A HERO AINT NOTHIN’ BUT A SANDWICH

US, 1978, 107 minutes, Colour.
Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Larry B. Scott, Helen Martin, Glynn Turman, David Groh, Kevin Hooks.
Directed by Ralph Nelson.

This is a strong and moving film from the late 1970s, directed by Ralph Nelson who had made a range of interesting films including Requiem for a Heavyweight, Lilies of the Field, Charly, Soldier Blue. These indicate his interest in race themes.

The film is set in a slum neighbourhood of Los Angeles, focusing on a thirteen-year-old boy and his mother and her boyfriend. The grandmother also lives with the family. The boy is street-smart, is not interested in work and study, prefers to spend his time on the roof with his friends. They are introduced into drugs, 1970s style, and the film shows the effect of drugs on the family. Cicely Tyson is excellent as the boy’s mother. Paul Winfield is the boyfriend. Glynn Turman is a motivated teacher who wants to do something for his students.

It was to be another thirteen or fourteen years until the wave of films from black directors focusing on the problems of the inner city were to become a feature of the early 1990s. The most outstanding of these was John Singleton’s Boys in the Hood. It is interesting to look at this particular film in the light of the gap of the 1980s in focusing on black families and drugs and the impact of the films of the 1990s and consequent features.

1. The meaning of the title, its explanation by Benjy, the tone for appreciation and understanding the themes?

2. How entertaining a slice of contemporary American life? The moralising tone of the film -? did it obtrude? Its effect? Was it necessary for the drug situation among the teenagers of the seventies? Does this kind of entertainment with the moralising tone alter anybody’s attitude towards drugs, towards adolescence, towards family life?

3. The Los Angeles locations and the authentic atmosphere, relationships between black and white, the school, the world of dime pushing, the addicts and their homes, ordinary homes, rooftops, shops? The transition to the hospital and the drug referral centre? Use of colour, sets and locations? A realistic and authentic atmosphere?

4. The film had a focus on African Americans emphasis. How important was this? In America, for its universal message? The contribution of the main stars? their reputations in other films, the quality that they brought to the film? The earnest films of director Ralph Nelson? Some critics called the film too noble in intention. Is this true? If true what effect does it have?

5. The focus on Benjy - how authentic a contemporary boy did he seem? An American boy. negrog an a boy in the city? The background of his family and his absent father, the noble image of his mother, his reaction towards Craig, relationship with his grandmother? His security but his underlying lack of security within the home? His intelligence but his being bored at school? Was his willingness to experiment with drugs credible? The rooftop scene, the smoking of marijuana? The link with harder drugs and his going with the young boy to the pusher? His not wanting to face the truth about his addiction? In this story credible for many other young addicts in the cities?

6. How well drawn were the characters? The incidents? Real people involved in real issues? The strong presentation of incident and character confrontation, the black and the white teacher at the school? The different methods in the classroom especially as regards Benjy? Their clash about the drug situation in the school? The funeral sequence? The portrait of the grandmother and her living in the city, her old superatstions?Benjy’s friends and the people on the street? His mother?

7. Benjy’s weaknesses? the absent father and his longing for him, his unwillingness to open up to Craig. his idealising of his mother? The effect that the drugs had on him, his stealing even from his grandmother? His tough stances with the pusher? His eventual treatment and his unwillingness to face the issues until pushed by the others in therapy? His hesitation to continue therapy at the end? The importance of his fights with Craig, his holding out for so long but his final giving in?

8. The portrait of Craig and Benjy's mother? An experience of home? His mother an a lady yet her anger? Her ability and inability to cope? The shock of the addiction, her visits to the hospital? The aftermath, trying to cope bathing him in the superstitious blue treatment? Her trying. relationship with Craig, going out with him at the end, thinking that it might be necessary to break the relationship? Craig, a strong silent figure in the house, the strength to Benjy, his talk about work, his being a janitor? His willingness to go with Benjy for therapy? The importance of their clashes and his listening out to what Benjy had to say? Their fights and the physical violence? The importance of his not leaving, his waiting for Benjy? Would he take his place and be accepted as a father?

9. The future for Benjy after his treatment and therapy? The funeral of the young boy as visualising an alternative and its impact on Benjy? His visit to the roof after the funeral?

10. How convincing was the presentation of the drug pusher and his wealthy style, his hold over the boy and the boy’s death? The irony of how the drug taking started with showing off on the apartment roof? The irony of Benjy starting what could be his death on the roof - and the running away from Craig and Craig’s hauling him to safety on the roof?

11. The contribution of the grandmother to the film? her being bashed by equivalent young boys on the street, her money being stolen violently? Benjy stealing her money deceitfully? The importance of the sequence of her dance and her memories of the past and the joy for the family? Her changing of moods. her visiting the old lady and getting the blue treatment? Her eventual tear of Benjy her looking herself in her room? A credible picture of an old lady?

12. The portrait of the teachers? the black teacher and his intensity in the classroom, American black history? The white teacher and his emphasis on English composition? Their attitudes, their clan, the articulation of the race problem in America? The white teacher's attitude towards the drug problem and the black teacher's refusing it? Yet his powerful speech at the funeral service?

13. The picture of the hospital - the style of collage of Benjy's treatment - was It a more telling than a realistic
presentation or not? The importance of therapy and such a young boy being with such a group - the problems and attitudes expressed by the group? The individual therapy and the meeting with the therapist? His unwillingness to go back and holding off and Craig's waiting for him to come back?

14. How well had he confronted his drug problem by the end? His confirmed unwillingness and expression of this? Was his waiting at the end and final coming an acknowledgement or not?

15. How human a film, how real? Could audiences easily identify with the characters and the situations? What were the main things to be learnt from the experience of this film?