretary at the centre tennis club, Derek Farr, who is self-promoting, blackmailing the doctor, with the murdered girl pregnant by him. There is also Alec Mc Cowen as a disturbed young man, living with his mother, Fay Compton.

Although it is something of an average film, it does hold the attention while audiences are watching it.

1. British film of the mid-50s? Way of life in British towns in the period? Society, rich and poor?

2. The town setting, atmosphere of the period, clothes, cars, dances and music? Authentic feel for the time?

3. The strong cast, the leads, two from the United States, the range of British character actors, their careers after this period?

4. The opening, the cars arriving, the murder? The text from the murderer and Halloran reading aloud in a plain tone? The subjective point of view, the attitude towards the victim, the stalking, murderous intent, the quotation from Ezekiel and the condemnation of the woman? The visuals of the murder, the victim, the pursuit, her death?

5. Halloran, a John Mills character, rather stern, blunt in his interrogations, circulating the questionnaire and reaction against it? The encounter with Elizabeth? The credibility of the attraction and the romantic sub-plot?

6. The club, tennis, the first victim, the comment about her attracting the men, the men watching, the women watching? Winning her game? Going for a swim? Her self-confidence? The pursuit and her death? The autopsy? The opinion of the doctor? The autopsy and the fact that she was pregnant?

7. Halloran and investigations, getting names? Mark Roper and his position in the club, Secretary? His arrogance? Relationship with his wife? Dr Fenner revealing that he had fathered the child? The interview and his RAF career – and Halloran investigating, lies? Halloran exposing him in front of his wife? His denials? His reputation of the club, his drinking, his demanding that his wife go to the dance, the bandleader mocking him?

8. Peter Crowley, his mental condition, living with his mother, her care for him? His attraction to the victim? The dance, his going home, anguish with his mother, grief about the victim, his alibi? Dr Fenner’s visit and trying to persuade him to confess to the murders – and the screenplay seeming to put the blame on Dr Fenner? The questioning by Halloran, not believing him guilty?

9. Fiona, the interrogation by Halloran, her being with the young crowd, the drunken driver, the accident? Bringing her home? Her mother’s concern? The arrogance of her father, antipathy towards Halloran, Halloran speaking bluntly to him about bringing up his child, his connections and reporting Halloran? His slapping his daughter? His reaction to his daughter’s death? His demands?

10. Dr Fenner, the background of the incident in Toronto, his being blackmailed in the town, Mark Roper and the pressure? His practice? His knowledge? Audience suspicion of him? Halloran’s visits? Dr Fenner and the visit to Peter Crowley, forcing him to confess? His relationship with Elizabeth? At the dance, leaving early, getting the petrol, the hand from the boot of the car, the petrol station owner and his phoning the police? The plausibility of the doctor’s story, finding the body and taking it?

11. Fiona, at the dance, her performance and people’s response? At home, her stocking being stolen? Keeping her father waiting? His threat to send her away? After the dance, the pursuit, her death?

12. The scriptural quotation, in the purse? Typed? The spelling of judgement? Roper, Dr Fenner and Peter Crowley all writing out the text?

13. The relationship between Elizabeth and Halloran, initially disliking him, the attraction, going out for the meal, the meetings, the truth about her uncle? The culmination at the church, her talking plainly to him about his manner, his telling her that she could not influence his work at his job?

14. Peter Crowley, the truth, the police, his going to the church, the police on guard, Crowley climbing the spire, Halloran going after him, the fire brigade and the other emergency services, Halloran telling them to back off?

15. Halloran, the conversation with Crowley, being stern with him, saying that he wanted attention, his low self-esteem and wanting people to know about him, the motivation for the murders? Giving his hand, Halloran holding onto him, the final rescue?

16. The range of the supporting cast, the police officers, the landlady, Peter Crowley’s mother, Mark Roper’s wife, Fiona’s parents…?

17. The title, the town on trial, creating the atmosphere for these murders?

QUIT STARING AT MY PLATE/ NE GLEDAJ MI U PIJAT

Croatia/Denmark, 2016, 105 minutes, Colour.
Arijana Culina, Mia Petricevic, Niksa Butijer.
Directed by Hana Jusic.

Life in a Croatian town at the beginning of the 21st-century. And, in many ways, life is hard.

The film focuses on a family, the father something of the patriarch, highly critical, sometimes violent, eventually suffering a stroke and having to be cared for. His wife is rather long suffering, quiet in her resentment. The older son is mentally impaired, has no job, stays around the house. The daughter has life in her, is younger, has a job at the hospital, is sometimes friendly, sometimes abrasive, resenting her father.

