THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN

US, 1985, 131 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Pat Hingle, Joyce Van Patten, Robert Reed, Chris Makepeace, Dorian Harewood, Richard Dysart.
Directed by John Schlesinger.

The Falcon and the Snowman is a John Schlesinger film. Schlesinger has made his mark for over two decades with such interesting and outstanding films as Billy Liar, Darling, Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Yanks. Australian audiences will have more than average interest in this account of two young Americans who sell secrets to the Russians. Christopher Boyce was disillusioned with the U.S. establishment because of alleged CIA involvement with the dismissal of the Whitlam government. His friend and associate Daulton Lee was a wealthy drug pusher.

Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn (who appeared together in Taps) are persuasive as Boyce and Lee. The film is always interesting: drama of American families, CIA operations, the Russian Embassy in Mexico. Supporting performances are very good. But there is also the nagging question about so much attention given to two rather confused and amateur spies. (An-interesting documentary background from the Australian point of view is offered in Marian Wilkinson's film Allies.)

1. Audience interest in the film? The 1970s and American politics? Cover-ups? The CIA and its international influence? American-Russian? relationships? The international political scene including Australia?

2. John Schlesinger's film: an outsider and his perceptions on America? For American audiences? Non-American? audiences?

3. Production values: California lifestyle, the contrast with Mexico and prisons? The musical score ranging from hymns to songs?

4. The prologue and the collage of the 1960s and 1970s? Audience response, memories? The tone of the images? The film's judgments? Audience judgments?

5. The title and the focus on the Falcon, chivalry, ideals, the sweep and freedom of flight, the predatory bird? Boyce and his affection for the falcons, his skill? The end and his arrest - with the images of soaring, aerial photography? The contrast with the world of the Snowman, drug-pushing, affluence, the effect of drugs?

6. Audience knowledge of the CIA and its operations, the criticisms, cover-ups, covert operations, Langley, Virginia and communications? The film's highlighting the Australian example? Information coming into CIA centres, the behaviour of the operatives. loose security, apologies? The focus on the Whitlam government, American interest, the dismissal?

7. The nature of espionage: conscience and convictions, secrecy, espionage as a form of protest? The covert nature of espionage? Adventure and excitement? Honesty and dishonesty? Loyalty and treachery? Idealism and a sense of unreality? The importance of money? Motives, behaviour and the consequences?

8. The portrait of Boyce: the opening with his leaving the seminary, his note, a change of commitment, a loner at home with his falcon, his friendship from young days with Daulton Lee, the bonds between the two, Boyce's knowing his friend thoroughly? Religious bonds? His place in the family, his not telling his parents about leaving? Love and clash - the incident about memorising Tennyson's 'Charge of the Light Brigade'? His father's pride in him, arranging a job for him? The interview, the interrogation, promotion? Work with the computer? Secrecy? Gene and the girl in the office, the jive and relaxed security, the job as a kind of recreation - good-humouredly done? The quality of the security work? security background? The importance of Boyce's skill - and lack of skills? Friendships? Christopher's girlfriend, the affair, their living together? Involvement and tension? Cutting off the affair without explanation - the box office scene and Boyce's trying to protect her? His moving away from home, the apartment, the visit of his parents? Moral and religious attitudes? his friendship with Lee, the contacts, crises? Relying on Lee, the arrangements for the espionage? The lie, decisions, plans, the precipitate espionage, photos, covert action, supply? The inspection? The leaving and the party? His going to Mexico - and the crisis? The possibility of escape or not? The arrest with the falcon? An ordinary young man, his background, religious background, arrest, the prison sequences - a man of conscience or not? Portrait of an American spy?

9. The contrast with Daulton Lee: rich, spoilt, the world of drugs, giddy behaviour, not to be relied on, the set-up and his being arrested through dealings with undercover police? Skipping bail? Stealing? His decision to carry the material to the Mexican Embassy? The tension of his scouting out the Embassy, gaining entry - brash and naive? Self-confident? The humour of his making contacts? The meetings, the clues, the restaurants, the papers, the cars? His treating it as something of a game? His gatecrashing the party and antagonising the authorities? His returning home? The bewilderment of his parents? His brother and the possibility of imitating him? His warnings for his brother? The doing of the deals? The Russians disowning him? Keeping him under surveillance? His being kicked out of the Embassy? The Mexican arrest, interrogation, torture? His being accused of terrorism?, His confessing and boasting? His options? The border? His imprisonment?

10. The CIA as serious, its secrecy, its carelessness? International plans? The security network - and the old FBI links? Laxity? Inspections and reality? The possibilities of breaching security? The personnel - and the character sketches of those who worked with Boyce? The cover-ups for their own laxity?

11. The Russians and their suave manner, checking out Lee? The Ambassador, the KGB officer? meetings, diplomacy, bargaining? The range of setups and meetings? Lee's eventual anger and gatecrashing? Their hold on him? Wanting to check the origins of the material? The requests? The KGB officer meeting Boyce? The differences in personalities? The self-preservation by the Russians? Boyce's discovering they-were just as paranoid as the Americans?

12. American far Allies: religious background, the altar boy sequences, the home movies, the seminary, college, affluence or less affluence? The Boyces - good people but clashing with their sons? The Lees and their wealth, parties? David and his future? Boyce's girlfriend in this kind of world? The bewilderment of Mr Boyce, their presence at the court case? The symbol of the Boyces and Lees - American families struck by the bewilderment of the '70s?

13. The Mexican prisons, the torture sequences? The American guards and the spectacle of Boyce's arrest?

14. The background of the 1970s, youth, generation gaps, drug peddling, responsibilities?

15. A portrait of facets of American society of the 70s?