PROPHECY

US, 1979, 97 minutes, Colour.
Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, Armand Assante, Richard Dysart.
Directed by John Frankenheimer.

Prophecy was advertised as 'the monster movie' (and the mutants do appear eventually, frightening, gory and with old-fashioned scare conventions). It is also an ecological message thriller, written by David Seltzer (The omen) and directed with style by John Frankenheimer. It will ultimately satisfy science horror fans and indicates how serious message makers can use popular entertainment (though many critics decry (snobbily?) directors like Frankenheimer doing this). Industry exploiting forests and rivers with banned lethal chemicals is the target (along with themes of Indian ownership of the land and white exploitation) and, on a popular level, the scare tactic is quite effective. Panavision mountainous locations and special effects contribute to stylish production values.

1. The appeal of such horror films, monster movies? The appeal to the genre audience? The message and ecology issues geared to such an audience via the horror? A successful blend of old fashioned entertainment styles with contemporary morals and messages?

2. Audience expectations from the monster traditions in films? The appearance of the monster, scares, threats? Enjoying the terror of the people menaced? The general low budget tradition of such films? The contrast with this film and its large budget, make up, scares, Panavision locations etc? The importance of make up, menace, the scenes of pursuit and destruction?

3. The response of audiences of the 70s to themes of ecology? The pros and cons? Progress (as illustrated in the film by the need for paper to write reports about ecology)? The need for controls in the use of the environment? Man's traditional exploitation of the environment - for progress, for greed, for money? The basic message of this film? Its attitude towards science and technology, towards the use of particular chemicals and poisons? How fairly did the film present facts? An emotional presentation of the issues? A visualising of the dangers by the creation of monster and mutants? The theme of the abuse of science and of the environment? The seeming happy resolution and the hint of the continued threat by the monsters? The film's emphasis on priorities in dealing with progress and the environment?

4. The significance of the title, its biblical tone, the focus on the future? The implications of a prophecy ? of doom?

5. The atmosphere of the credits sequence and the prologue? The lights and the darkness, the mystery, the men and their pursuit of the unknown, the threats, atmosphere and fear, the deaths and their brutality? The mysterious causer of the deaths? How was this used later - in the discovery of the bodies, of the dogs and the dog being airlifted?

6. The transition to the concert? The cello-playing and Maggie's worry, indications of her pregnancy? How important was the introduction of Maggie's pregnancy with the realisation that the chemicals affected pregnant women? The possibility of giving birth to a mutant? This tension pervading the dramatics of the film? The importance of mothers and the attitude towards the child they bear, the mother love despite the possibilities of giving birth to a mutant? Maggie’s eventual care for the baby mutant? The ugliness of its eventually biting her and Maggie and Rob having to drown it?

7. The importance of the establishing sequences for Rob and his work? His attitude towards Maggie not having a child, his work in the ghetto and the ugliness of the slum housing, the rats biting the children, the exploitation of the landlords? How important was this urban image of exploitation for symbolising the exploitation of the environment? The introduction of the Indian cause by having Rob pass the demonstration? The proposal that he go to the forest and the reasons for his decision?

8. Maggie and Rob arriving and the views of the beauty of the forest? The conventions of the husband and wife on holidays? The hints of doom to come, being met by Isely, his talk about the plant, seeing the dog being airlifted? The drive and the demonstration by the Indians, the clash, the fight with the saw and the white men being violent towards the Indian? Indian pride and resistance, and humiliation? The creating of tensions which would carry

9. The lyrical scenes, the fishing with the hint of the monster fish? The joy of eating the fish and the later ominous significance of this? The peace between Maggie and Rob? The possibility of Maggie telling him about the baby? The background of the sequences indicating tensions to come?

10. The importance of the tour of the plant and the elaborate presentation of technological detail? The fact that Isely told lies about the chemicals in the water? The contrast then with the Indian villagers and the sores and illness? Rob being confronted with these phenomena and having to make decisions?

11. The introduction of the mutants? The visual presentation of the monsters? Make up, size, ugliness, violence and threat? The baby monsters and their pitiful crying? The desire to save the monsters?

12. The violence that the monsters wrought? The omen of the beaver attacking Rob and Maggie in their home? The campers and their destruction? (And the irony of the paper mill people blaming the Indians?) The eventual siege by the monsters in the underground tunnels? The pursuit? The killing of the man strapped to the vehicle? ? Ugly violence, appropriate for this kind of film?

13. The theme of Indian land, invasion by the whites, Indian myths and the ugly fulfilment of them? The old Indian and his having seen the monster, his standing vigil and confronting the monster? His being rescued? How well did the film use this atmosphere of land rights and Indian myths? Indian pride, the accusations of the whites, the irony of the Indian behaviour due to the poisoning of the waters? The arrest and John's escape? His being able to save the mill people? The irony of the proof of his innocence?

14. The helicopter going in, the group being caught, the siege? Isely and his attempt to reach safety and communication on the mountain top and the ugliness of his death? The pursuit during the night?

15. The final siege, the man strapped to the vehicle being killed, the group swimming to safety, the irony of John's death and the shock to the audience?

16. How well drawn were the main characters? As personalities, as types? Rob and Maggie as contemporary urban people, educated and cultured, hoping for a child, thinking about the world into which they would bring their child, trying to alleviate ills trying to have a sense of justice? Being victimised by the world? The Indians - the old man and his memories, the Indians degraded in the villages, John and his being persecuted, the Indian girl and her dignity? The contrast with Isely and the exploiters, their greed, their lies and unwillingness to face the truth?

17. The blending of conventional material and situations with the horror genre?

18. Popular horror and science fiction as a mans for the emotional communication of contemporary social and sociological issues? The final appearance of the monster and the hint of an unsafe future? The final prophecy?