LOST IN THE STARS

US, 1974, 97 minutes, Colour.
Brock Peters, Melba Moore, Raymond St Jacques, Clifton Davis, Paul Rogers, Paula Kelly, John Williams.
Directed by Daniel Mann.

Lost in the Stars is a musical version of Alan Paton’s celebrated novel, Cry the Beloved Country, filmed with Canada Lee and Sidney Poitier in 1951 and with James Earl Jones and Richard Harris in 1996.

The play was written by celebrated playwright Maxwell Anderson, many of whose plays were filmed including What Price Glory (many times), Winterset, Mary of Scotland, Joan of Arc, Key Largo. The music is by Kurt Weill, best known for his collaboration with Brecht on The Threepenny Opera.

The film stars Brock Peters in the central role of the Reverend Kumalo. Brock Peters appeared as the accused in To Kill a Mockingbird and in The L-Shaped? Room. With his strikingly resonant deep voice, he was a strong screen presence. Paul Rogers portrays the Englishman whose son is murdered by the Reverend Kumalo’s son. Together, they go on a physical as well as a spiritual journey which leads to reconciliation.

Alan Paton’s story is a classic of its kind, emerging in the late 1940s from the apartheid situation newly declared in South Africa. It is a plea for human understanding with a religious dimension. This is carried through very much in this musical adaptation – more operatic than music theatre – of Cry the Beloved Country.

1. The concept of the American film theatre and the cinematic presentation of a staged play? The value of presenting the play re-read for stage presentation but transferred universally for a cinema audience? The use of the dialogue, the staging of the scenes, the stage structure, the opening out?

2. How satisfying was the cinematic attempt to open out the play, the Jamaican locations for Africa, the presentation of countryside? Train travel, city? Street scenes etc.? The dialogue within this opened out, framework, the realism of the scenes, the credibility of the characters?

3. The status of the play and the composers? The background or the original novel and Alan Paton's reputation, racial themes, a portrait of South Africa? The previous film version of Cry The Beloved Country? The musical version of a serious novel? The operatic sty1e? The traditions of opera and operetta rather than musical comedy? The stars and their presence? The reputation and skills of the director?

4. The structure of the play: the introduction to the two families? The presentation of black and white? The movement from country to city, the danger of crime and oppression within the city, the young people coping with love, with oppression. with justice? The introduction of the older generation into the conflict? One son killing the other? The dramatics and conflict? The execution of justice? The return home? loss of faith, hope? Human reconciliation? The didactic tone of the play?

5. The significance of the title, its reference, the use of the theme song? The original title and its lament for South Africa and the Africans both black and. white?

6. The immediate impact of the opening, the locations, the atmosphere of Africa, the African village, the white homes? The presence of Christianity and the focus on the Reverend Kumalo? How clear were the issues emerging from the environment?

7. Audience response to South Africa? Its world reputation, racial issues? The status of black and white. their place in the country?

8. The success of the film as a musical: the quality of the songs, their placing and staging within the drama, their making the action dramatic, their revelation of character, the strength of the lyrics and the indication of themes, the quality of music and orchestration?

9. The importance of the basic confrontations of the two generations, fathers and sons, their interplay? Justice and humanity confronting each other?

10. The portrait of Johannesburg and its multiracial environment? as seen by Kumalo as he wandered the city? His encounter with his brother the contrast with what the country and city environment had done to each? The homes in the city, the black areas, the factories and their dramatisation of work in the factories? The police and their attitudes? The picture of the slums, the jails?

11. The film's focus and strength in Stephen Kumalo? As a man, a minister of religion with basic beliefs, his simplicity? His love for his wife, love for his son and his grief at his son's departure for the city? The anguish in his search and the way this was communicated? His encounter with Irina and his learning to accept her and love her? The significance of his son's name ? Absolom? His grief at the news of his son's crime? His attitudes of faith and resignation and reliance on the Church? His confrontation with his son? His experience of the court case? The clash with Jarvis? His return after the execution? His lack of faith and the gesture with his collar? His mountaintop prayer and his being lost? His future? A dramatisation of human experience and suffering and loss of faith?

12. The presentation of the younger generation: Absalom and his friends, at dances, love with Irina, the pregnancy, his hopes? The company that he kept, the planning of the crime and his motives, the carefree attitudes and carelessness? The use of guns and violence? His friends betraying him?

13. Themes of justice and the lyrics of the songs about justice? The truth, the conduct of the case, the prosecution, the companions and their lies, Absalom. and his facing of justice, the sentence and the effect on all the characters?

14. How idealistically drawn was Absalom - for the themes of the film, the contrast with the others? The relationship of father and son, his facing his death?

15. Irina and her communication through her songs, her love for Absalom, the child? The bond with the Reverend Kumalo and her return? The new generation? How successful would she be as a mother, and his chance with his grandson?

16. The portrait of Jarvis and his African background. White attitudes and supremacy, his attitude towards Kumalo, his grief at his son's death and his bitterness? The experience of justice and the return? The possibility of some kind of hope? reconciliation'?

17. The focus on the boys and the hope of the future, their playing together and their not yet being contaminated by interracial strife and hatred?

18. How much insight into themes of race, discrimination? Work, opportunities, money and poverty, city life, despair, justice? how appropriate is the musical form for communicating these themes?