THE SHOOTIST

US, 1976, 100 minutes, Colour.
John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone, Sheree North.
Directed by Don Siegel.

The Shootist is a fine Western, relying little on action but heavily on the reputation and myths of the West. And who better to portray the archetypal shootist than John Wayne? Here he acts with his old-style force, but with great dignity, since his illness and impending death are a major theme. Director Don Siegel uses his 1901 sets with detailed vigour to offer an elegy on a West where guns may have been necessary last century but should not hold sway in the twentieth. A gallery of stars like James Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Richard Boone, Sheree North give the film a nostalgic touch (plus Ron Howard for modern audiences).

1. The quality of the film as a western, a John Wayne movie? A late John Wayne movie, its impact, audience expectations and their fulfilment?

2. How much did the film rely on John Wayne and what he has stood for in his films? The importance of his presence, style, characterisation? The nature of the collage of old John Wayne films in the credits? The particular kind of action shown, as a shootist? How was this appropriate for his portrayal of J.B. Books? The significance of the title? The nature of the shootist, a dignified name for a gunfighter? The attitudes of the west towards the shootist, changing attitudes, modern attitudes?

3. The importance of the structure of the film: the enumeration of the days, the growing impact of the days passing? The events of each particular day?

4. The film's use of colour, the re-creation of a city in 1901, the various details of modernisation, for example, the lights, trams? The presentation of the newspapers and the death of Queen Victoria and the atmosphere of 1901? The presentation of doctors, the diagnosis of cancer, the drugs used? How authentic did the town and its people seem?

5. The importance of 1901 as a time, the end. of the 19th century, the death of Queen Victoria, the passing of the west? The glorification of the myths of the west? The young man seeing Books as a hero? The townspeople with their hopes of law and order? As expressed by the mayor?

6. The quality of John Wayne's portrayal? The sympathy he elicited for the character? The background of J.B. Book's career, its values, especially the number of deaths? Books' explanation of the people he had killed and the motives? How was this illustrated by the attempts on his life in his bedroom? Why the ending? Books as the gunman whose life was passing? The importance of the illness, the cancer Books' response to this kind of death? How was the meaning of his life brought to him in the meaning of his death? His creating of a situation for his own death.

7. What were the characteristics of J.B. Books, his traits? His encounter with the doctor, his encounter with people? His response to the treatment? His response to the beauty of the countryside in the trip with Mrs. Rogers? His acknowledging of pain and living with it? His love and respect for people? The motives for his cleaning out the town of gunfighters?

8. The importance of Gillom in the film: Ron Howard for modern audiences? His initial taunts of the old man? The expression of the new generation, the hero worship, the willingness to help? How was Gillom growing up during this January 1901? The fact that the week culminated in Gillom shooting J.B. Books' killer? How well developed was the character of Gillom: at home, towards his mother, an American boy, his attitude to Books?

9. The quality of the performance of Lauren Bacall as Mrs. Rogers? The quality she brought to the character of a widow? Managing a boarding house, her response to the people in the boarding house, her dislike of Books and what he stood for? Her service to him? Their various clashes and yet her compassion? Her agreement to ride with him in the countryside? Her understanding of what he was going to do? Her fulfilment of her promise? Her walking away with Gillom at the end? A dignified American woman?

10. James Stewart as the doctor? The role of the doctor and his diagnosis? His recommendation, his comments on the pain of death? His highlighting the significance of the past of J.B. Books? The importance of his presence as an observer at the end?

11. The portrayal of the three gunman? As illustrating the ugliness of the past? The callous gunman who was in jail and yet a friend of Gillom? The old man and his driving a car yet his old kind of vengeance for the deaths of his family? The gambler and the shootist? Comment on the way these three characters were illustrated in brief sequences? The reasons for Books' challenging them to kill him? The significance of their deaths and Books' ability? Books cleaning out the town for the people?

12. The significance of the mayor and his fear and his taunts? How disagreeable a character, a loudmouth? An indication of the up-and-coming politician of the twentieth century?

13. The newspaper man and his wanting interviews? Books' throwing him out? The satiric comment on this kind of busybody, sensationalist?

14. The moods in the visits of the old girlfriend? The memories of the past, past love, the fact that she was down and out, after money? The changing of emotion when she revealed why she had visited, her mercenary attitudes, the ugliness of her departure?

15. How well did the film show the gathering momentum of the days? The build-up towards Sunday? The promise of Mrs. Rogers? Gillom notifying the gunman, Books' dressing up and preparing for his death day?

16. The dramatic impact of the action at the end? Books' skill in killing? The irony of his being shot by the bartender? Gillom's shooting? Audience's emotional response to this climax and death? The pathos of the ending with Gillom and his mother walking away?

17. What major themes of the west did the film illustrate, how well? Its quality as a western?