PUZZLE OF A DOWNFALL CHILD

US, 1970, 104 minutes, Colour.
Faye Dunaway, Barry Primus, Viveca Lindfors, Barry Morse, Roy Scheider.
Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.

Puzzle of a Downfall Child is the story of a fashion model portrayed effectively by Faye Dunaway. It was directed by Jerry Schatzberg, a former fashion photographer. Schatzberg has made only a few films: Panic in Needle Park, the excellent Scarecrow, Sweet Revenge. He was a casualty of Barbra Streisand's A Star is Born. The screenplay of this film is quite complex with mingling of flashbacks and audiences found it very difficult. It is glossy and it quickly merits the comment: "pretentious". Interesting support is given by Roy Scheider before he became prominent with Jaws and Viveca Lindfors.

1. The appeal of this film, its interest value?

2. Critics and public were very hostile to the film. Why? Were their judgements just?

3. The significance of the title, its tone, its complexity and ambiguity?

4. The atmosphere of the glossy world of fashion and photography, how authentic did this seem, the way that it was communicated and presented? The contrast with the world of madness, in public and in private? These two worlds combining for a quest for the meaning of life? The significance of puzzle, and of downfall? Lou Andreas as a child?

5. The contribution of colour, fashions, the atmosphere of fashion photography and its styles? Locations? The contribution of Faye Dunaway and her beauty for the role?

6. The importance of the puzzle structure: Aaron taping Lou's memoirs, his narrative, the flashbacks and the flash-forwards? The importance of the contrary images of truth coming as Lou spoke lies or altered the truth? The construction of truth? How real a picture and truthful a picture could the audience get of Lou?? How truthful a picture could Aaron get? Did Lou really appreciate the truth about herself?

7. Was Lou an engaging character or not? The impact of meeting her reminiscing to Aaron, an older, neurotic woman? The results of a strange life which needed to be puzzled out? At the beginning, did her life seem worth exploring?

8. Her revelation of herself as a child, as a Catholic, the influence of religion, the institution, the nuns? Her loneliness,, her crush, the brutal rape? The degeneration into cheap sex and a type of nymphomaniac? What had influenced Lou in her sexual development or lack of it?

9. Was she a skilful model? Her being presented at work, her beauty, interviews? Her humiliations, yet her growing success?

10. Her neuroses of temperament? The various ways in which these manifested themselves? The effect on the people closest to her?

11. How interesting a character was Aaron? As we meet him narrating the story, taping Lou's memoirs, wanting to make a film? The history of his long relationship with Lou? His love for her, the ups and downs of their professional relationship, personal relationship? The reasons for his helping her? His telling her a lie at the end? was he a credible and interesting character?

12. How realistic was the character of Pauline? Her professional life and skill, her personal life? The dominant feminine characteristics? Her hold over Lou? Her influence in her career, in her relationship with Mark? Her husband?

13. How was Mark different from Aaron? An ordinary lawyer, the possibility of a marriage? mark and his understanding of Lou, the lack of it? The melodrama of their marriage and Lou’s running away? The melodrama of Mark's beating her? Was this the truth?

14. Lou's desperation in wanting to use Doctor Gelbe? How pathetic was she at this stage of her life?

15. The presentation of career and its meaning, the ups and downs and personal investment? The contrast with other models? Lou's growing madness and inability to distinguish the real world? The pathos of her final hospitalization? Her imagining people in the ward and its effect on her? What did these imaginings reveal about her state of mind?

16. What was she left with at the end? Merely her memories, the confusion of the truth, a shattered career, Aaron's life?

17. The themes of truth and falsity, appearances and reality, modern lives? How effective a parable of living in the complexities of the modern world?