THE LAST SURVIVORS
US, 1975, 73 minutes, Colour.
Martin Sheen, Diane Baker, Tom Bosley, Bruce Davison, Anne Francis, Christopher George, Bethel Leslie, Anne Seymour.
Directed by Lee H. Katzin.
Seven Waves Away (and its remake, The Last Survivors) is similar to Hitchcock’s Lifeboat. A luxury liner sinks and a young man finds himself in charge of a lifeboat full of survivors – however, the lifeboat will not contain all the survivors in the rough seas and some have to be sacrificed.
The film is grim, gets audiences to identify with the passengers in the situation, the desire to stay alive, the issues of self-sacrifice for others.
Tyrone Power is the officer and Mai Zetterling is the nurse. There is a strong cast of British character actors as well as Stephen Boyd in an early role.
The film was directed by Richard Sale, novelist and screenwriter who made a number of films in the 1950s, light films including A Ticket to Tomahawk, Half Angel, Gentlemen Marry Brunettes.
The film was remade in 1975 for American television, a much shorter version with Martin Sheen in the Tyrone Power role and a strong supporting cast of American actors who made their mark mainly in television films. This film was adapted by Douglas Day Stewart (who achieved some fame in the 1980s with his screenplay for The Blue Lagoon and, especially, An Officer and a Gentleman) and was directed by Lee H. Katzin, a prolific director of television movies during the 1970s.
The film is gripping but certainly very grim. It has its origins in the Gary Cooper vehicle Souls At Sea. Both films are well made but for way audiences the theme is very depressing - especially as the survivors turn on the officer who made great moral decisions and showed great courage in order to save them. The films raise very strong issues of life, death, decisions.
1. The quality of the film as a telemovie? Its style adapted to television? Its impact in the home? The television treatment of a very serious theme?
2. The impact and expectation of the title? Its relationship to the disaster films of the seventies?
3. Comment on the dramatic structure of he film the initial accident, survival, the title with flashbacks.
4. What sympathies did the filmmakers have? How did the film elicit an emotional response from the audience? How did the film make an audience take sides? Was it right to play on audience feelings?
5. How well could the audience identify with Holmes? As an ordinary character, as hero of the story, his decisions and way of acting, his heroism and victimization?
6. The presentation of the impact of the accident? The haste, the jumping from the ship, finding oneself in the water, finding oneself in the rescue boat?
7. The importance of the Captain's Instructions to Holmes and his trying to implement them? the repercussions at the trial?
8. The cross-section of survivors? Ordinary people? Audience sympathy for them, interest, Holmes getting them to tell, their stories, the natural fears, the will to survive, the selfishness in so many, comment on the various reactions?
9. How well did the film present human nature? Aspects of generosity, self-preservation, fear? Which characters illustrated these attitudes?
10. Holmes and the predicament he found himself in? The task imposed on him? His not wanting It, his decision to accept it? His role In making decisions, not showing his feelings? Was he a dictator? Did he enjoy ruling people? Was he tempted to play God? His decisions as regards food, water, the shark, the capsizing, the rowing, the protesters, shooting, rain, the flares etc.? How well did he and the passengers cope in the early hours of survival? Why?
11. The importance about his decision to kill people? The sailor urging him on earlier? The split second timing? The volunteers who helped him with the victims? His treatment of the various victims? The basis for his judgements? Did he have the right to kill people? The passengers' reaction at the time, their reactions later? How repugnant were the visual scenes of people being thrown overboard?
12. How important was it that Holmes actually saved people?
13. Audience response to the presentation of the trial? The sudden transition from rescue to trial? Was it necessary in terms of justice to try Holmes? Comment on the cross examination and the testimonies of those who were saved. Why did they turn against Holmes? What selfish attitudes did they illustrate? Mrs. West who had suffered so much, testifying for Holmes?
14. How well did film make his self defence? What were the bases of his defence? Were they valid?
15. The impact of his going to prison? Was this just? The verdict of manslaughter?
16. The film's presentation of the people and asking the question it whether they were worth saving? The medical student, the entertainment organiser, the negroes, the Anne Francis character?
17. What comment on human nature did this film make? How pessimistic?
