THE LONG HOT SUMMER

US, 1958, 115 minutes, Colour.
Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, Orson Welles, Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, Richard Anderson.
Directed by Martin Ritt.

The Long Hot Summer takes us into William Faulkner-Tennessee? Williams territory so popular around I960, and with Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Lee Remick - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sound and The Fury, Sanctuary, The Fugitive, Sweet Bird of Youth and so on. Martin Ritt also directed The Sound and the Fury.

This film has all the ingredients of the explosive interaction associated with these films. The interaction is there, but no explosions. In fact, the ending is quite the opposite from the usual disaster-ridden finales one might expect. This tends to make the total impact of the film less forceful, despite such episodes as the spoilt, wastrel son trying to kill his father. The Newmans have no trouble with this kind of film, nor does Orson Welles as the overbearing, patriarchal father. Martin Ritt directed the Newmans in Paris Blues (1961) and has made such fine films as Hud, Hombre, The Molly Maguires, Sounder.

1. Was this an entertaining look at the American south? Why?

2. What was the main theme of the film?

3. What kind of man was Ben Quick? How did the initial barn-burning and being thrown out and running typify him? Did his explanation of his father and his childhood explain his actions?

4. Was the audience meant to like Ben throughout the film? Why?

5. How did Ben contrast with the Warners? What did the Warners represent? What opinion of themselves did the Warners have? Why did Alan Stewart and his mother not accept them?

6. How did the obvious contrast between Claus and Bula help the audience understand both of them?

7. How happy a family were the Warners? What difference did Will Warner’s presence make? Why was he so cutting? What did he want, power, immortality, love?

8. Did Ben compare with what Will must have been like when young? How did this contrast with Jody?

9. When did Will Varner start scheming for Ben - the visit to the farm, management of the store, staying at the house, marriage? How did Ben react - did he keep his independence?

10. What kind of man was Alan Stewart - in relationship to Clara, Varner, his mother? Did he love Clara? Why did they break up?

11. What were Clara's real feelings towards Ben? Did she ever hate him? Did she really want to marry him?

12. Did Clara love her father? What did she hate in him? Did she hate this in Ben?

13. What was wrong with Jody? Why did Ben and his father humiliate him?

14. Why did he set fire to the barn? Did he really intend to kill his father?

15. Was the townsmen's reaction in wanting to lynch Ben credible? Why did he want to stay and then go with Clara?

16. Was the happy, laughing ending appropriate for the film? Had the problems been solved? (Usually, this kind of deep south film ends pessimistically -so audiences expect this and so might be surprised at the lighter ending)?