THE HONKERS
US, 1972, 102 minutes, Colour.
James Coburn, Lois Nettleton, Slim Pickens, Anne Archer.
Directed by Steve Ihnat.
The Honkers is one of a number of films made in 1971-72 which focused on rodeos. The others were When the Legends Die with Frederic Forrest and Richard Widmark. J.W. Coop with Cliff Robertson and Geraldine Page, directed by Robertson himself and Sam Peckinpah's very effective Junior Bonner with Steve Mc Queen, The Honkers as with the others, shows the way of life of the men involved in the rodeo, the rodeo scenes themselves, the thrills and the dangers as well as the wandering way of life. James Coburn brings his easy-going attitude to the ambiguous role of the hero of this film. It was directed by Steve Ihnat, an actor in supporting character roles who was to die soon after the finishing of this film. Each of the films was quite effective In Its way.
1. An American film, the rodeo, the atmosphere, characters, themes and problems? The impact on an American audience, non-American audience?
2. The importance of the atmosphere of New Mexico, the colour, the city, the rodeo, the music - the appropriateness of the songs behind the characterisation? How could the film be seen as a study of failure, selfishness? How pessimistic was it? How moralising, especially in the ending?
3. Lew Lawcroft: a James Coburn character, the lightheartedness at the start, his running away from the other man's wife? Casual attitude towards sex? His reliance on Clete? The random decision to go home to his wife? Imposing on her? His calling the tune for whatever he did in his life - attitude towards the divorce? Not seeing his son? His skill at his work? His age, decline? The betting sequence and the fact that he cheated? With the complicity of Clete? That type of man, his action style? An everyman figure for America? A man born to failure or success? The possibilities of success for Lew? At the rodeo, his wife loving him, his son's admiration for him? Clete’s helping of him? His refusing, to take the opportunities? Success at the rodeo, the dance? The fight and his being bashed? Prison? The bond with Deborah, her pursuing him and bailing him out? His succumbing to the drugs, sexuality? His spending the night with Deborah, failure?
4. How well drawn was the character of his wife? Her love for Lew, her bringing up her son, going for years without seeing him? Her devotion with her exasperation? Telling him to go away but running after him? Her disappointment with him not settling down, the night he spent with Deborah? Her dependence on Royce, the possibility of a good marriage?
5. The bond between mother and son? Her devotion to Clete? His support of both of them? Her response to his failure? the contrast with a credible character?
6. Lew's losing his wife, with Bob, with Clete? Their warnings? Lew’s warnings? Failure, cheating, death, loneliness? What did Lew deserve? The consequences of irresponsible acts?
7. How attractive a character was Clete? The older man, supporting Lew in his work? His skill at his work? Getting Lew out of scrapes, supporting his wife? The importance of telling him off? The pathos and the irony of his dying for Lew?
8. The character sketch of Bob, his relationship with his father, disillusionment with him? Work as a car salesman and his telling the truth to Lew?
9. How credible is the character of Deborah? The Indian background, wealth, her idealising of Lew when she was young, pursuing him from the shop, in the car, bailing him out, drugs sex? Did the atmosphere of the oil reap? A destructive element and occasion of his failure?
10. The portrait of the town, its values, an American town? The Nest, the rodeo? The personnel involved in management and their attitude towards Lew? The police and Lew's night in prison?
11. How much was Lew a victim, of this kind of society? How much did his fate depend on his free choice? Life, aging, the wasting, of life? The thin line between irresponsibility and the carefree life?
