THE FORMULA
US, 1980, 117 minutes, Colour.
Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, Marthe Keller, John Gielgud, Richard Lynch, Beatrice Straight, G.D. Spradlin.
Directed by John G. Avildsen.
Modern bestsellers are very large, international, span decades, have gigantic conspiracies, with multi-complications and twists, follow the basic espionage and police/detective stories and have solemn discourses on current social, political and ecological conscience-teasers. Books (and television and TV mini-series) take time. have pauses for getting plot, characters and connections clear. With the feature film, you don't.
The bestseller film requires concentration - even when George C. Scott investigates and Marlon Brando enjoys himself as a literally heavyweight tycoon. This bestseller has a drugs and violence background plus a formula for synthetic fuels and multinational oil cartels - plus John Gielgud guesting, emulating Laurence Olivier, as a Third Reich scientist. Direction is by John G. Avildsen who made such interesting films as Joe, Save the Tiger, W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings, Slow Dancing In The Big City and won an Oscar for Rocky.
1. The popularity of bestsellers? Transference to the screen, big feature movie or television mini-series? The basic ingredients - characters, complex plot, romance, conspiracies, violence? How well were these ingredients used here? A complex film? Successful? Entertaining?
2. The importance of the contribution of the stars? Their working together? High drama? The scope of the film, several decades of time, America and Europe? The universal conspiracy themes, oil and fuel, Nazi background, American capitalism, big business? Greed? Crime?
3. The basic police structure of the film: the introduction to Barney, seeing him as a humane man with his son, the discovery of the murder of his friend and his involvement, the methodical nature of his enquiries, the discovery of the seamy side of his friend's life, the interview with Kay and her ambiguous remarks, her death? The police leads, the pressures on the police? The importance of the relationship with his Japanese-American? assistant? The seamy world of the police: violence, sex, drugs? The comment on American respectability, morality? The continuation of the detective theme in America, in Europe? The unmasking of the killer? The continuance of the detective work for the formula? How satisfying this basic detective framework?
4. George C. Scott's style as Barney - an efficient policeman, man of integrity? The various leads and his confronting people? The importance of the discussion with Clements and the wealthy background of horse-breeding? Clements' death? The discussions with Kay and her tension, her death? What was revealed about the murdered man? Police, wealth, criminal link ups? Big business?
5. The encounter with Adam Steiffel? Marlon Brando’s interpretation of the role? A larger-than-life interpretation? The interpolated scene about chlorinated water (and Brando's personal causes?), the confrontation with Barney? Power, greed, manipulation, violence? The end justifies the mans? Suave manners and ruthlessness? The build-up to the final confrontation? Barney representing the ordinary citizen confronting big business power? The smug attitude of Steiffel listening, seeming threatened, still winning in the end? The irony of his buying up the formula from Switzerland? The embodiment of evil in the contemporary world?
6. The importance of the prologue, World War II, the Nazis? Scientific research? The formula for synthetic fuel? The evocation of the Nazis? The capture of Tadesco? His mission with the formula? his collaboration with Nealy? Tadesco and his building up a business empire ruthlessly? His recruiting agents and terrorists? The background of international power conspiracies? The irony of war crimes still having an influence in the '70s and '80s?
7. The importance of the European backgrounds? the sense of atmosphere, scenery, locations? People? Barney and his following the clues? The encounter with Lisa and her seeming grief? Her collaboration with him, the bond between the two, companionship? the possibility of love? Sharing experiences? Barney's gradual discovery of the truth, her mistakes? The ugliness of the revelation about her being the killer? Her explanations of her being a terrorist? How effective were the flashbacks to her experience as a child with the evocation of the concentration camps?
8. Tadesco and his ruthlessness? relationship to Lisa? The arrangement of the meeting with Harney? The atmosphere of East Germany and West Germany? The suddenness of Lisa's killing him? The consequences?
9. The visit to Dr Esau? John Gielgud's interpretation of a German scientist? His work in the past, knowledge of the formula? His bequest that it be made known?
10. Franz Tauber as the Swiss industrialist? The contact for Barney? His seeming integrity? His being bought off by Steiffel?
11. The significance of the formula? The problems of fuel in the world today? Energy crises? The possibilities of cheap fuel? Business interests protecting their gains and preventing the public from benefiting? Barney making the appeal of the ordinary citizen against such conspiracies? The irony of his being beaten?
12. How well did the film work on the level of detective story, romantic interest, global conspiracy, social criticism? How persuasive were its themes? Treatment?
