GAL YOUNG UN

US, 1979, 105 minutes, Colour.
Dana Preu, David Peck.
Directed by Victor Nunez.

Gal Young ‘Un is based on a story by Marjorie Kinnon Rawlings, the author of the very popular book and film versions, The Yearling. It is set in the Florida that she knows well. It is directed by Victor Nunez who also is a native of Florida and has spent his career making films, rarely, about life in Florida: A Flash of Green, Ruby in Paradise (with Ashley Judd before she became well known), Ulee’s Gold (with Peter Fonda in an Oscar-nominated performance), and Coastlines (which had a better-known and stronger cast).

The film is set in the backwoods, focusing on an older woman who is attracted by a young man, a bootlegger, who marries her only for wealth and the benefits that he can get out of it. Eventually he brings home a young girl to be his mistress. The bulk of the film shows the two women coming to terms with their situation.

The film is small-budget but is made with a great deal of warmth and insight into characters as well as to the context of Florida.

1. A good film? Impact? Entertainment? Quality? An example of small budget independent film-making? A piece of Americana? For American audiences? International audiences?

2. Production values and qualities: the re-creation of the period, the remoteness of its locations, the small town, the forests, houses, the illicit stills? The atmosphere of the '30s: cars, dress, decor? The film's attention to detail? The vivid quality of the colour photography? The musical score and moods?

3. The structure of the film and its effect on the audience's emotional response: the initial encounter, love; truth emerging; disillusionment and vengeance; the epilogue? The parallels and patterns of the plot and relationships? The focus on Trax and his treatment of both Matty and Elly? What was left at the end? The title - and its reference to Elly and the parallels with the young Matty?

4. The authenticity of the film: its portrayal of people in their situation, manner of speaking, experiences, feelings, actions, strengths and weaknesses, foolishness? Good and bad? The discovering of emotions, both good and bad? The age-old story of infatuation and deception? Use and manipulation? Selfishness? An old plot yet freshly presented?

5. The atmosphere of the film: the initial hunting, Matty's house, Matty and her isolation, her hospitality, the card-players and the group in the town? The '30s, depression, prohibition? The filmed people with authentic local types?

6. Trax: his ordinariness, the audience knowing something of his background with women, money, hunting? The flashback to his bootlegging experience? The fact compared with his own story and the revenge? The encounter with Matty, his plan? His manner of courting - and the audience's reaction to it and sympathy for Matty and her being deceived? Matty's attraction to Trax? Her going to town for the first time in five years? Her buying stores, dress. meals. walking with him. sharing, discussions about age? His talk about beauty? The wedding and the settling down? His working round the farm and his laziness? The love scenes and the credibility of the relationship between the two? The collage of their infatuation and love - with the irony of Trax's selfishness? The focus on the hand and touch?

7. The portrait of Matty: her background,, isolation and the suggestions for her way of life? The door., pipe-smoking.. hospital, visits., infrequently going to town, the meals for Trax. the courting and its effect on her: her consciousness of age, lack of beauty? Her dresses. the wedding -and the reaction of the storekeeper? The lyrical aspects of the courting days and her sharing life with Trax?

8. The change coming with the still, Trax and his ideas, Matty and her disapproval but love for Trax: her help, humouring Trax, having to do more, the hard work, the early mornings, her learning the detail of running the still, the work with the boys, Trax and his buying better and better cars, his frequent trips and growing absences? The symbol of the bath and her bathing him, the goodbye kisses and their growing in frequency? The build-up of the endless work? The impact for Matty to reveal everything and destroy Trax?

9. Trax and his growing fickleness, the smart girls, the reaction of the storekeeper and his wife, Elly being brought to the store and to the house? Trax and his hurting Matty, ignoring her, the separate room for Elly and his going to her, the first pretences and then the lack of pretence? The food (and the flashbacks for Elly and the lyrical scenes on the beach)? Matty's reaction to Elly and not allowing her to eat, taking the plate? Elly and her painting, telling her story? Her fearing to be roused on? The neglect, the hurt, Matty watching her? The confrontation and Matty's sending Elly off? Elly returning because she had nowhere to go? The bond between the two women - and the title of the film?

10. The destruction of the still and its symbolising Matty's feelings bursting out? The boys and their work on the still, the destruction? The confrontation with Trax and his defiance? The destruction of the car and the shooting of the foot?

11. The effect of the disappearance of Trax? Matty returning to her peaceful way of life? What had happened to her? Her discovering of and hatred and feelings she never knew? The experience of being anger hurt? Learning? Gaining Elly as a daughter? A story of difficult times in remote American locations? The story as a piece of Americana? Its insight into human nature? Its different approach to a familiar story?