POOR COW

UK, 1967, 104 minutes, Colour.
Carol White, Terence Stamp, John Bindon, Kate Williams, Queenie Watts, Geraldine Sherman, James Beckett, Billy Murray, Simon King, Stevie King.
Directed by Kenneth Loach.

Poor Cow is a very good example from the late 60's of realistic drama. Direction is by Kenneth Loach who had worked for the BBC in documentaries and dramas of social observation e.g. Cathy Come Home with Carol White. He was to make Kes as well as the very gripping Family Life with its influence by psychologist R.D. Laing. He was also to make the famous documentary about industry in England.

Poor Cow is a companion film to Up the Junction; both come from books written by Nell Dunn. Suzy Kendall and Carol White are somewhat similar in the roles. However, Poor Cow is a grimmer look at life in London slums amongst people who have no opportunities and yet are involved in petty crime. The title refers to the character played by Carol White with her hard luck with men, with her child, with money. Terence Stamp is quite effective as the young criminal who befriends her. The treatment is realistic in a documentary kind of way but the tone is somewhat softened by a number of songs written and performed by Donavan. There is quite a lot of good social observation in Poor Cow.

1. The significance of the title, its tone? Indication of themes and focus on persons?

2. How important was the use of colour? Would black and white have been more appropriate? The authenticity of the London situations and scenes? People? The importance of the musical background? The significance of Donovan's songs? Would it have made a difference not to have had these songs?

3. The improvisation of the actors, the spontaneous kind of dialogue and its authenticity? The use of the interview technique? The glimpses of a person's life in order to build up character? The personal side of these confessions and the knowledge of the interior life of the person? The significance of the captions and their breaking up the continuity as well as adding meaning to theme?

4. How interesting and authentic a picture of England in the 1960's? The social background and atmosphere, the awareness of those who were poor in the suburbs, human nature in this kind of context, its good and bad, sinfulness and resilience? How optimistic or pessimistic was the film?

5. The impact of the long sequence of the birth at the beginning? The authenticity and reality of a baby coming into this world? What tone did it give the film?

6. Immediate response to Joy? Her participation in the birth, the fact that she was narrating the film so often? Her explanation of her background, pregnancy, marriage to Tom? The love and lack of love between them? Their style of home life? The meaning of their marriage? Tom's aggressiveness? Joy's response and trying to assert herself e.g. their fighting, loving, encounter in the cafe etc.?

7. How interesting a character was Joy? A typical young girl of English slums? Her usefulness, the background of her life, her life at home and the home she was making? Her capacities for being a mother and wife? How was she a poor cow? Her ideas on what it was to be a woman and feminine? In relation to men? In fulfilment of her own capacities? The role of chance and luck in her life? Her expectations of life being hard? Her comments on fresh air? Her lack of horizons?

8. The relationship between Joy and Tom and the effect of his imprisonment? Her encounter with Dave and the contrast in her relationship with Dave? Dave's bringing something out of her that she didn't know? The intimacy of their scenes at home, e.g. the bath and looking out the window, their conversations? The importance of the sequence in Wales with its lyricism, her comments on the trees and the waterfall, her fear of the sheep, the picnic and the soup etc.? Her relationship to Johnny and his meaning in her life? Dave's response to Johnny? Her relationship as a period of love and growth?

9. Fate and its harshness with Tom and Dave in prison? Her visits to Dave and his possessiveness, her not telling the truth, her comments to Beryl about this? Was it possible for her to wait for him?

10. The importance and authenticity of the world of the bar and the hotel, the men that she encountered, the baker, the rich man and his bath, her modelling, the way of life that she was building up? Beryl's leadership and Beryl as a comparison? The effect of all of this on her, nice things and clothes, wealth, men's attentions, sexual fulfilment etc.? How well was this presented visually in these sequences?

11. The character portrayal of Tom and of Dave? Their backgrounds as explained in the court, the robberies, violence, the trials?

12. The contribution of Aunt Em and her comments on life and men, her support of JOY?

13. The significance of Tom's return from prison, Joy's taking up with him again, the significance socially of his long speech on everyone being 'bent'?

14. The impact of Johnny being lost and its effect on Joy? Her finding him?

15. The impact of the final interviews, her revelation of herself? How had she changed during the period of the film? Her capacity for self-knowledge, honesty, hopes and ambitions? Dave?

16. How compassionate was this film? The importance and possibility of Joy having a future?