THE RAT RACE
US, 1960, 105 minutes, Colour.
Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds, Jack Oakie, Don Rickles.
Directed by Robert Mulligan.
The Rat Race is a pleasantly sardonic look at life in the American big city and survival in it. The film focuses on typical hero and heroine, Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds, and their struggles for identity and integrity. There is sentiment and humour in the background, especially in the figure of Jack Oakie in a good role.
Direction is by Robert Mulligan, a director whose projects often have strong social implications but he treats them with gentle touch and humanity. These range from his first film Fear Strikes Out through such films as To Kill a Mockingbird and Up the Down Staircase to Same Time Next Year. Screenplay is by Garson Kanin, the film writer, director and author, responsible for such films as Tom, Dick and Harry and Bachelor Mother and Adam's Rib and other works written with his actress-playwright wife Ruth Gordon.
1. The significance and tone of the title, its irony, as exemplified in the film?
2. The importance of colour, the New York atmosphere, the New York locations, the musical background? The theme and its vigour?
3. The presentation of New York visually: the trip towards New York during the credits, New York as a goal, overpowering, ugly, the mixed reactions of people, seemingly cruel and heartless? Is this an adequate picture of New York? What was the film saying about New York as a place and atmosphere? As a typical American city?
4. The theme of survival: ambition, disillusionment, the need for courage, temptation to despair, victims of exploitation, a sick society?
5. Peter Hammond as an ambitious young man: a young American everyman, his naivety and lack of realism? His niceness as regards the flat and the hotel? The emphasis on poverty? His capacity for being accommodating, hopes, depending on Peggy and helping her? As a victim, especially the stealing of the instruments? Falling in love with Peggy? How desperate was he in his experience of New York?
6. What did Pete Hammond learn about himself in New York? The nature of the change, hope and despair, hope by being in love?
7. The presentation of Peggy? As a tough girl in herself, her years in New York and disillusionment, her work as a hostess and its drabness and artificiality? The nature of her bitterness, sharpness? Her low expectations? Impressed by Peter's gift? Her impulses to help him despite what she said? Her willingness to compromise for his sake? The experience of violence? The buoyancy of Peter's letters? The possibility of hope?
8. Comment on the film's presentation of the ugliness of New York, trying to get jobs, people in hotels, taxi men, landladies, crooks and thieves, con men, harsh police?
9. What contribution did the pleasant people make: Mac and his advice, offering help? Soda? The change of heart in the landlady?
10. How well was the theme illustrated in the dialogue, in comment, in the drab situations?
ll. How realistic was the happy ending for this film? Could the film have ended otherwise?
12. How successful was the film as an exploration of a social theme for popular audiences?
