PRETTY POISON
US, 1968, 89 Minutes, Colour.
Anthony Perkins, Tuesday Weld, Beverly Garland, John Randolph.
Directed by Noel Black.
Pretty Poison was a highly acclaimed psychological thriller of the 60s. It attained such notoriety that it was completely banned in Australia. Directed by Noel Black who is more of a producer than a director though he made Jennifer On My Mind, 1971; the film was written by Lorenzo Semple, a screenplay writer of popular versatility.
However, in this film writer and director use conventional material of an ordinary American town, with ordinary looking leading man and leading lady but with the most sinister undertones. Anthony Perkins plays, yet again, one of his intensely neurotic characters. He seems to be on the verge of rehabilitation but becomes involved with an attractive young girl in the form of Tuesday Weld, who eventually proves even more neurotic and destructive than he. She is very much the pretty poison of the title. The impact of the film is that while it looks on the surface very much like a story of an ordinary American couple, under its beauty is a lot of madness and destruction. It is quite effective in its way, even though there have been many similar films since.
1. The significance and tone of the title, Dennis's explanation of it, its reference to Sue Anne, especially at the end?
2. The qualities of the film as a thriller, violent, madness? The appeal of the plot, characterizations? How real, contrived?
3. The Massachusetts settings, the town of Winslow, the factory, the streets, the houses? An authentic sense of reality? The credibility of the characters and plot?
4. The impact of the introduction to Dennis? Anthony Perkins and his manner and style as to suggest madness? The explanation of his background and his paroling, the background as visualized in his memory of the burning house, as explained by him to Sue Ann (and her evil use of this information), how insane was he? His kidding around with mad fantasies? The parole officer's word about fantasy and reality and its recurrence throughout the film?
5. Azenauer as judge and friend for Dennis? Sending him on probation, his words about fantasy, losing track of him and checking him out, the cause of his losing his job, Azenauer's interviews with Sue Ann and her belief? that he was with the C.I.A.? The importance of his interview with Dennis in prison and Dennis' urging him to discover the truth? His final watching of Sue Ann? An objective character for the morality and the facts of the film?
6. Dennis at work in his job, his dreams, plans, the background of arson and destruction, taking the photos, the C.I.A. fantasy with plans and raids? Seeing himself as a hero type? How much did he believe this?
7. Sue Ann and our seeing her through Dennis' eyes as the drum majorette type during the credits? The chance encounter with him at the hot dog stand and the repercussions? The film, the movies and her following him? Going to Lovers' Lane the effect on her, on Dennis and his fantasy, telling the story of the C.I.A., avoiding detection? Sue Ann and her fascination by the C.I.A. story?
8. Did she know what was happening or did she just play a game with Dennis? what happened to her through her experience with Dennis and helping him? Love, lies, adventure, thrills, violence, murder and deceit? Was she like this as the film began or did the experience turn her evil? Her final remarks to Harry about psychopaths and normality?
9. The effect on Dennis of his experience - his genuine love for Sue Ann, especially in taking her out, Lovers' Lane and being caught by the police? The importance of his plan and the taking of the photos and building it into a mission? The film's reinforcing this by showing the chemicals, the pollution, the poison the colour of blood? The sabotaging and the irony of his being caught? The effect of the murder on him and his fear? His reaction to the interrogations and his believing Sue Ann and escaping? His allowing himself to be manipulated by her into escape, murder, hiding in the woods?
10. His experience of hostility at the factory, the boss and his sacking him, the detectives and their questions? How much did this influence him in giving himself up? The violence of their treatment when they arrested him? Interrogation to prison?
11. Sue Ann's mother and their spying on her, the devices that Dennis used to get her lover's photo, the introduction scene and seeing her various moods, slapping Sue-Ann? and the return slap? The importance of Sue Ann's taking the gun and the audience knowing she had murder in her mind? The return home, the build up to Sue Ann's killing her mother, egging on Dennis, doing it herself? The erotic feelings that such maters aroused with her killing of the watchman and the film's detailed presentation of her hitting him and drowning him with conscienceless glee?
12. Her persuading of Dennis to do what she wanted, the sequence of hiding the body, Dennis in the woods?
13. What motivated his change, love for Sue Ann, protection of her, realization that he was being used, with his intricate planning mind working out that she would finally reveal her true self?
14. Sue Ann's behaviour and girlish attitudes in the police station? her lies, the nymphet style, drinking the Pepsi? The irony of her chat with Harry and telling him about her plans?
15. The overall effect of the revealing these to mad sane characters? Themes of evil and madness and manipulation to violence?
