THE FORTUNE
US, 1974, 88 minutes, Colour.
Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Stockard Channing, Florence Stanley, Richard B. Shull, Christopher Guest.
Directed by Mike Nichols.
The Fortune is a slight comedy, misleading audiences to think of it as a "big" film with consequent disappointment at its frothiness and brevity. It is a chuckling comedy rather than hilarious; its characters are comic, cardboard types and situations farcical, American-style. Settings, costumes and style are the '20s and attractive. Jack Nicholson plays a frowsy, frizzy-haired, bumbling embezzler enjoyably and Warren Beatty shows flair as a brilliantined conman. Stockard Channing as the wacky heiress whose fortune they covet seems a good oddball comedienne and there is a hilarious supporting performance by their landlady. Director Mike Nichols directs with emphasis on finesse in artificial farce style.
1. The quality of this comedy, its emphasis on style, its brevity, there? creation of the period and its atmosphere? The film as a piece of Americana: farce and parody? The kind of response it was drawing from its audience? How successfully?
2. The nature of parody, black comedy? The focus on the types of men? Two styles of criminal? Freddie? The emphasis on the small characters like Mrs Gould? The humour on human nature? Wise parody?
3. The emphasis of the title, the historical and legal background? Indications of style and theme?
4. How did the film re-create its atmosphere well? The sets, costumes, props of the period? The style of colour? Jazz atmosphere? Songs? How integral were these to the film?
5. The commentary on people's behaviour, the letter of the law, the atmosphere of the letter of the law and the length to which people went?
6. The film's comedy comment on human nature, especially greed,power.liesfcruelty?
7. What did the film have to say about greed, stupidity? The clash of friends? The motivation for murder? How did it say it via unreal parody?
8. The characterisation of Niki: suave. the manager. brains. his relationship with Freddie, domination of Oscar, forced into situations by circumstances? What was being parodied in the American villain?
9. The contrast with Oscar: dumb. prison background, show-off on the plane. the embezzler, the person considered to have no feelings, a man of feelings rather than brains, jealousy. greed, his domination of Niki?
10. How entertaining was the characterisation of Freddie? The satire on the rich, her background, the heiress, her lack of good looks, her being deceived by Niki and Oscar, her love, her adventures, her leaving her money to charity, being a victim and not realising it, eloping and feeling guilty about Niki and Oscar?
11. The minor characters like Mrs Gould and her curiosity? Why was she so successful?
12. The emphasis on comedy of incident, e.g. Oscar on the plane, the wedding ceremony and the bride kissing the best man etc.? The style and quality of the dialogue and its wit? The emphasis on the characters' monologue for revealing themselves?
13. The humour of the murder attempts, the chest, the chest on the beach, the confessions and the truth, the eloping? The husband? brother comedy? The seduction, the club dancing, the snake?
14. How satisfactory was the resolution? Moral? amoral?
