OKLAHOMA CRUDE

US, 1973, 111 minutes, Colour.
George C. Scott, Faye Dunaway, John Mills, Jack Palance,
William Lucking.
Directed by Stanley Kramer.

Oklahoma Crude would probably satisfy action fans - brawls, fights, etc. - but not over-enthuse audiences. It is too particularly American 1913 and oil. But as a picture of these times, it is worth seeing, except that from this point of
view, the violence, language and crudity look like conventional 70s film style rather than plain Oklahoma Crude. With these reservations, the film has much to commend it as historical action - splendidly grubby and muted colour photography, interesting period settings (George C. Scott as a convincing roustabout, Faye Dunaway as a resourceful well-owner, John Mills as her boisterous father. Gaps in plot and characterisation and some over-fashionable violence mar this.

1. The impact of the title; was this about oil and or people?

2. How successful an engaging adventure story was this? Why? What ingredients of Westerns did the film use? What conventions of adventure stories?

3. How impressive was the film as Oklahoma 1913? The impact of the landscape and the oil derricks? The re-creation of atmosphere, conditions, the use of muted colour, the costumes and the whole atmosphere of oil-grubbing search? What issues about oil interests and oil ambitions did the film raise? Did it indicate the origins of the oil boom which is still with us?

4. How did people see oil as an alternative to gold? How did they sell themselves to oil? How proportionate was the violence that the search for oil raised?

5. How did Lena get her well? Was this well established in the film or not? Why did she want to keep it?

6. What kind of person was Lena? The fact that she was a woman? Her determination and independence? Her defiance of the big companies? How successful was she at her work? Why was she so bitter about life and people? How was her character moulded by her childhood experience and her experience of her father? The impact of her father's return and her reaction to it? Did they love each other?

7. How well did the film show the clash between private and corporative influence and interests? Was the film a plea for the small independent against the corporations? How was this illustrated?

8. Cleon: What kind of man was he? Why so exuberant and enthusiastic? why had he abandoned Lena formerly? Why did he return? Was it only for the oil and the money? How did he try to relate again to Lena? Did he really help her?


9. Comment on the picture of men out of work in 1913. Did it show how desperate men out of work can be? How humiliated? Eager for work and helping themselves? At the prey of any exploiting manager?

10. Mase: what kind of man was he in himself? Was he an interesting character? How desperate was he for work? His relationships with the other men? Their friendship with him? Why did he join Lena? Was it just the money? Was it something to occupy him? How much loyalty did he bring to Lena? How interesting was the development of character between the two of them as they worked and interacted?

11. Hellman: was he too exaggerated a villain or did he fit into this film well? Comment on his personality, his tactics. his use of violence?

12. Was the violence overdone for this film? What impact did it have.. especially the beatings, and the rain background? Were you surprised when Mase wanted to betray Lena? What was the result of the violence on Mase, on Lena? Why?

13. How realistic was the siege of the oil well? The impact of the young owner representing the corporation? His bid for negotiations and his permission for the violence? The relationship between him and Hellman? What right did the corporation have to lay siege to the well?

14. The importance of the long sequence where Mase steals the food and creeps into the camp? How did this highlight the waning of the work at the oilwell and the possession of it? What of the impact of the scenes where they worked hard? How Cleon joined in this? The Indian helper?

15. How did the breaking of the cable bring the dram to a head? Why did Cleon go up the tower? Did you expect him to die? Did he know he would die? What was the emotional impact of his death? How proportionate was Lena's grief for him? Were you surprised she was so grieved? Did she really love him?

16. The impact of the final oil flow. Did the film communicate how eager and excited people can be when the oil flows?

17. Were you surprised when they all nude the deal? What comment on business and enterprise and oil exploration did this make?

18. How ironic was the end of the film? Were you surprised at this? What future did Lena and Mase have? Did they really love each other?

19. Was this too moralistic a film in its presentation of its message? In its picture of the American past? In its implications about the relationship of America's past to America's present?

20. Was the film too crude? What examples - in language and behaviour?

21. Was the film enjoyable? Too American for non-American audiences?