THE FURY

US, 1978, 118 minutes,. Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Any Irving, John Cassavetes, Andrew Stevens, Carrie Snodgrass, Charles Durning.
Directed by Brian de Palma.

After Carrie, Brian de Palma continues his interest in and melodramatic flair with parapsychological behaviour, here linked with a security-kidnap plot that sustains interest and some tension. Finally, the Carrie-like techniques and themes take over with an ending that may well seem too much of a good thing. Kirk Douglas plays distraught father hero with energy. John Cassavetes continues tensely sinister and Amy Irving (the nice girl in Carrie) has the alarming powers this time. Generally a well-made, sometimes gory, fantasy on the power of the mind, its exploitation and its terrifying potential for destruction. A pity about the emphasis on the considerable technical bravura of the ending.

1. The meaning of the title, its tone? Expectations? Emotions,, vengeance, avenging., anger? The visuals portraying this? The visual presentation of emotions of fury?

2. The work of Brian de Palm, his reputation,, previous films , interests? Audience expectations from his work? How well were they fulfilled?

3. What genre did the film belong to: dram. melodrama. parapsychological thriller, science fiction,, horror, fear? melodrama? Aspects of each? Which aspect dominated?

4. What was the audience left with? The kidnap C.I.A. atmosphere of the film and response to this? The background of parapsychology and telekinesis? Destruction and human destruction? The exploitation of power - fantasy and fiction? An apocalyptic warning? Involvement in the dramatics and the final melodramatics? Satisfying interest and entertainment?

5. The importance of the special effects especially the telekinesis - Jillian and the blood, Robert and his experiences, the killing of Susan, the final destruction of Childress? Was the final destruction overdone? The contribution of the score?

6. The atmosphere of the opening and its tone? Date, the Middle East, the bond between father and son with the swimming? Childress and his presence? The sudden transition of mood, the attack of the Arabs, the defence, the shootings on the beach, the film being made, the explosion of the raft and the expectations of Peter's death? The use of the film later? Peter's seeing Childress conferring with the photographer, the vengeance in his face? The taking of Robin? The setting of a tone and audience interest.

7. The contrast with Chicago and the date, the summer, the beach, normal way of life? The use of the city of Chicago, streets and buildings, atmosphere? An authentic atmosphere of contemporary America?

8. The introduction of Jillian and her discussion about the exam, the pursuit by Dunwoodie? His contact with Peter and Childress and his bugging devices? The introduction of information, the various threads and the way these were eventually to intertwine? How convincingly?

9. Peter and his presence in Chicago, at the hotel with Childress' men investigating him. his escape and the comedy of his entry into the apartment with the suburban chatter of the husband and wife, the comedy with Mother Knuckles? The disguise and his preparation for it, walking in the streets and muggers? The police and the spectacular car chase. the mutual crashes in the fog? The car into the river? Establishing the danger, Peter's anguish for his son? The farcical aspects especially with the two policemen? How well did this blend with the serious tone of the film?

10. Childress, his personality, his wounded arm, his intelligence, the plans for the using of Robin, his relationship with Mc Keever and the Institute as a front for his work? His pursuit of Jillian? Susan and her orders? The confrontation with Peter and with Robin? His trying to smooth things over with Jillian. His being told to go to hell and his exploding? An evil character?


11. The contrast with Peter as hero, his relentless pursuit? His relationship with Hester and persuading her to help? His phone calls and the sequence on the railway station? The van? Lovemaking with Hester? The plans? The details for the rescue of Jillian? His taking her away, the reaction to Hester's death, the bus ride? His desperation with Jillian and the going to the estate, the confrontation of Childress, going up to the room with Robin and Robin's attack. his dropping of Robin and his plunging to his death? The pessimism in the defeated man?

12. Jillian and her communication with Robin? Her seeing him in vision, the vision on the stairs and seeing his fall, her holding of Ellie's hand and its bleeding? Her seeing of Susan dead, Susan's treatment and the showing of the film? Her power, her making people bleed? Robin and his power, his destructive power, the veins standing out in his forehead, his sporting achievement in the pole-vaulting, moodiness, the Arabs and the destruction of the merry-go-round, his jealousy of Susan, his killing her in the brutal manner, his levitation and attack on his father, his death and the transition of his power through his eyes? What would he have been had he lived? The abuse of people with psychic power?

13. Jillian as an attractive girl, personality, relationship with her mother? Girlish talk, the catty girls and her reading minds, making the girl's nose bleed, the moving of the train? Her fear of touching her mother? Going to the Institute and being attracted by its layout? The bond with Hester e.g. in the eating of the sweets? Her talks with McKeever? and the tests? The sinister aspects with tests and Ellie, holding her hand and making it bleed, Ellie's interrogation and the internal haemorrhage and the external bleeding, McKeever's hand? Hypnosis and her revealing what she knew? Her desperation in thinking she was different, her fear of destructive power and hurting others, her great desire to get in touch with Robin?

14. Hester and her role, personality, relationship with Peter, friendship with Jillian, overhearing Childress? Her being seen in the surveillance by Childress? The build-up to the escape with the attention to domestic detail, the running and the attacking of the guard, the sudden death with the car? A sympathetic character?

15. The finale with Jillian and her importance, her wanting to get in touch with Robin, her fear, watching his destruction, the contact with his eyes, her sweetness and the build-up of her intensive destructive power with the exploding of Childress?

16. The film as a tour de force? Exaggerated, set pieces without internal connection? Effects for effect's sake?

17. How credible a thriller? Contemporary issues of espionage, cover-up agencies, world power, the use of the psychic for power?

18. The film as science fiction, medicine, the creation of Frankenstein monsters? How was this illustrated with Susan and her character, relationship with Robin, trying to cope with him, the outing, her death?

19. Audience interest in extrasensory powers? The plausibility of this kind of communication? The warning of its exploitation and destructive use?