THE RIVER'S EDGE

US, 1986, 96 minutes, Colour.
Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye.
Directed by Tim Hunter.

The River's Edge is a grim film about contemporary American youth. It focuses on a small Californian town, a teenager murdering his girlfriend at the river's edge and the reaction of his peers - to cover up, in solidarity with him. There is also a character, played typically by Dennis Hopper, a drug-dealer from the '60s. The interaction is, as the director says, at the edge of society. However, he asks audiences to look at the mirror of society and its values or lack of them from the edge.

The film was directed by Tim Hunter, writer of another film about disenchanted youth, Over the Edge. Hunter also directed the S.E. Hinton story, Tex, and Sylvester.

1. The impact of the film? On American audiences? World-wide audiences? The critical acclaim and the critical denunciation of this portrayal of youth?

2. The film as a piece of Americana, California, the small town, the river, its edge, presented bleakly, the visual bleakness, homes, schools? An ugly town? The creation of mood? Editing and pace? The musical score and the range of contemporary songs?

3. The title, the opening, the death of the girl, Sampson by the girl, Tim's observation, dropping his sister's doll into the river, the group, their loyalties, morals and confusion at the edge?

4. Hope and despair in the United States? The stances of the younger generation? Of the '80s? How typical? A small segment? Their environment, home, school, peer groups? Values, lack of values? The presentation of adults and their modelling for their children? Juvenile life and crime? The mirroring of extremes for comment on mainstream American values?

5. The detail of the town, its life, the centre of the town, the edge? The ordinary school scenes, the clashes at home?

6. Sampson and his size, killing his girlfriend callously? Sitting by her body? The way he body was filmed and audience reaction? Tim watching and a the parallel with his sister's doll? Tim and his help, going to see Feck? Telling the story to the kids at school, believing the truth or not? Layne and his reaction? Leadership? Decision to protect Sampson? Sampson's indifference, Layne's anger? Feck's story to Sampson about killing a girl, his anger at Sampson's indifference, shooting him? Death at the end?

7. Matt as hero: home life, Madeline, her lover, drugs, clashes and arguments? His relationship with Tim, the sister? The criminal background, drugs? Tim as precocious? Matt and Clarissa about the truth and concealing it? The body, bewildered, behaviour at school? Matt and his decision to tell the police, his judgment, Tim's hostility? The credibility of the reconciliation with Tim? The bonding of the brothers?

8. The contrast with Layne: his intensity, background, personality, drives, leadership of the peers, decision-making, at school, in the town, the effect on the rest of the group, his relationship with Tim? Anger with Sampson? Loyalties, stands, challenges? Taking Sampson to Feck? Raising the money? His final frustration? Where did Layne stand? Crispin Glover's frenetic performance?

9. Tim and his age, the influence of the home, tough, posing and reality? The doll and his sister? Drugs? Contact with Feck, visiting his house, talking, taking his gun? His place in the group? Feeling that Matt betrayed him? The attempt with the gun? The reconciliation? His future?

10. Feck and Dennis Hopper's presence and style? The 60s, crazed, drug-dealing, the squalor of his home, friendship with the boys, interaction with them, menace? His gun? Layne and comparisons - Layne a future Feck? Tim a future Feck? Sampson in his home, the story by the river, the madness of his killing the girl, his anger and shooting Sampson?

11. The picture of the others in the group: Clarissa, Maggie, friendship, love, followers?

12. The sketch of the adults: Madeline and her relationship with her children, fights, drugs? The lover, sex, values?

13. What was the audience left with? Reality or heightened reality? A mirror of society? Judgments? Challenge?