FLASH GORDON

UK, 1980, 115 minutes, Colour.
Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, (Chaim) Topol, Max Von Sydow, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, John Osborne, Richard O' Brien, John Hallam, Philip Stone.
Directed by Michael Hodges.

Flash Gordon is opulent comic book style for comic book adventures (of age old myths of good and evil, courage, endurance, damsels in distress and a world to be saved). Producer Dino de Laurentiis gives a baroque Italian flavour (especially in the extraordinary sets and costumes, loud, garish and almost camp Fellini) to outer space warlord battles. Sam J. Jones is a corny-brawny hero and Max von Sydow a gaudily diabolical Ming. Brian Blessed poses as the leader of the Hawkmen(some fascinating sequences here) and Timothy Dalton a strong British Prince Barin. Lavish, leaving no cliffhanging situations unused and omitting few of the old standard lines, spectacular rumpus in space.

The film's immediate comparison is Superman and its sequel Superman II. However, Flash Gordon is an ordinary hero, with no superhuman powers. He might also be compared with Doc Savage, a film version of which was made (unsuccessfully) by Michael Anderson in 1975. Direction is by Mike Hodges who made the Michael Caine thrillers Get Carter and Pulp as well as the science fiction The Terminal Man.

l. The perennial appeal of comic strips? Comic strip heroes and characters? Flash Gordon and the comic strips of the 30s? The popularity in newspapers, in films of the time? The background of the cliffhanging serials and adventures? Pulp culture?

2. The transition during the 20th century from pulp culture to pop culture? The exploration of the impact of story? The theories about comic strips and their impact? Comic book heroes as symbols of yearnings of the 20th century? Heroes and anti-heroes? How well did this expensive film blend the pulp and the pop?

3. The trends of the 70s - anti-heroes to heroes? The box office success of Superman and other comic heroes? Space exploration and adventure and Star Wars? Advertising and the success of such films? How well did they meet a real need ? for entertainment and for substitute heroes?

4. Comic strip style - bold pictures, quick sketching? Conventions? Short cuts in elaborating the plot? How well do films visualise comic strips? Filling in details? Using the conventions and different conventions? How was this evident during the credits sequences? The film's delineation of characters, situations,, comic strip dialogue, feelings? Audiences enjoying the conventions and the humour of comic strip heroics?

5. The importance of the decor and sets: the comparison with Earth and the planet Mongo? The garish and lurid colours of outer space? The elaborate decor and costumes of the Court of Mongo? The mock-camp style? The variety of costumes, echoes of science fiction and space films? The unreality of the colours ? and the comic book effect? The budget of the film, the look of opulence?

6. The atmosphere of the music? Queen's music, the title song and the emphasis on Flash as saviour of the universe, the musical call to Flash to intervene in dangers? The orchestrated score? Climaxes?

7. The introduction to Flash - the American football hero type? Ordinary man with sporting and tough qualities? Dale as an attractive ordinary woman? Their meeting at Dark Harbour? The plane.. the sudden difficulties with Ming's attack? Dale's fear? The crisis as a preparation for their relationship and the audience quickly taking it for granted?

8. The opening with Ming and his advisers? His callous playing games with Earth? The credits and the variety of disasters at Ming's disposal? Ming as a diabolical figure? in appearance, manner? Larger than life? His advise from Klytus? with his polished accent, robot features? Cruelty? Earth at the mercy of evil power?

9. The introduction to Dr. Zarkov, his experiments, knowledge, theories, rejection by NASA, his rocket and his assistant's cowardice? The providence of the crash-landing? His forcing Flash and Dale into the rocket? The takeoff? The voyage into outer space?

10. The presentation of the planet Mongo - the court followers and their fancy dress? Court manners? Ming and his presence, manner of ruling, autocratic style? The arrest of Flash? The brainwashing of Dr. Zarkov? Dale and her being wanted by Ming? The humorous contrast of the three from Earth with their ordinary clothes compared with Ming's court? The build-up to Flash's imprisonment, his torture and death? The irony of Princess Aura and her wanting to save Flash? The introduction to Prince Barin? Vultan and the Hawkmen? The prison scenes and the atmosphere of sadism? The irony of Aura's rescuing Flash?

11. Dale - the average American woman, transformed by dress into the style of Mongo? Her reaction to Ming? Her grief at Flash's death? Her helping Zarkov and their escaping? Her participation in all the adventures? Comic book heroine?

12. Dr. Zarkov and his theories, genial optimism, desperate need to save the Earth from collision with the moon, the brainwashing sequence - and the collage of 20th. century evil especially Hitler? His deceiving his brainwashers and not being transformed? His strategies in escaping from Mongo?

13. Aura and her escape with Flash, her arrangements with Prince Barin? His not trusting her? Her return, the sadism of her being tortured? Her father wanting her tortured? Her repentance? The sexual overtones of her style, dress, remarks? The happy ending with Prince Barin?

14. The kingdom of Arboria ? green, trees, fogs? Prince Barin and the priest of Arboria? The initiation rite - the humour with the sexual overtones? The death of the young man? Barin and the challenge to Flash? Flash's wit in pretending to be wounded and winning the fight against Prince Barin? His escape into the quicksand, the monster in the quicksand? His being saved?

15. The kingdom of the Hawkmen? Prince Vultan and his blustering humour, his advisers? The build-up to the fight with Prince Barin? The choreography of the fight, the moving table, the spikes? Klytus and his intervention and death? Vultan and his being persuaded to attack Ming? The destruction of the Crystal Planet of the Hawkmen? The heroism of the Hawkmen in attacking the space ship? The visual compositions of the Hawkmen on the screen? The final triumph of Vultan?

16. Max von Sydow's portrayal of Ming - evil, venomous? His allowing Aura to be tortured? Reliance on Klytus? His wanting to marry Dale and then dispose of her? His visit to the Hawkmen's kingdom? The confrontations with Flash? His final defeat, the violence of his impaling and the irony that he might not be dead?

17. Karla and the Amazon woman in charge of the army, her control and strategy, her robots and their destruction? Her death? The camp overtones of her fascists militarism?

18. The build-up to the wedding, the split-second timing, Flash and his coming in with the rocket, the protective shield? Prince Barin finding the controls with split-second timing?

19. The comic book happy ending, Ming's possible death? The restoration of order in the universe and Earth being saved?

20. The age-old values of legends and myth - heroes and heroines, struggles and crises, suffering and endurance, romance and rescue? A 20th century myth and fairy tale?