JOURNEY FROM DARKNESS
US, 1975, 75 minutes, Colour.
Marc Singer, Kay Lenz, Joseph Campanella, Jack Warden, Wendell Burton.
Directed by James Goldstone.
Journey From Darkness it an entertaining and interesting, competent telemovie of a type that was very popular during the late '70s: taking a social problem, especially a problem of physical disability, and exploring the implications in dramatised form. This is a story, obviously, about coping with blindness. The film is allegedly based on a true story, about a student for medicine who is blind, and the difficulties in his being accepted for graduate programmes. Marc Singer has the central role (and was later to portray blind singer Tom Sullivan in Eric Till's If You Could See What I Hear (1982). Kay Lenz is attractive as the heroine. There is quite a strong supporting cast, including Jack Warden and Wendell Burton and Joseph Campanella. The film is in the somewhat loud and romanticised American style - but it does not shirk the disadvantages of blindness and the emotional and angry repercussions on the hero.
1. The impact of the film as true story, human story, exploration of a disability and the repercussions, hope and achievement?
2. The telemovie treatment: the emotional involvement for home audiences, the presentation of the crisis, the family and its support, the personal story of David, the focus on study and his ambitions to be a doctor, relationships, striving, self-centredness, self-acceptance?
3. The style of the film: the true story, names and dates? Audience response to the true story - credibility, hope?
4. The focus on blindness and the experience of being blind? Things taken for granted by people with sight, areas of achievement, directions closed to the blind? The self-preoccupation, the intense striving, proving oneself, anger, resentment towards others. strength of motivation? A disabled person able to help others? Blindness and the effect on the blind person, the supporting family - emotion, self-sacrifice, cost and support? Impact on friends. relationships, love? Prejudices towards the blind?
5. The focus on the family: father and his work, support, mother, sister and her training to be a nurse - the thanksgiving meal and the angry eruption? Telephone calls, letters? David's sister and her wanting to give up nursing and coming to him for help? The sense of achievement at the end?
6. David as a boy, the experience of going blind, the transition to him as teenager, wrestling? The team-mates playing tricks on him - going into the women's shower room etc.? Outings with his fellow students? The intensity of his study and the need for excellent grades? Pushing his friends to help him? His goal of becoming a doctor? The scepticism of his biology lecturer who nevertheless helped him with courses, experiments? The head of the department and his offering of hopes? The letters to the universities and the application forms? People reading the letters to him e.g. the chef - who read the final successful letter? Fellow students helping e.g. in reading? ordinary relationships, Shelley and her supporting him, reading, falling in love? Going to the movies, the outings, the visit to his home? David and his growing exasperation? The clash with Shelley? The drinking scene? The separation? The interviews with the university boards and his stating of his case? Special pleading? The final acceptance?
7. The contribution of the characterisation of friends: Mike and his pleasantness, outings, serious study. the bet and Shelley's hiding in the bathroom? The Don Juan friend and his relationship with girls, his trying to trick Shelley? The university life, lectures, wrestling etc.?
8. Shelley as a pleasant girl. reading, trick, helping, involved, sharing, the visit to the family, the clash and the demands, the fight and the reconciliation?
9. The epilogue and the significance of the title? Audiences identifying with the characters and the experience? Morale and the human spirit?
