THE HUNTERS
US, 1958, 108 minutes, Colour.
Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner, Richard Egan, Mai Britt.
Directed by Dick Powell.
The Hunters is a conventional war drama of the fifties. It takes the Korean war situation some years after the end of the war and presents American involvement. Patriotism, heroics. Robert Mitchum is quite at home in the central role and receives support from Robert Wagner as his boastful young counterpart. The action sequences are quite effective and the film is wide-screen and colour. Direction is by former actor and singer Dick Powell who moved into the television era in the fifties and had directed quite a number of action films. Mitchum starred in his submarine thriller 'The Enemy Below' at the same time. It can be compared with many other film portraying the Korean war in the fifties with great faith in American right.
1. A good and successful war film? Production values of the fifties? Fifties' interests in Korea and the United States? Impact now?
2. Twentieth Century Fox production style of the fifties: Cinemascope, colour, Japanese locations? Style, aerial warfare? Human drama?
3. The significance of the title, reference and explanations during the film, Saville as representing the hunters? Sympathy for the war, for pilots, professional soldiers? For the persons themselves?
4. The emphasis on World War II and the contrast with Korea? World involvement, particular involvement? The difference in causes, involvement? Professionals involved in war whether they understand it or like it or not? The age difference and the heroes of World War II and their place in Korea?
5. The world of planes, jet fighters, the fighting itself. groupings, hunting and aerial combat? Exhilaration, danger, human life? High speed, manoeuvres, the distance and the closeness of life and death?
6. Robert Mitchum's style as Saville? Introduction to him at Kyoto, the World War II ace, Dutch's words about him when he was young, the loner? The initial friendship with Karl, attraction to Chris? His misunderstanding of Chris? Abrasiveness with Karl, looking after him? His belonging to a group, his skill? introduction to Korean warfare? His attitudes toward?s other people? A hero?
7. The film's attention to Savil1e in action, his relationship with Dutch, Dutch's way of speaking to him? The crew members and his work with them? The impact of the members' crash and death? Poll and his brashness and language and Saville's reaction? His tough attitude towards Poll and Dutch reminding him of the similarity between them? The more human angle, his visits to Kyoto, the outing with Chris? The proposition? Her commissioning him to look after Karl? His decision to go onto the ground to help Karl's capacity for survival, readiness to take blame? How humane a character?
8. Chris as an attractive person, feminine interest in a masculine film? Her initial meeting, expectations about her, surprise at her being Karl's wife? The audience being misled as Saville was? Her tenderness towards Karl, the background of her lift and her explanation of it, expectations of marriage and of him? Her decisions to go on the outing? the Kyoto restaurant? The proposition and her decisions? The significance of her staying with Karl at the end?
9. Karl as a credible character, heroism, self-image, fear? His living in his own private hell of drinking, oblivion, jealousy? His challenge to Saville about Casey Jones? His going down, illness, reactions during their trip? survival? Credible soldier, fear?
10. Dutch as commander and the conventional portrayal of commanders, summing people up, organizing things, his decision about no court martial at the end?
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11. Robert Wagner's style as Poll, clever, brash, language? Meeting Saville? His responsibility for his co-pilot's death? His lying to get out of things? Saville's threatening him and his change? The importance of the collage of their heroics in aerial combat? His decision to go down, to survive, to stay with Saville?
12. Themes of loyalties, orders, warfare, professional soldiers and the effect on their lives? The world of planes? Pro-war, anti-war? Human values? The final image of Saville looking to the sky and the planes, Chris puzzled going away?
