HARRY BLACK AND THE TIGER
UK, 1958, 107 minutes, Colour.
Stewart Granger, Barbara Rush, Anthony Steel, Martin Stephens, I.S. Johar.
Harry Black and the Tiger is a conventional adventure film, distinguished by vivid Indian location photography. Stewart Granger had passed his peak of popularity at this stage but was still quite a strong presence. Martin Stephens, who was to appear in a number of films at the time especially The Innocents, helps with younger audiences identifying with the film. Conventional.
1. The title indicating a straightforward film? Straightforward adventure, for what age group and audience? Why?
2. How important were widescreen colour and local settings for this film? What did they add to the film?
3. The initial focus on the tiger and its impact? Its stalking the village and its killing? Audience response to tigers and savagery? Audiences join? In the pursuit and the sympathy for victims? What impact and effect did the tiger have on Harry, Des, Michael, Bapu?
4. Comment on the structure of the film: the presentation of the tiger and its pursuit, the flashbacks for Harry's character and the explanation of his past, the human storyline and emotional conflicts. Were they interesting, conventional, trite? Why?
5. Was Harry a sympathetic character? In his role as tiger hunter, in his relationship with people, with Bapu? As explained by his past in the concentration camp, the excape, relationship with Desmond, relationship with Christian? In his fear of being a coward? In his strength? In his need to love someone?
6. How well did the film show the contrast of Harry and Desmond? Desmond's cowardice during the war, Desmond's cowardice with the tiger, his making an effort to get the job to return to England? Desmond’s keeping of Christian as his wife?
7. Christian a real character? As portrayed in India, wife, mother, infatuation with Harry? Did she love Harry? The importance of the flashbacks to explain the emotional relationship? Did she make the right option at the end?
8. The importance of Michael for the film? Audience response to a child in the jungle? His coping with the tiger? His hero-worship of his father?
9. How was Harry a bond between Christian and Desmond?
10. How did Bapu provide Indian emphasis and local colour, humour? Effective?
11. How enjoyable are such adventures? What presuppositions about fear and courage do they have? How well illustrated were courage and fear in this fi lm?
