THE CANDIDATE
US, 1972, 105 minutes, Colour.
Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas, Don Porter.
Directed by Michael Ritchie.
The Candidate was released in the Presidential election year that swept Nixon back into power - something possibly not anticipated by the makers of this film. It was written by Jeremy Larner, speech-writer for Eugene Mc Carthy in 1968. It is a popular film, but always interesting and arresting in its following of a fictitious Californian senate election campaign. Some of director Michael Ritchie's sequences are close enough to reality that they seem convincing and persuasive.
Robert Redford is pleasantly bland and suitable for this role. He contrasts with the versatile Peter Boyle (Joe, Steelyard Blues, A Date With a Lonely Girl) as the tough master-mind of the campaign and Melvyn Douglas’s shrewd ex-governor. Don Porter as the Republican candidate is entirely convincing. Recommended popular politics.
1. Why does this particularly American film elicit so much interest from non-Americans?
2. How satirical is the film? How cynical? How 'soft'? How generalised and evasive of real issues? How glamorous?
3. Director Ritchie has been praised for the authentic look of his crowd scenes, his campaign sequences and the whole atmosphere of the film. How does he communicate this atmosphere in the film? Does he deserve the praise?
4. What kind of man was Bill Mc Kay? Did the film explain him sufficiently well as a conscientious San Diego lawyer? How? Was McKay? a strong personality, a strong man? Why did he agree to run for office? Why did he expect to lose?
5. What picture of political organisation did the film give? How harsh was it? Why were these men and women dedicated to a career of manipulation? Why did they pick on McKay? for their next job? Did they expect him to win? How expertly did they plan their campaign to interest Mc Kay, their plan to promote him?
6. Comment on the morality of their plans to promote M cKay - the speeches, the advertisements, the meeting of people, the opportunism. What sequences in the film best illustrate this? Why?
7. How innocent was Mc Kay? What were his reactions to the campaign? What integrity did he have at the start? How was it changed? Did he lose it? If so, how much?
8. What influence did his wife have? How did the campaign affect her?
9. What basically was M cKay's stand? on particular issues? Was he allowed to say what he thought? Did he think? Was he allowed to think?
10. How did particular sequences illustrate the political issues - especially those with Croaker Jarman? e.g. the fire, T.V. debate. What kind of man was Jarman? What did he stand for? How critical of him was the film?
11. What kind of man was ex-Governor Mc Kay - as a man, as a politician, as a father? How shrewd was he? What values did he stand for? How did he use his influence and power?
12. Where did Bill Mc Kay finish? What tone did the film take in its ending?
13. How closely could particular characters be identified with recent. U.S. political personalities?
14. What final picture of political electioneering and government did the film give?
