THE ONION FIELD

US, 1979, 126 minutes, Colour.
John Savage, James Woods, Franklyn Seales, Ted Danson, Ronny Cox, David Huffman.
Directed by Harold Becker.

Joseph Wambaugh has written extensively from his experiences as a Los Angeles policeman. Films include New Centurions and The Choirboys, which emphasise the wear and tear, the lack of gratitude after high demanding expectations of the police. These are to the fore in this film, screenplay by Wambaugh himself.

Part One is a well-executed introduction to characters, culminating in tragedy. Part Two is courtroom, prison and nervous breakdown. Well acted by John Savage as a policeman and James Woods and Franklyn Seales as criminals, it has almost too much content, making it sketchy and sometimes disjointed, diminishing even the impact of the characters. A pity, because the material is strong and well worth presenting.

1. Interesting and effective police drama? Portrait of American justice? Crime? Prison and legal system? The background of audience interest in police stories in the '70s - grim French Connection, glorifying the police? The police series?

2. The work of Joseph Wambaugh? His experience of police work, his sometimes cynical viewpoint on pressures, hard work, the ugly world to be investigated, the ingratitude of society? The pressures of police authorities? The films made of his work? His writing this screenplay?

3. The background of Los Angeles, the '60s? Bakersfield? The re-creation of period? Musical score? The background of the bagpipes? The film as a piece of Americana?

4. The structure of the film: the establishing of the two pairs - the police, the criminals? Their being established as characters, their being brought together, the dramatic interaction, tragedy? The aftermath? The court cases and the effect on the criminals, the effect on the policemen? The dominance of the criminals over the police? The playing with audience sympathies? The picture of the passing of Tim and its effect on the protagonists?

5. The picture of police work: the thankless work, the patrolling of the streets, the working together in pairs, mutual pairs, the work at the precinct and its ugliness, the incident about homosexual panic, work on patrol? The nature of police duty - in practice, the exhortations of officials? The discussions about cowardliness and the reason for pep talks? The importance of the old policeman criticising the Captain? Codes and expectations? Pressures and lack of sympathy? The impact of resigning and creating a new life?

6. The character of Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell: their Los Angeles background, the encounter with the bagpipes, their friendship, working together, the background of pre-med. studies and Ian's opting out, Karl's hope to work with vegetables? Karl and his playing cards with his friends, Helen and her expecting the baby? Ordinary domestic life? Ian and the discussion with his mother, the pride in the family, the nature of police service - and ingratitude?

7. The following of the suspicious car, the sense of doom, their being kidnapped, the giving of the guns, the driving to Bakersfield, the discussion about the Lindbergh Clause, Ian's being shot, Karl's running? The senseless tragedy? Audience emotional response, having got to know the two policemen? Knowing the criminals?

8. Karl and the drama of his escape, crawling through the fields, the dogs, the farmer and the tractor? His return for the identification? The solemnity of the funeral - and Ian's mother sitting proudly?

9. The world of the Los Angeles criminals? Billy and his ageing, friendship with jimmy? Jimmy out of jail, borrowing money, a code for returning money? Gregory Powell and his self-importance? Pressure over Billy and Jimmy? His arrogant attitudes - and his being in the asylum? His arriving at Jimmy's home? Jimmy's apprehensiveness - especially the sexual innuendo and its later fulfilment? The job and Billy's fear? Greg's nervousness with the gun and pulling it on Billy? Greg and the relationship with his girl - and her deceiving him? Greg's madness, talk about sexuality, the gun as a symbol of self-assertion? The excursion to Las Vegas, Bakersfield, Greg's giving Jimmy the present of the watch? His constant talk about family - and the revelations about his own family during the court case? His talk about family at the end of the film?

10. The job in Los Angeles, the illegal turn, the kidnapping of the police, the ignorance of the law, the circumstances? Greg's pretending to let the policeman live? The violent shooting of Ian Campbell? The panic shots fired into his corpse? Jimmy and his searching the car? Greg and his stealing the car? His arrest?

11. The interrogation scenes? Pierce Brooks and his manner with each of the men? The truth, the lies, the mutual betrayal, tape recordings? Jimmy and his fear? Greg and his insinuating friendship?

12. The film's change of pace with the emphases on the trials? The issues especially the shooting of the bullets into Campbell's corpse? Greg's wanting to make his own defence? The exasperation of legal counsel? Greg's formal interrogation of his mother and father? The gradual revealing of his mother's pressure, his father's ineffectualness? Greg's looking after the brothers and sisters? Jimmy's being upset about the interrogation of his Nana? The oddball court case with the mixture of sentiment and oddity? The judge's condemning Greg and Jimmy? Their going to jail, Death Row? The legal advice given to Jimmy? Greg and his making himself at home in Death Row? The legal advice, the appeals, study? The nature of objections over the years? The prolonging of the case? The farcical aspects of the appeals? The Lawyers and their exasperation and violence? The counsel droning on over the judge? The final decision and their getting life? Greg and the changes over the years and his self-assurance? Jimmy and his greater poise? The repercussions for Karl? His continually giving evidence?

13. Karl and his work on the force, the attitudes of fellow police, their condemnation of him for giving his gun? His headaches and the need for medication? Helen and her support? His working in the store looking for pickpockets? His own shoplifting? Resignation? Helen and her work? His working with plants? Going to the doctor? The dependence on Helen and his exasperation? The impact of the sequence at home with the baby crying, his being about to commit suicide, his daughter saving him? The repercussions at the various trials, going over the material? The medical reports about his inability to give evidence? The verdict and his presence? The crashing of the car? The ending with his going past Bakersfield and not hearing the bagpipes in his head? The lyrical ending with Helen - and the impact of the suffering of the years?

14. Greg and his work in the prison, his being manipulated by Jimmy, especially by sexuality? His giving advice in the prison? Jimmy as an ageing man in the yard admitting he would always be in prison?

15. The film's playing on audience sympathy and exasperation? The importance of the justice issues? The nature of the law - its process and its repercussion on persons? Suffering? The repercussions of circumstances on individuals?