THE CHASE
US, 1965,120 minutes, Colour.
Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, James Fox, E.G. Marshall, Angie Dickinson, Janice Rule, Miriam Hopkins, Robert Duvall, Martha Hyer.
Directed by Arthur Perm.
The Chase is seen as much more important now than when first released. The screenplay was by Lillian Hillman, who felt that it had been tampered with far too much. Marion Brando's star was not in the ascendant at the time and the whole film was an explosive indictment of lawlessness and immorality amongst the respectable citizens of the
southern U.S. states. Its climax took its cue from the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald.
Since time is a great healer, The Chase is now considered a fairly important film, and, especially, as a step in the career of Arthur Penn (whose films include The Left -Handed Gun, 1957; The Miracle Worker, 1962; Mickey One, 1965; Bonnie and Clyde, 1967; Alice's Restaurant, 1969 and Little Big Man, 1970, - all of which have gained some kind of critical recognition and acclaim). An 86 minute study of Penn at work on Little Big Man was made for U.S. television and this, too, has been considered to be an excellent documentary. As a study of Texas-style, town living, the film is worth seeing, frightening in; the presentation of men and women concerned with their own personal problems who carry over their 'hang-ups' into the area of public order and public opinion, eventually taking justice into their own hands in arrogant disregard of established law and order. The Chase is an interesting document of society and violence, themes Penn has shown interest in in some of his other films, most notably Bonnie and Clyde,
The performances are good, the pace swift and the development of the plot always absorbing. Recommended.
1. What impression of America did this film give? Was it flattering or was it unduly pessimistic? Consider the town itself, the people, the hierarchy of the town, morals, corruption, the place of the police.
2. What was the job of the sheriff? How did he see his role? How was it restricted? What kind of man was he? What goals and ambitions did he have? Haw did the people of the town see him? his independence ?
3. How did the sheriff's wife show the position of her husband - even in small things like returning the dress sent by the industrialist?
4. What did the film show about power and wealth and their effects on people's lives?
5. What kind of a man was the millionaire? Although rich, fawned on by people and able to control most things and manage his oil industry, was he happy? What was his relationship to his son? Why was he investing millions in the College - to keep fame, genuine interest, proud philanthropy, conscience?
6. Bubba - what kind of a criminal was he? How innocent or naive was he? How was he a product of the environment of the town? What effect had his mother, his wife and his friend had on Mum?
7. What kind of woman was Val’s wife? Did she love him? Why did she marry him? Why did she become entangled with the millionaire's son? How did she plan to get out of her dilemma? Why?
8. The son - was he merely a weak character? How did he trust his wife? Why? How did he react to his father? What should he have done?
9. Bubba's mother - why was she so vindictive? Why was she so demanding? Was she a good mother? Why?
10. The townspeople, the bank people and their wives, their affairs, jealousies and greed - what values did they have? What value were ordinary people, as citizens? Were they what was wrong with the town? Te ordinary trust of mediocre citizens) what is wrong with them? (Note their comments on the teeny-bopper neighbour's behaviour.}
22. How was the race problem presented? Do you think this is typical of the South? Why do whites bash blacks?
22. What impression did the town busybody make on you? How much mischief did he cause? How wittingly?
23. Why did the men of the town take the law into their hands and interfere with official justice?
24. How was the fire symbolic of the issues of the film - passion, burning, destruction?
25. Who was responsible for the death of the millionaire's son?
26. How do you explain the bashing of a sheriff? How do you explain the shooting of Bubba in public? What kind of a society would do things like that?
27. The film was seen as an attack on Dallas-type society which could spawn a Lee Harvey Oswald, assassinate a President, spawn a Jack Ruby who could shoot a police-escorted Oswald? Does this film help to explain how the events of 1963 were possible?
18. How did you feel as the sheriff and his wife drove out of the town at the end?
