NORTHWEST FRONTIER

UK, 1959, 129 minutes, Colour.
Kenneth More, Lauren Bacall, Herbert Lom, Wilfid Hyde- White, Ursula Jeans, I.S. Johar.
Directed by J. Lee Thompson.

Northwest Frontier is an old-fashioned British adventure film set in the dangerous days of the British presence in India. Directed by J. Lee Thompson, the English director who made such films as Tiger Bay at this time and who was to move to America and make a number of films including The Guns of Navarone, directs with flair
and pace.

Kenneth More was at the height of his solid British hero roles. Lauren Bacall is an unusual heroine. Spectacular, adventurous, indicating the themes of Empire and heroism.

1. Was this an enjoyable adventure? How successful an adventure was it? Was it merely a Saturday matinee adventure or more?

2. What was the audience response to the situation in India and its problems, to the British and their presence in India? (How has this changed over the decades?)

3. What presuppositions about heroism did the film have from the audience? What was the nature of heroism in this film? The nature of risks, the particular dangers, the thrills in participating in danger? And the thrills of our watching such heroism? Is this enjoyable? Why?

4. Comment on the social picture of India presented. The presence of the English and their influence on India? The rebellion of the Indians? The motivation of the rebels? The role of the Prince? Was he an anachronism? Do you think the film gave an accurate picture of whet really happened? Or is it an imaginative picture from literature and from such films as this? Why?

5. How interesting a hero is Captain Scott? Was he a stereotype British hero? Consider his particular exploits. The quality of his courage, his role in the traditional British heroism?

6. Was Catherine Wyatt an attractive heroine? An American, was she romantic or was she more down to earth? Did she participate in the heroism of Scott? Was she a credible character? Her role in India?

7. How successful was the train journey structure? The personality of the engineer? The details of the adventures, for example, the massacre of the previous train, the chase, bridges, mending rails etc? How effective was the suspense, that there was a need for success but one didn't know whether there would be or not? how did this push the film and its excitement forward?

8. How successful was the working into the screenplay of a betrayal and the threat of disaster? Was Van Leyden a credible character? Did he talk too much? Was he an obvious traitor? Did he have a case? he was a Eurasian and had his own loyalties. Was he a villainous traitor or not?

9. The impact of the other people on the train: Lady Wyndham, the journalists, the soldiers and the driver? The film made much of their conversations. What points were being made about their various roles in life and the morality of these?

10. How enjoyable was the final getting through? With whom did you identify more? What is the purpose of such films? Sheer entertainment?