KAMOURASKA

Canada, 1973, 120 minutes, Colour.
Genevieve Bujold, Richard Jordan.
Directed by Claude Jutra.

Kamouraska is a very interesting Canadian drama, showing the enterprise of a growing national industry. Advertised as in the vein of Dr. Zhivago, this is rather misleading. There is snow and there is passion, but this is a somewhat turgid melodrama of adultery and murder. As a drama of human passion, love and hatred, it is quite impressive. It is especially effective in Genevieve Bujold's intense performance, ranging from a happy young girl to an embittered middle-aged woman. The picture of narrow Canadian 19th century society moulding people to its formal behaviour and driving them to violent extremes is also well communicated. In many ways, this is rather grim entertainment.

1. Was this an enjoyable film? What were its most enjoyable aspects? Was it an impressive film?

2. How did the film create its atmosphere? Comment on the use of colour and of music? Its re-creation of nineteenth century Canada? How seriously did it ask to be taken? Did it take itself too seriously? As a Canadian epic? Or as a Canadian love story? Or did the film achieve a balance between a serious approach and an impressive, enjoyable, local love story?

3. How did the film make Elizabeth so central a character? How well did we identify with Elizabeth? The initial sympathy or the initial curiosity? The personality of Genevieve Bujold? Her attractiveness? How did our attitudes change during the film? For how long were we sympathetic with Elizabeth? How effective was the technique of the flashback for this film? Flashbacks within flashbacks? The effect of time in the film? The present and the dramatic interplay of the past and the basis of this past? The jumbling of time? The changing moral attitudes because of the jumbling of time? In what ways was Elizabeth attractive? How repellent was she in her attitudes? Did you feel she was being punished - adequately? In tracing Elizabeth's life, can you understand the effects of various stages on her? The influences? And as an understanding for her behaviour? Her family in nineteenth century Canada, the religious background, the properness of her family, Aurelie as a witch, the sexual aspect of conversations with Aurelie? The attractiveness of marriage, the arranged marriage, the two mothers and their discussions, the personality of Antoine, the attractive ness of Kamouraska and the property? The relationship of husband and wife? The possibility of breaking off the engagement - Antoine's playing with other women? The fact that Elizabeth had committed herself in marriage? The prospect of a child? Antoine and his strange behaviour, madness, cruelty? Was this enough to justify Elizabeth's change of attitude? Her reliance on Doctor Nelson? Her wanting to murder Antoine? How cruel was she in her murdering of Antoine? How manipulative in using Aurelie and Doctor Nelson? The long sequence of her seducing Aurelie with gowns, happiness etc.? The punishment that Elizabeth had in the trial, her imprisonment, her release by Antoine's mother, her enforced marriage, her looking after a dying man? How good a person was Elizabeth? How evil? what motivated her?

4. How strongly drawn was the character of Antoine? Was he a real character or a caricature? As the product of an isolated property? An isolated society? Self-willed and spoilt by his mother, not so handsome etc.? Was he in any way sympathetic? In his treatment of Elizabeth and the child? His carrying on in the brothels? His return to her and cruelty? The clash with Doctor Nelson? Did he deserve to be murdered? Were you sorry that the poison did not work? How horrified were you when he was shot, and battered? Did he have any redeeming features? How important was his character in highlighting the character and motivations of Elizabeth?

5. Doctor Nelson: was he an attractive hero? The mysterious outsider, tense, dedicated, his chivalry and love for Elizabeth? His defence of her? As a contrast with Antoine? How did his chivalry become an obsession? Why did he enter the affair with Elizabeth? Did she lead him on or he her? His reaction to the final going into the affair - their nakedness through the window? Why did he allow Elizabeth to persuade him to murder? How cruel was he? The drama of his ride to Kamouraska? His deceit and cruelty in murdering and battering Antoine? Elizabeth's behaviour at his return? His leaving her, with his life ruined? How evil was Elizabeth's influence on him? Was his life ruined? Pity for him? How important was the drawing of his character to help us understand Elizabeth?

6. How well drawn was Elizabeth's family - the aunts, their proper behaviour and dress, chaperoning, yet they were deceived? How important was this Catholic Canadian background for the moral judgments of the characters?

7. The importance of Aurelie in the film - her wildness, as a witch, being easily led, her complicity with Elizabeth, their shared evil, her being seduced by wealth, her willingness to murder, her testifying against Elizabeth? How complex a character was she? How interesting for the film as a comparison with Elizabeth?

8. The importance of Antoine's mother in the film? Her influence on Antoine how was this visible in the film? Her excusing of Antoine, her advice to Elizabeth to ignore him and his foibles? Her reaction to Elizabeth's crime and her hold over Elizabeth? How cruel was she?

9. What insight did the film offer into its themes of love, marriage, greed, passion?

10. How repulsive was the theme of murder and of evil? Why?

11. Did the film explore well the theme of justice - Elizabeth thought she was just in killing Antoine, yet she received justice - the importance of the escape and arrest sequence, her release from prison and yet her imprisonment by Antoine's mother? By her husband? The importance of the sequences where her husband was dying and Elizabeth tired? This later imprisonment as an atonement for her sins?

12. The theme of death and retribution in the film - for Antoine, Doctor Nelson, Elizabeth's husband, Elizabeth herself?

13. What was the final impact of the film? As a morality tale? As a love story? As a Canadian story?