INTERLUDE
UK, 1968, 113 minutes, Colour.
Oskar Werner, Barbara Ferris, Virginia Maskell, John Cleese, Donald Sutherland, Nora Swinburne, Alan Webb.
Directed by Kevin Billington.
Interlude is conventional romantic soap opera with classical music background. A similar story with the same title had been made in Hollywood with June Allyson and Jeff Chandler in the late '50s. This is an English production, directed by Kevin Billington (The Light At The Edge Of The World, Voices). Oskar Werner, a European star of many English-speaking films such as Fahrenheit 451, Ship of Fools, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Voyage of the Damned, is a self-centred conductor who has a brief romantic interlude with journalist quite pleasantly played by Barbara Ferris. Virginia Maskell is convincing as the long-suffering wife. Brief appearances in the supporting cast are from Donald Sutherland and Derek Jacobi. The film is glossy, colourful, shows the intensity of the romantic interlude as well as facing up to the realities of the break-up and the hardship for the third party. This is the kind of material that has always been and will always be quite popular. The presentation of the classical music concert is a bonus. The perennial appeal of the romance, the soap opera? The English version of the soap opera? The male audience response, feminine audience? Audience identification with the characters, situations, attitudes, crises? How much insight into love, marriage, an affair? Feel for the situations and the emotional response?
2. The British production, the stars, the English locations?
3. The importance of the musical background, the appeal of the classical music, its being interwoven into the plot, the concert performances?
4. The structure and audience identification: the two visiting each other after the affair? The flashbacks and the understanding of both characters? Audience interest in their relationship, judgment? Audience curiosity as regards how the affair turned out? What made it an interlude? The significance of the title? Stefan and his being the hero? A celebrity, an artist, a musician? His arrogance and temperament? His acknowledgement of these? His love of music, knowledge of it, sharing it? A cold manner, passionate temperament? The encounter, the meals, love and passion? The intimacy of the love scenes? The affair and its effect on his life? His coping, his lies to his wife? The importance of the dinner party and the defence of relationships in age? His giving himself away? His wife's response? Sally as an attractive heroine? Her work, skill, the build-up to the interview? Her being put off, the attraction, the discussion about relationships, intimacy? The meals, the visit to her home? Sharing points of view? Infatuation, love? The intimacy of the sexual scenes? Her acceptance of the affair and her status? Her responsibilities, tension? The talk with her girlfriend and the estimation of the relationship, the relationship with Antonia? Facing the possibility of the failure of the affair?
7. The portrait of Antonia - how sympathetic, attractive? The coldness of the marriage relationship, Antonia being taken for granted? Seeing her at home, with the children? The visit of her parents? Her suspicions, the visit to Laurence and discussion with him? Her reaction to the dinner party and Stefan's giving himself away? The visit to the Albert Hall? Her arranging the restaurant sequence? The long discussion with Stefan through the property and the grounds? Her handling of the situation, decision about the divorce? The fact that the marriage did not break up?
8. Sally's attitude towards Antonia, not wanting to see her, the accident of seeing her and putting a face with the name? The anticipation of the clash? Her fear of going to the restaurant? Her behaviour at the restaurant?
9. The effect of the affair on Stefan? His having to be away on business, the lateness of his arrival, Antonia's arranging for him to be away and his holidays with Sally? The rendezvous and his seeing his father-in-law at the restaurant, the father-in-law's explanation? Discussions with Laurence about the affair? The walk through the property and his facing the truth with Antonia? His behaviour in the restaurant sequence and his leaving with Antonia?
10. The audience imagining the aftermath?
11. The portrait of Sally's girlfriend, her comment on affairs, her advice?
12. The small portrait of Antonia's father, his wealth, being of the country, his wife, the liaison and his explanation of it?
13. Laurence and his friendship and advice?
14. The central dinner party discussion about relationships, middle age, the young?
15. The audience's sharing in the romance, the illicit interlude. the facing of the crisis, moral questions? A morality play?
