ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT
UK, 1958, 104 minutes, Black and White.
Dirk Bogarde, Marius Goring, Cyril Cusack.
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Ill Met By Moonlight is good war material, typical of so many of the British films of the 50's which reconstructed daring exploits of World War II and paid tribute to the people involved. Dirk Bogarde starred in many of them. This one involves the kidnapping of a German officer in Crete. It is suspenseful and well written by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, responsible for such a variety of films as The Red Shoes and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.
1. The significance of the title and its Shakespearian background? The tone that the title gave to the film? The use of moon and cloud for symbol?
2. How important was setting, location and photography for this film? The initial Homer quotation on Crete, the continual visualising of Crete and its mountains, the people of Crete in their settings? Did the film come across as a strong tribute to the Cretans during the war? Comment on the use of music with its Cretan background and its poignancy at various times - soft piano music, national rousing songs? Was the film important for its war heroics and their role as tribute to Crete and to the Britons?
3. How fair was the film in its presentation of the Britons and the Cretans? The heroism of the Cretan resistance and their collaboration with the British? The British as leaders? Patrick and his role in Crete? Sandy and his immersion in the life (and smells) of the Cretans?
4. Were the Germans presented fairly? Did the film seem anti-German? How did it present the soldiers? How did it present the German General? Adequately as a German? As a General? His ingenuity, etc? The final tribute to him and his tribute to his captors?
5. Were the heroics in the film credible? The plan itself? The Cretan support? Credibility made certain by the incident in the dentist's room? The role of the resistance? The use of the terrain and local communications, etc?
6. How did the film make the plan clear to the audience? How interesting and suspenseful was the execution of the plan? Listening for the car, taking over the car, passing through the guard-boxes, visualising the Germans waiting for the General? The importance of the mistakes that were made - especially the misreading of the letter, the sheep following the donkey?
7. How good a hero was Patrick Leigh- Fermor? Dirk Bogarde's style? The panache of the resistance man identifying with the Cretans in language, behaviour, dress? The sense of achievement in Crete? The importance of the sequences when Leigh Fermor and Bill talk together as Englishmen? How understated was the film in comparison with many other war films?
8. The character of the General and his response to his capture? The visualising of his attempts to slow-down his progress? His trying to bribe Nico? His final admission of defeat and his tribute? Was he an interesting character?
9. The importance of the boy as a messenger? His fascination with the boots? His honesty? His shrewdness in leading the Germans away?
10. How well did the film generate its suspense during the flight and the finale? The empathy of the audience with the capture and its purpose?
11. What did the film have to say about war - the rights and wrongs? Did it take war for granted, and taking it for granted simply show how it was executed? Is this a credible attitude towards war?
12. What did the film have to say about war heroics and their necessity? The British style of doing things? The success, yet such incompetency as not knowing Morse code?
13. This film was made ten years after the war. How does it seem decades later? Why?
