ORCA....KILLER WHALE

US, 1977, 92 minutes, Colour.
Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Bo Derek.
Directed by Michael Anderson.

Orca is undiscriminating adventure, despite a lot of information communicated about whales and their intelligence and the overtones of ecological message. There is much fascinating footage of whale behaviour, Richard Harris attempting a hunted-man-of-the-sea role in a to-the-death duel with a bereaved whale wreaking spectacularly destructive vengeance (smashing, maiming, death) on ship's crew and village. While there are good sequences, some of the dialogue runs to the corny. The climax is somewhat far-fetchedly reached in Arctic waters and icebergs (among which Charlotte Rampling). Despite the vindictiveness of the whale, sympathy is with him because of his grief rather than with the humans. Matinee adventure material.

1. How enjoyable an adventure? In the Jaws tradition?

2. The importance of colour, panavision? The Nova Scotia locations, the sea, the village, the people? Boats? The whales? The Arctic seascapes? An authentic atmosphere for this adventure?

3. The musical background, the use of sound, especially for the whales and their communication?

4. How well did the film satisfy audience interest in whales? Questions of ecology, biology? The importance of the hunt within this context?

5. Where did audience sympathies lie? How much sympathy for the human protagonists? For their suffering? How much sympathy for the whales and their suffering? Questions of revenge, challenge? On whose side was the audience for the duel between Nolan and Orca?

6. Did the film give satisfactory introduction to whales? The visual presentation and the opening sequences? Rachel Bedford's lecture and slides and biological detail?

7. Richard Harris as Nolan? His personality and style? Was he a Hatch for a duel with the whale? His attitude towards whales and hunting them? Orca becoming a Moby Dick figure and symbol for him? The vengeance and his having to retaliate? What was the purpose of his final hunt? His feelings of guilt and sin and his asking for explanations? His involvement in the vengeance? The nature of his final punishment? Was it deserved?

8. The guilt of the crew and their participating in the initial hunt? The nature of their deaths or their being maimed? Why did this happen to all of them?

9. The nature of the hunt? The visualising of the whale, the destruction of the female, the pursuit of the male? His reaction to the death? The initial hunt and the capture of the whale, its having to be cut free? The importance of the beginning of the chase? The role of the village and the destruction wrought on it? The boats, the fish disappearing, the fire? Orca bashing down the supports of the house?

10. The portrayal of the people, their fishing livelihood, their hostility and their demands that Nolan go? His attitude towards them and his decision to remain? was he justified?

11. Rachel's involvement? Her interest in whales, her concern? The sequences on the beach and her watching the whale? Her involvement with Nolan and her having to choose? The plausibility of her being on the final expedition? Her diary and her commentary?

12. The contribution of the Indian and the explanations of folk-lore, his presence on the ship? His contribution to the hunt? The reason for his death?

13. The build-up to the final pursuit, the background of the girl being maimed, her boyfriend's death? The final chase - who was leading whom? The Arctic waters and the atmosphere?

14. The adventure ingredients of the final duel? The supremacy of the whale? Nolan's death? The significance of Rachel not dying and her being rescued?

15. How appropriate was the ending for this confrontation - the supremacy of nature over man?

16. The dramatic qualities of the film, how contrived were some of the crises? The quality of the dialogue - and the tendency to unintentional humour?

17. The film as a good adventure? Its promoting of ecology and yet using adventure and destruction for entertainment?