THE FURIES
US, 1950, 109 minutes, Black and white.
Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Huston, Wendell Corey, Gilbert Roland, Judith Anderson, Beulah Bondi.
Directed by Anthony Mann.
The Furies is a fierce and violent Western with overtones of Greek tragedy and Freudian psychology. Barbara Stanwyck is the dynamic heroi.ne matching Wendell Corey as the hero. In the background are Judith Anderson in a Mrs. Danvers' type of role and Walter Huston in his final film. (He had just won the Oscar for his son's The Treasure of the Siera Madre). Books have been written about the director Anthony Mann and his vision of the west, its fierce toughness and human capacity for survival. The Furies is at the beginning of the long series that he made. Not exactly action-packed entertainment, it is an adult psychological film.
1. The various meanings of the title: fury, "The Furies" in Greek mythology, pursuing vengeance and fate, the name of the ranch?
2. The Freudian overtones of the western, the relationship between father and daughter, the love hate relationship; the tragic overtones of the western ("The Furies" from Greek tragedy), love, hate, destruction and revenge; the feudal times, feudal landlords, feudal power and behaviour? What kind of a western, therefore, was The Furies?
3. What ordinary conventions of the Western did the film use? What kind of response did it assume on the part of the audience? How were they integrated into the psychological, tragic, feudal setting and background and meaning of the film?
4. What were the themes of hate and love in the film? The hatred and love between father and daughter, between father and son, between white girl and Mexican man, between Mexicans and white men, between victim of feudal lord (Rip) and feudal lord, between arrogant and impetuous women, between faded moneyed beauty and impetuous daughter? What insight did the film give into the complexities of hatred and love?
5. The theme of power and love? Consider the relationships indicated in the previous question and consider the relationship of power and love in these.
6. What was the value of human life in this film? The arrogance and power of the Jeffords? The arrogance of Rip Darrow and his revenge for his father? Flo Burnett's loss of love for life and her groping for some sort of life and love with T.C.? The Herreras, and the Mexicans and the white family?
7. The character and personality of Vance? How did she change during the film? Or did she change? Her relationship to her weak brother? Her presumption that she could rule her father, the fact that the Furies was hers? Her falling in love with Rip Darrow and her playing with his affections, her arrogance and his putting her down? Her dependence on and true friendship with Juan? Her hatred of Flo Burnett and her throwing the scissors at her? The reaction to her father's infatuation with Flo? Her scheme for and the execution of her plan to revenge herself on her father? Her business alliance with Rip? Her final going over to help the Herreras? Her knowledge that Juan would be hanged? Her final defeat of her father? The futility of the revenge at his death? What future did she have? How repulsive a heroine was she, how attractive a heroine? What was the source of her vitality and her force? Was she an interesting character? why?
8. What kind of a person was T.C.? The feudal landowner in the West, ambitious, arrogant? Why? His love for The Furies and for his daughter? why did he dislike his son? The Herreras? Rip Darrow? Why did he seek out Flo? Did he want her or her money? Why did he turn against Vance so strongly? What was your reaction to his hanging Juan? Were you glad that Vance dispossessed him of The Furies? The irony of his death by Mrs. Herrera? The poetic justice of his death?
9. What kind of a hero was Rip? Was he a sympathetic character? What were the motives of his revenge? Of his leading Vance on, and then making a fool of her? Did he love her at all? Why did he agree to help her with her plan against her father? Would he have any future with Vance?
10. Flo Burnett - was the audience meant to like her? Her arrogance towards Vance and her taking over T.C. and The Furies? The impact of her being disfigured by the scissors? Was this too violent? Her reaction towards T.C. after her disfigurement? Her going to drink and declining? What kind of character did she typify?
11. What kind of picture of American life and society did this give? Did it give insight into American character and attitudes? The importance of land, wealth, inheriting land, the struggles between peoples, the love and the hatred? Was this an attractive film? Was it a likeable film? Was the film too violent, physically and emotionally? Was it a worthwhile film?