After the stroke, the family are somewhat liberated, take some time off to enjoy themselves at the beach. The young woman, however, has sexual stirrings and goes out at night and has sexual experiences.

The film does not draw conclusions, but rather is observant about people in society and in their social context with the tensions of family living.

1. The title and the tone? Meals and food as a theme throughout the film? Who was “my�?

2. The Croatian setting, the town, the house, hospital, workplaces, bars? The coast and the beach? The musical score?

3. The slice of life, the family, their place in the town? At home, meals, the severity of the father, the put-upon mother get her wanting to buy good food, the mental limitations of the brother, Marijana and her place in the family, with her parents, with her work at the hospital?

4. Father, his severity, past tutoring, criticism of his daughter, slapping her, the criticism of the tough meat, his behaviour at the table? Going out with his son? Going out with his daughter and her following? His going out of the house, collapsing in the street, the stroke? Hospital, his returning home, in bed, the children poking him, the family looking after him, medically, physically, feeding?

5. The mother, her age, hard life, subject to her husband, cooking, shopping? The dealing with her son and concern? Her daughter? Her husband and his stroke, the hospital? Getting a neighbour to care for him when the family went to the beach? Her swimming, the exhilaration of the outing? The touch of self-indulgence in better food?

6. The brother, mental deficiencies, age, at home, eating, talk, not having a job? Around the town? The fight with the young men? His relationship with his father? The response to the stroke? The outing to the beach?

7. Marijana, her age, resentments of her father, his discipline, the standing up to him, his slapping her? Her work in the hospital, interaction with the other nurses, friends, sometimes surly? At home, the meals? Her father’s stroke, caring for him? The outing to the beach, her wanting some freedom?

8. Her going out at night, the friend from school days, the clubs, going to clean the houses, her mother’s refusal? The encounter with the men, flirting, the eager sexual experiences, her going home? Kissing the young man? Her wanting sexual experiences?

9. The inconclusive plot – but presenting characters and a slice of life?

SONG TO SONG

US, 2017, 130 minutes, Colour.
Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchet, Holly Hunter, Berenice Marlohe, Linda Emond, Tom Sturridge, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, John Lydon.
Directed by Terrence Malick.

Fragments, jigsaw pieces, snippets…


Jigsaw pieces mean that there can be a whole and coherent picture. Fragments, not – diverse, disparate, a partial picture. Snippets offer quick glimpses that come and go, may be connected, unconnected, disconnected.

Song to Song. Songs, Austin, Texas, music scene, producers, musicians, the enormous range in the music credits list, but how much noted and noticed over 130 minutes? The great range of singers playing themselves, Patti Smith, different bands. Chants, hymns and St Francis Peace Prayer.

Reality, fantasy, surreality.

Rooney Mara, soft voice-over, “am I walking in a dream?�. Is she waking in a dream? “I drift.� Michael Fassbender, macho, romantic, playful, exploitative, love or lust? Contrasting Ryan Gosling, younger, playful, more love than lust?

Scripted, improvised, director in control.

Snippets can mean narrative, contributing to a story: beginning, middle, end, but not necessarily in that order. In the end is the beginning.

Threesome, love, joy, play. Fidelity forever. Human nature – suggesting not, rather, betrayal.

Suddenly, Natalie Portman, luminous, love, fidelity, hopes. That’s Holly Hunter as her mother.

Mexico, peasants, music, the contrast with the American metropolis, affluence, ordinariness, academic auditoria, concert arenas. Performance, backstage, Val Kilmer and wild hair.

Who is that from Paris? The lesbian relationship. Rooney Mara, did she, could she?

130 minutes of handheld camera, motion, variety of angles, framing, editing cuts (three editors in the final credits), speed, cause and effect, juxtapositions – to what purpose?

And Cate Blanchett? Divorce, children, Ryan Gosling? Connections? Children, playing, parents, ageing and dying.

Clips from old movies. Scenes of cosmic beauty (this is, after all, Terrence Malick), days of heaven.

Is this Malick’s visual poem, thematic dream, extended visual installation?

And the reviewer in the audience watching, listening, experiencing, much to appreciate, much to endure, but how much to comprehend? And does it matter? For a lover of story, yes!

1. This film in Terence Malick’s canon? Impact? The fans? For those not fans?

2. His style, eight hours of footage, cutting room floor, characters and cast deleted? The remaining plot, the remaining cast?

