JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL

US, 1973, 114 minutes, Colour.
(Voices) James Franciscus, Juliet Mills, Hal Holbrook, Dorothy Mc Guire, Philip Ahn, David Ladd, Kelly Harmon.
Directed by Hall Bartlett.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull seems a faithful visualisation of the book and should satisfy the large range of devotees. For those who have not read it, I wonder. The photography is as beautiful as expected, sea, sky, cloud and the wonder of the flight of birds. Neil Diamond's songs are characteristic, contributing to mood, perhaps. The first part (as of the book) is delightfully wise. The second part of both is unexpectedly heavy in exploration of reincarnation, Buddhist-like perfection and the didactic sayings of the sea-gurus. Photographic techniques in this part appear too contrived at times for the fable. But it is certainly an interesting attempt to visualise the style and message of the book.

1. How enjoyable was this film? How interesting? How well did it retain interest? Its insight into human living? How good a parable was it? Did it seem too didactic?

2. How did the film compare with the book? Were the changes well made? Visual impressions compared with written impressions: the portrayal of the sea, waves, sky landscape? Of the birds themselves? of flight and movement? The quality and skill of the aerial photography? The impact and wonder of this photography? Its capacity to involve audiences with the theme of the film?

3. How much did the music contribute to the film? Nell Diamond's style, his voice? The "Lost" theme and the times it was played, beginning and the end? The more positive music of "We Fly"? The "Lonely Skies, Glory's Skies"? The "Holiness" overtones with Santo etc.? How different would the film have been without the music?

4. How skilful was the use of human voices for the birds? The use of the book's dialogue? Did the voices over humanise the birds or not? The close-ups of the birds to give a personal touch? How successful was this for identifying the birds as individuals?

5. The significance of the inscription of the film about the Jonathan Livingston Seagull within ourselves? What did this mean? How was it illustrated? How did it govern audience response?

6. How important a bird was Jonathan Livingston Seagull? His delight in flight, his ambitions, the advice of his parents, his following their advice yet experimenting with flying? His being victimised by the elders for his disobedience? An outcast? What did he experience during his wandering - the various seasons, the various climes, the details of life? (how impressive were the scenic values - well done or too much? mountains, rivers, waterfalls, snow, desert?) How did he experience his new life? His relationship with Chang? With Maureen? His aiming towards perfection, of himself, of flight, space and time, movement, perfect love? His return to the flock and his decision to teach Fletcher? Giving what he had received? Not wanting to be the son of the great Gull? Forever flying perfect? The meaning of the allegory in Jonathan's personality?

7. How did the film portray the flock in distinction to Jonathan? Crowds and jostling? Feeding on garbage and fighting, the bloodstained gulls? The conventionality of the parents? The tone of the meeting and the way it was filmed? The condemnation of the elder? This repeated in the condemnation when Jonathan raised Fletcher at the almost-shouts of "crucify him"?

8. How important was the theme of death and reincarnation? Did the author believe in reincarnation? Was this heaven? Comment on the cinematic portrayal of this perfect landscape - the beauty of the landscape, the brightness of the gulls? The message of Chang and his teaching of movement? The companionship and admiration of Maureen?

9. Fletcher as a new Jonathan Livingston Seagull? His experience of the flock? His wanting to help the flock and not be bitter against them? His capacities for learning'

10. The influence of Fletcher on the flock? The lame gull and his cure, Fletcher's dying and yet rising again? His self-sacrifice for the young bird, moving to a new level of existence? The allegorical meaning of this in terms of life and love?

11. How disappointing was the behaviour of the flock in watching Fletcher come to life? The easy accusation of evil and devils? Disbelief and the shouting against the gulls?

12. Jonathan said he was not the son of the great Gull. What did he mean? How divine a character was Jonathan meant to be? The perfect created being?

13. How effective were the heavenly landscapes compared with the first part of the film?

14. How is the wandering Jonathan Livingston Seagull and the perfect bird an allegory for human existence and meaning?

15. What was the value for making this film? For those who had read the book? For those who had not? How successful and clever a piece of film making was this?