THE KILLER INSIDE ME

US, l975, 95 minutes, Colour.
Stacy Keach, Susan Tyrrell, Tisha Sterling, Keenan Wynn, Don Stroud, Charles Mc Graw, John Dehner, Pepe Serna, John Carradine, Royal Dano, Julie Adams.
Directed by Burt Kennedy.

The Killer Inside Me is a contemporary Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde story. It was directed by Burt Kennedy, a maker of many westerns from the serious Welcome to Hard Times (1967) to the classic parody Support Your Local Sheriff (1969). Kennedy has a way with characters and the western background. The setting of this story is contemporary Montana - however, it is very strong in the atmosphere of the west. Stacy Keach, an excellent actor in many dramas of the '70s and '80s, is the sheriff Lou Ford. A likable kind of man, he has lapses of concentration in which he goes back into his traumatic childhood - his mother's infidelity and his father's severity. He is seen to look out windows and be carried back into the past. Eventually a traumatic Mr Hyde emerges and he is responsible for brutality towards a prostitute and eventually he attempts to kill her. (She is played by Susan Tyrell who specialises in these roles e.g. Fat City, Zandy's Bride, Andy Warhol's Bad).

Towards the end there is an odd sequence in which a doctor, played by John Carradine, comes to rent a room and Lou mistakes him for a spying physician. Lou diagnoses his own situation as schizophrenia. From then on Lou collapses and eventually destroys those he loves and allows himself to be killed by drawing an unloaded gun. The film is an interesting character study, especially with the strength of Keach's performance. However, the film is able to use this story as a kind of fable about human nature - especially American: the schizophrenic morality of Americans - surface respectability and interior violence ready to break out, even in an uncontrolled way. The film thus has a lot to offer in theme as well as in plot.

There is an excellent supporting cast. The film is striking also in its background of Montana and the audience gets the feel of the city. Photography is by veteran William Fraker. The music was composed by actors-composers Tim Mc Intyre and John Rubenstein. An offbeat character study.

The film is based on a celebrated novel by Jim Thompson (The Getaway) and was remade in 2009 by Michael Winterbottom with Casey Affleck as Lou. It received some notoriety for the brutal violence perpetrated by Lou.

1. The success of the film as an action thriller, psychological thriller? How well do these blend? A portrait of a tormented human being? American? A fable of the splits in the American personality? Likable surface, interior violence ready to erupt?

2. The work of Burt Kennedy: his westerns, action films? His capturing of the atmosphere of the Montana city, the mines, sense of location, the environment of the American city of the west? The sequences in the town, the quarry? Interiors? The situation and context for the psychological portrait of Lou? The colour photography? The score and its corresponding to mods? The editing - special effects, Lou's memories? The strength of the supporting cast?

4. The importance of the structure of the screenplay: Lou’s instant of death and the flashback? The sense of the flashback at the ending? The introduction of Lou's First Person narrative - and then its being dropped? The nature of Lou's memories and their insertion? Style of colour used? The editing in of Lou on the staircase looking out the window? The information supplied during the flashbacks? The special sound effects? The importance of the tap and the water? The slap, the window? How effective dramatically the structure, the memories and flashbacks?

5. The significance of the title - overtones of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? The ordinary man with the violent interior? The importance of the background of the memories, parent trauma, the slap? Joyce and the evocation and drawing out of the violence? Elmer and Johnny and the effect on Lou - violence? Amy and the appeal to love but finally violence? The importance of the visit of Dr. Smith - and Lou's wordy and long analysis of his schizophrenia?

6. The function of Dr Smith and his visit? Its placement in the screenplay, the nature of the discussion, Lou's literate presentation of his diagnosis? His persecution complex? The doctor's escape? The preparation for the violent ending?

7. Stacy Keach's presence and style as Lou? A likable sheriff, his doing his duty, his relationship with Conway and his ruling of the town, the friendship with the District Attorney Hendricks and his support of him? His home, the staircase and the memories? His love for Amy? His calming down of Johnny Lopez and friendliness? The clashes with Elmer and Elmer's going to jail? Lou's visits to his father? Conway's reliance on Lou for order? The background of the election and pressure? Bob's giving him the commission to send Joyce out of the town? His visit to her, the detail of his fascination of the place, with her? The sexual encounter and the bashing? The effect on Joyce and her decision to use this to blackmail Conway? Lou's return with Elmer and his set-up of the shooting of Joyce and of Elmer? His taking the money? His inadvertently giving some to Johnny and the repercussions with his interview in the prison, his killing Johnny and trying to make it look like suicide? The gradual disintegration especially after the visit of Dr Smith? Amy's inability to help him? The irony of Joyce's being alive?

8. The background of Lou's parents? His explanation of them, his statement about their expectations? Their skills? Lou’s wishing that he were better qualified? His trying to fulfil his father's expectation? The gradual revelation of the trauma? His father's severity, the slap, his mother's slatternly behaviour?

9. The nature of Lou's schizophrenia, madness, lack of control? The surface respectability and calm, the interior violence out of control? The traumatic memories, their cumulative effect, Lou's gradually succumbing to them and disintegration?

10. Amy as attractive, schoolteacher, relationship with Lou, their outings together and walking? Her inability to change Lou? The contrast with Joyce as the prostitute? Her whining and sleazy style? The surprise for the audience of Lou’s being attracted to her, the sexual liaison? The occasion for the violence erupting? His cunning in trying to cover the violence? The irony of Joyce's not dying? His confrontation of her at the end and allowing himself to die?

11. Elmer as the spoilt town Bully, his driving the machinery at the quarry, his lack of popularity with the men and his throwing his weight around? The fights in the bar? His father's disgust with him? The plan to elope? The liaison with Joyce? Her using him? The ugliness of his dying at Lou's hand?

12. The portrait of Conway as a power in the town, wanting to be elected? His control over people, buying them off, his disgust at his son? His shock at Lou's behaviour?

13. Johnny as an attractive character? Being out of work, Lou's friendship? His being framed, going into prison? Lou and the giving of the note to him at the garage? The pathos of Johnny's death?

14. Bob and his working relationship with Lou? His commission to get Joyce out of town? The disappointment in his discovery of the truth?

15. The build-up to the final confrontation, Lou going berserk, his memories and the flashbacks? The shock of Joyce being alive? His death?

16. How satisfying as a psychological thriller? A study in human disintegration and madness? The plausibility of this kind of plot - so many schizophrenic personalities in society, with responsible jobs? The film as a fable and warning?