LOVE'S SAVAGE FURY
US, 1979, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer O’ Neill, Perry King, Raymond Burr, Robert Reed, Connie Stevens.
Directed by Joseph Hardy.
A popular telemovie using the South and the Civil War as its background. It opens with echoes of 'Gone with the Wind', with the spoilt heroine and her family life. Jennifer O' Neill, not a particularly good actress but with some charm and presence, is good in the central role in this film. Raymond Burr makes a guest appearance as her father.
The film then moves into the atmosphere of the Civil War with a collage and then focuses on gold collected to support the South and the North's search for this gold. The film is different insofar as the heroine, like the heroine of 'Band of Angels' which resembled 'Gone with the Wind' also, spends much time in prison and has to survive. The film also has an espionage twist as the hero seduces her in order to find out where the gold is. These several ingredients mesh rather melodramatically - but at a popular level for a Sunday night at the movies the production is lavish and direction is by Joseph Hardy who made the musical version of 'Great Expectations'.
1. The appeal of the American South, the Civil War, the 'Gone with the Wind' overtones? The cinema traditions of presenting the South in its wealthy and gracious living, dining and balls, servants and slaves? The gentility of the South? The destruction of this world by the Civil War?
2. The film as telemovie, the lavish production, the various segments for audiences at home to enjoy it? The re-creation of period, lavish style, the ugliness of the war, the seamy sides of war and the critique of the North? Drama, melodrama and suspense?
3. The tone and emotivity of the title, its reference to America and the South, to Laurel symbolising this? The film's inviting the audience to share her sufferings, feel with her?
4. The film's sympathies with the South, the sympathetic presentation of the way of life, social set-up, the vision of the Southerners? The clash with the unsympathetic North as ruthless and barbaric? The end with the resolution of the war and the love between Northerner and Southerner?
5. The details of family, society, relationships, elegance and wealth? Laurel and her place in the household, wealth, clothes, beauty? Servants? her father and his influence, role? The presuppositions of the happy household for the consequent action?
6. The declaration of war, loyalty and causes? The effect of having the collage of the familiar material of the four years of battle? The importance of the appeal for gold and the collection? Its being hidden in the house? The threats of the Northerners, the search of the house, the attempted rape, the murder of Laurel's father? Justice and injustice?
7. Laurel's being taken prisoner, the group of black and white prisoners, her becoming the equal of her slave in prison? The background of her brother's death, the capture of the runaway slaves? The details of life in the prison, hardship, the clashes of the women, the doctor and the searching of the women, the lustful guards, the attempts at escape, punishment parades?
8. The Northerners and the officer in charge and his detached statements about being involved in the war, the lustful guard and his attempted rape, Laurel's later using him? The female spy and her sympathies? The Northern officer and his being planted, in himself, his plans, his attachment to Laurel, the details of their involvement, her seduction and the audience realizing this?
9. Laurel and the change in prison, her detachment, need for escape, falling in love, her being manoeuvred and manipulated?
10. The experience of the escape, the return home, the grief at the destruction, the finding of the gold?
11. The effect of the truth on Laurel, her hatred, the officer's walking away? The melodramatic ending of the war and the reverse of feelings?
12. A popular presentation of the Civil War, the people of North and South, a portrait of the United States in the 19th century, themes of family, dignity, war and its destructiveness, espionage, greed, betrayal?
