THE GO-BETWEEN

US, 1972, 125 minutes, Colour.
Julie Christie, Alan Bakes, Dominie Guard, Margaret Leighton,
Michael Redgrave, Michael Gough, Edward Fox.
Directed by Joseph Losey.

The Go- Between is an excellently entertaining and Intelligent film, the collaboration of a number of fine artists. The film is based on an atmospheric novel of Edwardian England by L.P. Hartley. Screenplay was written by noted playwright and screenwriter (The Servant, The Pumpkin Eater, The Quiller Memorandum, Accident) Harold Pinter, Photography was by Gerry Fisher, music by Michel Legrand.

The guiding hand behind the whole project was that of director, Joseph Losey, and critics considered that he had produced a fine work of art after some leaner years, His previous critical successes had been The Servant (1963), King and Country (1965) and Accident (1967) and Pinter had written the screenplay of two of these. The acting was praised, although the supporting actors gained more praise than the stars especially Margaret Leighton, Edward Fox and Dominic Guard, whose film it is.

The film is about a young boy's summer in an idyllic Norfolk Edwardian world, its beauty, happiness and elegance and of his young infatuation with Marion. However, it is a film of innocence lost as young Leo is used emotionally by Marion and her lover, Ted Burgess, and he suffers the whims of their moods and the blame of their elders. The whole film emerges as a flashback and the impact of this summer is revealed on the aged and bachelor Leo.

A beautiful film of sadness and passion.

1. What quality of this film impressed you most? Why?

2. How well did the film recreate an Edwardian English world? How well did the detail of the design contribute to this? Which sequences especially contributed - e.g. the cricket match, the meals, the , leisurely talking in the gardens?

3. How did the direction and acting contribute to this atmosphere of the Edwardian country world? How did the generally leisurely pacing and editing? The music?

4. What kind of impact does a visual recreation of this world have? What response do characters from this kind of world ask from us?

5. How distant is this world from us in terms of style, manners, control of feelings and decorum and the smouldering of strong emotions beneath the surface?

6. Who was the central character in the film? Why?

7. What kind of boy was Leo? Did he feel comfortable staying with this family? Did he feel beholden to them? How well did he understand them and their world? Did he understand his friend?

8. How did Leo regard Marion? Did the audience see her the same way? How the camera show us Marion, her charm and beauty from Leo's point of view?

9. How did Leo regard Ted Burgess? Did he like him at first? Was he suspicious of him or was he somewhat snobbish towards him?

10. How did Ted's looking after Leo's leg change his attitude? How did the cricket match affect Leo's regard for Ted?

11. How did Leo become involved as the go-between between Marion and Ted? Did he realise what he was doing? Did he realise that there was something wrong, suspicious or deceitful about this course of action? Why did he continue doing it?

12. How did Marion and Ted use Leo? Did he understand that they were manipulating him? Could Marion see that her changes of mood were difficult for Leo to understand?

13. How was Leo treated by the rest of the family - father, mother fiancee, servants?

14. Why did Leo write to his mother that he wanted to go home?

15. What made Leo really happy during that summer?

16. How did the director heighten our awareness of Leo's puzzlement and gradual loss of innocence by involving him in the adult feelings of Marion, her fiancee and Ted? The audience was made to feel with and for Leo because they understood what was happening and he didn't?

17. Comment on the dramatic effectiveness of the party, with the caps and festivity, changing into anxiety and a threat to Leo.

18. How frightening was Mrs, Mawdesley 's dragging Leo to find Marion and their discovering of Marion and Ted in the loft?

19. What was the total effect of that summer on Leo? Did it stunt him emotionally? Did he still love his memory of Marion?

20. Did you find the flash forwards to the older Leo re-visiting his past and Marion, effective or too mysterious?

21. Finally we see that the whole film is a flashback. How did this impress you on the influence of past on the present?

22. Was Leo victimised?