3. The setting in Austin, Texas? Streets, parks, homes, concert arena, academic auditorium? The Mexico sequences, the village? The atmosphere?

4. The musical score, the range, contributing to the plot, the title and the songs, performance, recordings, piano playing, the bands in the arena? The range of music in the credits?

5. The visual style, handheld camera, framing, editing, cuts, speed and pace?

6. Fragments, jigsaw pieces, connections or not? Unconnected, disconnected? Visual poem, installation?

7. The cast, performance, how much improvising, how much control by the director?

8. The possibility for constructing a linear plot development and synopsis?

9. Relationships, love, lust, fidelity, betrayal?

10. Moral perspective, religious perspective, St Francis Peace Prayer, churches, chants? Patti Smith and the story of her marriage, her dead husband, the ring?

11. The focus on Cook, Michael Fassbender, his age, recording profession, Faye as his receptionist? His relationship with her, exercising power, macho? Love, domination,
playfulness? Meeting Rhonda, the waitress? The development of the relationship, the outings with her, stronger than his relationship with Faye? The change over time, Rhonda and her observations, ageing?

12. Ryan Gosling as BV, younger than Cook, the background of his family, his brother, his ailing father, love for Faye, the lyrical sequences of their friendship, in nature, in the city? Sharing with cook? The change, reuniting with Faye? Her asking for mercy and forgiveness?

13. Faye, young, Cook’s receptionist, ambitions, music, her appearance, love? Joyful, with both Cook and BV? Her being used? The arrival of the woman from Paris, the attraction, the seduction, the affair, the effect? The sequences with her mother, discussions with her mother, time passing, her changing, mercy and forgiveness? The scene of her mother’s collapse in the parking lot?

14. Rhonda, teacher, waitress, her personality, vivacious, liking children?

15. The woman from Paris, her manner, appearance, seductive behaviour, the affair, Faye and the woman together?

16. Faye’s mother, support, the parting, her collapse?

17. The auditorium, the concert, Val Kilmer backstage, the range of actual performers?

18. Amanda, her divorce, with her mother, her children? Amanda and BV? The lyrical times together? The restaurant, the dinner, her walking out, talking with BV, leaving him? The mother and her confronting BV?

19. BV, his dying father? Going to the drilling site, hard work?

20. The ending, Faye and BV – reality or memories?

21. The overall effect, the work of art? Indulgence? Both?

KILLING KENNEDY

US, 2013, 87 minutes, Colour.
Rob Lowe, Will Rothhaar, Ginnifer Goodwin, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jack Noseworthy, Richard Flood, Francis Guinan, Casey Siemaszko, Mary Pat Gleason.
Directed by Nelson Mc Cormick.

Since the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, there are whole archives of documentary material on the Kennedys, on 60s politics, on the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missiles, on Kennedy and his philandering, on the assassination, on Lee Harvey Oswald, on Jack Ruby. There have also been many feature films and television series on the Kennedy family, on Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, as well as a multitude of conspiracy theories, including Richard Condon’s novel, Winter Kills, and a speculation that Joseph Kennedy was responsible for his son’s death, and JFK by Oliver Stone.

In comparison, this is a rather brief television film, giving the background to the Kennedy family, the death of Joe Kennedy, JF Kennedy and his nomination, the close election, the political crises internationally and his decision to be his own man in decisions. Robert Kennedy also appears as advisor as well as challenger about his brother’s affair with the mistress of a gangster.

However, as the title indicates, this is a film about the assassination. While it is based on a book of research, it keeps close to the Warrant Report and its focusing on the role of Lee Harvey Oswald, something which did not satisfy conspiracy theorists.

Rob Lowe is the president, Ginnefer Goodwin is Jackie. There is an interesting glimpse of Lyndon Johnson by Francis Guinan.

However, most of the interest of this film is in Lee Harvey Oswald with a significant performance by Will Rothhaar. It traces Oswald’s life in the Marines, his dissatisfaction with the United States in capitalism, his attempt to settle in Russia, his meeting Marina and marrying her, his return to the US, still Marxist, encounters with the FBI, campaigning against Kennedy and the attacks on Castro. He is a moody man, violent towards his wife, wanting attention. He buys a rifle, possesses a gun.

This is an interesting portrait of Oswald, focusing as well on the day of the assassination, his activities, his escape from the book repository, bus, taxi, killing officer Tippett in the street, the arrest in the cinema, the interrogations – and his being killed by Jack Ruby who has been glimpsed at his burlesque club, a devoted patriot and supporter of the Kennedys.

