NEEDFUL THINGS

US, 1993, 120 minutes, Colour.
Max Von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, J.T.Walsh.
Directed by Fraser C.Heston.

Needful Things is W.D. Richter's adaptation of Stephen King's bestseller novel. As with so many King stories, the setting is Maine. The town is Castle Rock - very similar to Salem's Lot (filmed by Tobe Hooper in 1877). Into this seemingly respectable small community comes a very urbane dealer, Leland Gaunt. In fact, he is the Devil. By offering people their needful things, he strikes a bargain with them, they perform simple pranks which lead to hatred, violence and apocalyptic mayhem for the town and its people.

Leland Gaunt is played well by Max von Sydow, a blend of the serious with a touch of the mock. Ed Harris is the police chief, Bonnie Bedelia his girlfriend. There is strong support from J.T. Walsh and Amanda Plummer.

The film is drama rather than horror (with some violent sequences as might be expected). What the film lacks in tension and pace, it gains through the performance of von Sydow.

The film is a '90s fable about evil contaminating a town, questions of the transcendent, God and the Devil, the possibilities of choice, the possibilities for redemption. The film was directed by Fraser C. Heston, Charlton Heston's son, former writer (Mother Lode) and directing his father in Treasure Island.

1. The work of Stephen King, observation on human nature, communities, towns? The touches of horror? Supernatural?

2. Canadian locations for Castle Rock, the town, the coast? The musical score, the use of classics - Schubert and Greig at key points of the drama? Modern songs? Atmospheric score?

3. The title and the focus on the shop for people's needs and desires?

4. The theme of need, greed, desperate wanting, being prepared to give for what one wants, payment, pacts, the petty nature of the pact and the price, the possibility of choice and forfeiting of choice, small things growing to hate and to mayhem?

5. Themes of the Devil and God, evil, the comments of the priest? The Devil in people's hearts, the Devil as real, temptation and manipulation, petty and callous? Visualised as an urbane Max von Sydow, suave, ingratiating, seductive, manipulative, controlling? The gentleman - but the crass Devil wandering the centuries? His ironic comments on Jesus, the carpenter's son, promising but came to a bad end? The impact for audiences to appreciate something of the diabolical in the world?

6. The churches and organised religion, good but bigoted? The priest and the reverend, Catholics versus Baptists? The casino and the gambling for making church money? The secrets, the priest and the chalice, the reverend and his pornography? The deals and their spiking tyres, spreading the money? The build-up of angers, Wilma and Nettie and their prayers over their bodies? The picturing of the church, the windows and the crucifixion, the statues? The final explosions? The latent antagonism? Its erupting? The final coming to their senses and reconciliation?

7. The audience arriving and leaving Castle Rock with the Devil? The credits and the aerial shots, the car, the mood and the music? The shop and its title, Gaunt settling in? Atmosphere?

8. Leland Gaunt and his shop, making things appear, the electricity and the memories evoked in his various customers? Brian and the baseball and the ticket, Nettie and the statue and the memory of the death of her husband, Hugh and the coat and his memories of the '50s, Dan and his love of the races? The other clients, the ordinary people, the clergy? Polly and the gift of the necklace to help her arthritis? His presence in the town, suddenly appearing, making people see what they wanted? By himself, his gloating, listening to Schubert's Ave Maria in German? Sinister presence, the diabolical in Polly's fantasy? Sexuality? Apocalyptic? Yet the foolishness and the prankster? The menace and his threat to Allan and Polly for their grandson?

9. Nettie and her story, work, suspicious, love for her dog, antagonism with Wilma, the pie, the visit to Mr Gaunt, the memories, the knife, Wilma, the clash between the two, putting the summonses over Keaton's wall, the death of the dog, the clash with Wilma, the violent fight?

10. Wilma and Pete, tough, the turkeys, antagonism, ugly, the mud on their laundry, the apples and the destruction of their house, clash with Nettie, the death?

11. Hugh, the bum, the kicking the jukebox, clashes with Harry, wanting the coat, his memories, the gun, the shooting in the bar? Harry and his antagonism?

12. Brian, baseball, the card, obeying Mr Gaunt? Throwing the mud, throwing the apples? Wanting to tell Allan, with the gun, attempt at killing himself?

13. Danforth and Myrtle, his harshness, his embezzlement, drinking, at the bar, buying the game from Mr Gaunt? The tips for the races? The summonses in his house? Telling the truth to Allan and Polly seeing them? The continual clashes with Norris, the fight? Possessed by the Devil, handcuffed to the car, his escape, confrontation with Myrtle, brutally killing her? The dynamite for the church? The explosion - confrontation with everyone, Mr Gaunt calling him Buster and so his destroying himself?

14. Norris, the police work, the continued clashes with Keaton?

15. Allan, the background of his story and telling it to Mr Gaunt, the violence in Pittsburgh? Serious, the proposal to Polly? At work in the town, the disasters, framed by the money, the puzzles? The final confrontation? His long speech to the people about the Devil, evil and what had happened to them? Seeking the advice of the priest in the church and discussions about the Devil? Polly, her work, arthritis, Mr Gaunt and his charm, the necklace, the pain going, taking it off, Gaunt as seductive, believing the evidence against Allan, tearing off the charm and the reconciliation?

16. The reverends, their characters, humour, serious clashes? The final violence and their coming to their senses?

17. Apocalyptic mayhem in a small American town? Violence, killing, looting? Explosions and fire?

18. Stephen King and American horror - with supernatural touches? A popular religious fable?