WORDS UPON THE WINDOW PANE

Ireland, 1994, 99 minutes, Colour.
Geraldine Chaplin, Geraldine James, Ian Richardson, John Lynch, Gerard Mc Sorley, Orla Brady, Hugh O' Conor, Donal Donnelly, Jim Sheridan.
Directed by Mary Mc Guckian.

Words upon the Window Pane is adapted by its writer and director, Mary Mc Guckian, from a one-act play by poet W.B. Yates. It is set in 1928 in a rainy Dublin, the focus on a spiritualists' society and an evening of seances. It is also a flashback to 1728 and the confrontation between Dean Jonathan Swift and his wife Stella about his relationship with Vanessa (and his love poem written to her). As the people meet in 1928, Dean Swift and Stella and Vanessa materialise and take over the mediums. It is an opportunity for Swift to purge himself of his injuries to the two women in his life.

The film is dark and sombre, reminiscent of John Huston's The Dead in its decor and settings. It has a very strong cast with Geraldine Chaplin as the secretary of the spiritualists' society, a strong performance from Geraldine James as the celebrated medium. Ian Richardson is the president of the spiritualists' society, John Lynch a student writing on Swift, Gerard Mc Sorley an interested minister, Gemma Craven a woman seeking her husband at seances, Donal Donnelly wanting to find out whether there are whippets in heaven and whether he would be happy there. Writer-director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, The Field, In the Name of the Father) appears as Swift.

The film relies strongly on its dialogue, Yates' words, the quoting of Swift's poetry. The setting, in Stella's house, also focuses on windows scratched on the window pane focusing on the words being made flesh and the spirit being present in the words.

The film was a European co-production, filmed in Ireland and Luxembourg. It has a musical score by Niall Byrne (reminiscent of the scores by Michael Niemann, the composer himself having won a Michael Niemann competition award).

1.A work of cinema art combining poetry, history, religion, spiritualism, music and film?

2.European collaboration? A European film?

3.The title, Stella's words on the window, the word being made flesh and the spirit being present?

4.The locations: the exteriors and interiors of 27 William Street, Dr Trench's rooms, the rainy Dublin streets, St Patrick's Cathedral? Light and darkness, shadow? Night? The musical score?

5.The style and pace of the film, the contrast between the 20th and the 18th centuries? Dublin and its atmosphere? The musical score?

6.Audience knowledge of Jonathan Swift, his life, his literature, his relationship with Stella, with Vanessa? His poetry, his pessimism, his bleak vision of the future, his own madness and being certified? His religious scruples?

7.The use of the poetry, the recitation of the verse, Swift's images about himself and his death, his love for Vanessa?

8.The contradictory life of the celibate don, academic, guardian, tutor of Stella, love for Vanessa, the writing of the poetry, the complications of the publication of the poetry, his refusal to Vanessa, Stella's anger? Dean of the cathedral, his religious duties? The secret marriage, the non-consummation? His madness and death?

9.The ghost, not at rest, having wronged the women, the final taking over of the mediums, the window smashing?

10.Miss Mc Kenna and the focus of the seances, secretary of the spiritualists' society, unmarried, her enthusiasms and conscientiousness, going to the boat, looking after Mrs Henderson, her attitude towards Dr Trench and relying on him, welcoming Cornelius, the widow, serving tea? Her place at the seance, identifying what was happening, her concerns? Her being taken over by Stella and Vanessa? Going to see Dr Trench? Her frustrations, primping herself when she went to the door - the experience of the seances, what left in her life?

11.Mrs Henderson, her history, her reaction to people's scepticism, her role as a medium, arriving, being born in Dublin? Taking tea, the rules of the seance? The conduct of the seance, her being taken over by Swift? Her not knowing this? The cinematic acting out of Swift's actions, words? Her vision? Her discussions with Mr Corbett, his thesis, the mysteries about Swift's behaviour, her solving them?

12.Dr Trench, the role of spiritualism in Ireland, his being president of the association, Mr Johnson and his sending him to observe? The friendship with Mr Corbett? His going to the seance, witnessing what happened, his having to make judgments about the value of the seances?

13.Mr Johnson, ringing the bells, his scepticism, his wanting to be in contact with the great evangelists, his fears, the seances, wanting to pray exorcisms, his praying, the clashes with Dr Trench?

14.Cornelius and Mrs Mallett, her wanting to be in touch with her husband, being advised by him? Cornelius's question about the whippets? His observation of the seances? Their being honest about themselves, their not really believing? The winning of the bet and gaining of the money - and the irony of the animal called Swift on Time? Their future?

15.Mr Corbett, his writing on swift, his examination of Swift's life, the mysteries of the marriage, the poetry? Dr Trench? The seances, the experience and the discussions with Mrs Henderson?

16.The world of the spirits, experience, ghosts, the exorcising of wrongs, the role of the medium? The past and the present uniting?