W.U.S.A.
US, 1970, 112 minutes, Colour.
Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Perkins, Laurence Harvey, Pat Hingle, Don Gordon, Cloris Leachman.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg.
W.U.S.A. did not receive very favourable reviews in the U.S. It was attacked as being too superficial and commercial and as being a vehicle for the left-wing liberal views of Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward. There is some truth in all of these comments, but it does not prevent the film from being interesting and making a wider audience question some of the popular assumptions about patriotism and the future of America.
W.U.S.A. has a political point of view critical of right-wing slogans and power bids. These are criticised explicitly in the climactic riot sequence as a rally breaks up and shows people's fear, violence, selfishness and destruction. Paul Newman in close-up comments ironically on this exhibition to the audience.
Criticism is also made in photo-comment on today's American society and in the character of a victimised, unbalanced Christ-figure, played excellently by Anthony Perkins. His sincerity is exploited by politics and business and forced into a fanatic avenging. This is the seventh film the Newmans have appeared in together. (Others include From the Terrace, The Long Hot Summer, Paris Blues, Winning). Paul Newman also directed Joanne Woodward in Rachel Rachel. The film is directed by Stuart Rosenberg who directed Newman in Cool Hand Luke and Pocket Money.
1. What were the political attitudes and stances of the makers of this film?
2. Was their presentation of 'middle America' accurate, biased, fair, caricature?
3. Did you think the film's early sequences built up the personalities of the three main characters well and made their interaction credible?
4. What did each of the main characters represent: Reinhardt, Geraldine, Rainey?
5. What did W.U.S.A. stand for? Were its motivation, policy and tactics worth while? Was its patriotism, clean American campaign genuine?
6. What did Parley represent? What was his function in the film?
7. What impact did Rainey make on the audience in his visit to Reinhardt and Geraldine, his work in Venezuela and Reinhardt's insults?
8. Did Reinhardt love Geraldine? Did she love him?
9. Why was Rainey disillusioned? How was he being used? What obligations did he have to expose corruption?
10. Were the drug people presented favourably? Were they genuine or phony? Hot did they compare with Rainey?
11. Were patriotic American attitudes ridiculed at the rally?
12. How was the mock shoot-out an ironic comment on Rainey trying to shoot Bingerman? Why was Rainey killed?
13. What social criticisms did the riot sequence make? Were Reinhardt's commei (Paul Newman in close-up) too heavily loaded against right-wing patriotism
14. How did Reinhardt' comments and behaviour affect Geraldine? why was she arrested and why did she kill herself? What had disillusioned her?
15. What was the significance of Reinhardt's visit to the cemetery and focus on the graves?
16. Why were the phonies and hypocrites left alive at the end of the film?
17. Are most people survivors?
18. The American environment: the opening carnival (masks and garbage), black situation, squalor photographed by Rainey, people surveyed, alcoholics, cafes and hotels, pickups, clean-looking W.U.S.A., Bunny Club, Rally auditorium.
