WALTZ OF THE TOREADORS

UK, 1962, 102 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers. Dany Robin, Margaret Leighton, John Fraser, Cyril Cusack.
Directed by John Guillermin.

Waltz of the Toreadors is an unusual film. It is a British treatment of a play by French playwright Jean Anouilh. The French ingredients do not necessarily mix well with the British ingredients. Anouilh's play is a satire on society, wealth, hypocrisy, and standards. It was written with wit and sharp insight. The film is not quite so subtle. Perhaps it is the work of the director. John Guillermin, a British director of small budget thrillers at this time who was to go to Hollywood and soon make The Blue Max, and a number of George Peppard thrillers, some westerns. Guillermin has since become famous for such films as Towering Inferno and King Kong.

Perhaps the heaviness or the Britishness of the film comes from Peter Sellers' central portrayal. He is excellent as usual. But he tends to dominate the film. Margaret Leighton, in a heightened performance, also tends to dominate the scenes in which she appears. This makes the film quite entertaining and interesting in its way, but somewhat difficult to accept. However, the issues that it raises comically are worth exploring.

1. What kind of film was this? For what audience was it made? What aspect dominates it?

2. How evident was it the film was based on a play: the dramatic structure, the characters and their interplay, dialogue and wit, transitions from scenes? The role of the flashbacks and their placing within the film? The variety of their style?

3. The contribution of the beauty of the colour? The prettiness in the film? The Gallic origins and the atmosphere? The English settings?

4. The significance of the title? The visualizing of the waltz and its repetition? The waltz as a symbol of Fitzjohn's relationships? Their impact in his life?

5. How much of the film was realistic? Treated realistically? How much was comedy with comedy conventions? How much was bitter-sweet romance, with extra bitterness? How moralizing was the film?

6. The audience sharing the search with Ghislaine? Beginning the film with her? Her eagerness, her memory, fidelity? The significance of the waltz for her? The later categorizing of FitzJohn's memories of meeting with her? When these occurred during the film? Her readiness to elope, the night when everything went wrong? Her mock-suicide attempt? Her disillusionment with FitzJohn? The advances of Robert and the farce of the chase? The significance of the Court sequence? Her marriage to Robert? How realistic was the portrayal of this woman? Was she a character or a contrived character? The theme of her innocence and love?

7. The film's focus on FitzJohn? Peter Sellers' style and skill? That he is being sought at the beginning, that he is pictured retiring, the comic aspects of this with the statue? FitzJohn's war memories, romantic memories, his romantic personality? How unreal was the world he lived in? His achievement in war? The satire on the British overtones of his career? His relationship to Emily? His dislike, yet anxiety for her? His daughters and their ugliness? His having Robert by his side? His memoirs? The details of his fighting with Emily and her pretence? His relationship with the doctor, taking his advice about life-force, suspicion of him in Emily's regard? Mock-fighting with him? The satire on his standards and morality? His manners and morals? The farce of the hunt and the night when everything went wrong? The court-case? The importance of the tirade from Emily and the truth? His contemplation of death and the meaninglessness of his life? The ending? The exploration of a world-weary character?

8. Emily: the ugliness of her life, her feigned sickness, her talking through the tube and its symbolism of her? Her madness and the riding on the bike, the attempted suicide on the railway line? The truth in her tirade against her husband? Her being close to death? The ending and her hold on her husband? The pathos of the 'Waltz of the Toreadors' and the truth about her relationships?

9. The significance of Robert? A young FitzJohn? Innocence led by FitzJohn's experience with dire consequences? The farcical consequences of FitzJohn's advice? The truth about his relationship? The marriage?

10. The importance of the doctor? His philosophy of the life-force? Attacked by FitzJohn? His care for Emily?

11. The contribution of the minor characters to comedy and meaning: the vicar, the undertaker, the huntsman, the members of the Court etc.?

12. What themes of love and romance did the film explore? How lightly, how intelligently? How heavily? The cynicism of the ending? (Pessimism as the only alternative?)