THE BOMB PARTY (DR FISCHER OF GENEVA)

UK, 1985, 96 minutes, Colour.
James Mason, Alan Bates, Greta Scacchi, Cyril Cusack, Hugh Burden, Simon Chandler, David de Keyser, Barry Humphries, Clarissa Kaye- Mason, Nicholas Le Prevost.
Directed by Michael Lindsay- Hogg.

The Bomb Party is based on a 1980 novel by Graham Greene, one of his last novels. It is a picture of a cynical industrialist who invites people to his parties, mainly to humiliate his sycophants. He verbally insults them. He sets rules for games – finally with a lavish party in the snow, lit by bonfires, with six crackers, cheques in five of them and one with a bomb. Gradually the guests are eliminated.

The film was told from the point of view of Alfred Jones (played by Alan Bates) who marries Dr Fischer’s daughter (Greta Scacchi). He is cynical about Dr Fischer, does go to some of the parties, wonders about his future, is of a suicidal mentality at times. However, he finally comes to his senses and decides to live.

There is a strong supporting cast with Cyril Cusack as the butler, Hugh Burden as a divisionaire who has the final cracker with the bomb, Barry Humphries as a hack actor, Clarissa Kaye- Mason (James Mason’s wife) as socialite Mrs Montgomery.

James Mason is very good in the central role – his last film. It was also the last film of Hugh Burden.

The film explores a number of Graham Greene themes, integrity and hypocrisy, values and lack of values. Greene himself led a very complicated life as regards morality and his Catholic faith, with a strong emphasis on sin, guilt and responsibility.

The film was directed by Michael Lindsay- Hogg (Let It Be, Nasty Habits).

1. The impact of the film? Its narrative? Its role as a fable, as an allegory of good and evil? The adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel?

2. The title and the focus on the bomb party, the final episode, the moral challenge to those who were seeking the cheques and risking finding the bomb? The alternate title with the focus on Dr Fischer himself?

3. The film designed as a film for television, the wide audience? The style, artistic treatment?

4. Alfred Jones, Alan Bates’ performance? In himself, sympathetic, the loss of his hand, the war? The scenes of his work? His meeting Anna-Luise? The interaction, the contact, the affair, learning more about Dr Fischer? His relationship with his wife, ease, manner? The marriage? Going to see Dr Fischer, the reaction, the encounter with the butler? Their becoming friends? The wedding, the marriage and invitation, his wife, her reaction to Jones going to visit Dr Fischer? The straight talk? The mockery by Dr Fischer? The issue of accepting the gifts or not? Going to the parties, going through the regulations of the games? His observing the guests, their fawning on Dr Fischer? The dinner with the porridge and the salt? The nature of the gifts? Jones spurning this, a sense of freedom and choice? The visit to the shop? The skiing, the death? The funeral? Mrs Montgomery? His anger, grief, drinking? The final party, the bomb party? Observing, playing the game, the issue of the money and the cheques, the telling of the truth? His integrity, the suicidal tendencies but his will to live?

5. Anna-Luise?, as Dr Fischer’s daughter, her resemblance to her mother, against her father? Wilful, meeting Jones, in love, the affair? The effect on her, on her father? Her interactions with Steiner? The skiing, death?

6. James Mason as Dr Fischer, Dr Fischer’s reputation, his skills in the past, industrialist, inventions? His wealth? Genuine friends? The sycophants? His disdain of other humans? Lack of interest in his daughter? His wife? The parties and the motivation, the porridge party? The philosophical reflections, his response, taunts? The encounter with Alfred Jones, liking him? The marriage, the death? Dr Fischer and his keeping aloof, the purpose of the final party, his alleged research, working with Steiner? Alone, the aftermath of the choice of the crackers, their being no bomb in the final cracker? Spurning people, going to the woods and killing himself?

7. The guests, Mrs Montgomery and her snobbery, the divisionaire and his military background? Issues of taxes, finance? Richard Dean and his career as an actor, performance, greed, drinking? The sycophants as individuals, as a group? Their reactions, submitting to the humiliations, the issue of the porridge, their greed, risking finding the cracker with the bomb?

8. Steiner and his past, his role in Dr Fischer’s household? The music, fainting, hospital, at the end, friendship with Alfred Jones?

9. How well did the film work as a drama, interaction of character, Graham Greene’s themes, especially of greed, hypocrisy, the futility of life?