Somewhat dismissed by those who want a more purist treatment of the subject, it nevertheless provides a 90 minute summary, visually, of the events of those years.
1. Audience response to stories about John F. Kennedy? Older audiences, younger? Knowledge of American history?

2. The background of documentaries, news footage? Films and television movies about the Kennedys? Facts, fiction? Conspiracies?

3. The aftermath, after half a century? The Warren Report and the focus on Lee Harvey Oswald? Book and cinema speculations, especially with Oliver Stone? Information, politics of the period, politics in Texas? Information about Lee Harvey Oswald, his time in Russia? Cuba, Bay of Pigs, the missiles? Kennedy’s connection with mobsters?

4. The film and its brief running time, snippets of sequences? The re-creation of the period? The drama? The musical score?

5. The cast, Rob Lowe as Kennedy? Expectations? The other historical characters as portrayed?

6. The opening with Lee Harvey Oswald, the Texas bookstore, setting up the shooting, aiming at the president?

7. Kennedy, his aide, talking about his brother Joe and his death, his father’s choice for president, his own war experience? The nomination? 1960 and the campaign? Close results? The role of Bobby Kennedy, the deal with Lyndon Johnson? The relationship with Jackie Kennedy, the children? The setting for the drama?

8. Kennedy, the Bay of Pigs, the advice, the decisions, the responsibilities for the lives lost, the prisoners of war? The Cuban missile crisis, the role of Kruschev? Kennedy wanting to be his own man, making decisions? Advice of Bobby Kennedy? The information about Cuba, the visuals of the missiles, Castro, the political and military meetings? Kennedy and his shrewdness with Kruschev? The Russian backdown?

9. Lee Harvey Oswald his story, his age, background, his dominant mother? As a Marine, working in radar? His anger, against capitalism in the United States? Going to Moscow, asking to announce his citizenship? The issue of his passport? Staying, going to Minsk, the social, meeting Marina, the dance? His jobs, his accent, marrying? The workers against him? His dissolution, the cold, his return to the embassy? Stating he was Marxist, coming home, a guarantee of no charges against him?

10. As a character, his life and experience, his age, early 20s? His Marxism, the confrontations with his mother, her gifts for the house, saying that he wanted to escape her? The interrogations by the FBI, his surliness, getting jobs, setting up a home, the slovenly house, Marina pregnant, the birth of the children? His violent moods? His involvement in campaigns?

11. Imagining himself as a hero, wanting the media to acknowledge him? Walker and his hawkish attitudes? Marina taking the photo of him with the guns? The headline about Walker? Setting up, shooting, missing? His continued campaigns, going to New Orleans, pamphlets against Castro, the Cubans against him? His Polish friends, the talk, their loyalties, questions about his causes? His job at the book repository?

12. The political plans for Dallas, Kennedy and the scenes of his health, his back and tablets? The relationship with Jackie, the girls and her suspicions, the closing of the pool, Bobby Kennedy challenging him about the mistress and her connection with the gangsters? The death of the baby after two days, the grief? Discussions with Johnson, with the governor of Texas? The preparation for the journey, Jackie Kennedy wearing her pink suit?

13. Oswald, buying the guns, his practice, his guns, storing them in the garage? His plans? The clash with Marina, moving out of the house? Staying with Ruth?

14. The complaints, the FBI, the files, the agents in their final jobs, checking out Oswald, closing the file?

15. 22nd of November, the night with Marina, going to the book repository, the workers, his being alone, setting up the rifle, the shooting, rushing down the stairs, travel by bus, taxi, walking, shooting officer Tippett? Going to the cinema, the arrest in the cinema? His protests, claiming his innocence, being injured, the interrogations?

16. The glimpses of Jack Ruby at his club? Patriot? Supporting Kennedy? Closing the club? Going to the police precinct, shooting Oswald?

17. The background of the news commentators of the time, the footage, Walter Cronkite? The nation’s grief at news of the death of Kennedy?

18. The shooting, the governor, Jackie Kennedy and the blood on her dress, holding her husband’s head, refusing to move? Johnson, the advisers, the information, his becoming president? Kennedy in the hospital, Jackie, the priest, death?

19. Oswald, dead, the coinciding of the two funerals, the Washington funeral, no pallbearers for Oswald?

20. An opportunity to understand more about the Kennedy assassination, moving away from the conspiracies, focusing on the role of Lee Harvey Oswald?