THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND

US, 1983, 97 minutes, Colour.
Rutger Hauer, John Hurt, Craig T.Nelson, Burt Lancaster, Dennis Hopper, Chris Sarandon, Meg Foster, Helen Shaver.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah.

The Osterman Weekend is a spy thriller based on one of Robert Ludlum's popular novels. Adaptation is by Alan Sharpe, writer of a number of good thrillers. However, the adaptation is most confusing - and by the time the audience has had a chance to work things out, the characters are not sufficiently engaging to demand audience attention. The result is a very disappointing film.

Direction is by Sam Peckinpah (using some of his flair for visual violence). He had worked in the same territory with his 1975 thriller Killer Elite. Peckinpah is better-known for his westerns. There is an interesting cast: the clash between Dutch actor Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Nighthawks) and John Hurt (Elephant Man and many other films). There is a guest appearance by Burt Lancaster representing the C.I.A. There is a strong supporting and a visual flair in the film, especially with its focus on visual surveillance. However, flair does not make a sufficiently interesting spy thriller.

1. The popularity of Robert Ludlum',s work? The adaptation for the screen? Satisfying thriller entertainment?

2. The popularity of thrillers, political overtones? The C.I.A. and American politics? The overall effect of this film on politics, individual rights, the media, technological developments in video surveillance?

3. The work of Sam Peckinpah: strong, macho, American? Interest in espionage and the C.I.A.? Violence? questions of surveillance?

4. The atmosphere of California affluence? The C.I.A., its reliance on the media? Media personalities? Businessmen? The developments of surveillance?' The atmosphere of the score?

5. How coherent was the screenplay? The prologue and its focus on Facet and his wife, the intimacy of their lovemaking, the voyeur tone of the C.I.A. watching? The quality of the video image? The introduction to Facet and the C.I.A.? The ugliness of the violence of his wife's death? The transition to Danforth and the C.I.A's position? The consultation? The introduction to John Tanner and his media work, his friends? The Omega plan and Soviet agents? The plan, the deals, the surveillance, the violence? The importance of this prologue for the expose?

6. John Hurt's performance as Facet? His place in the prologue, his response to the violence? Danforth thinking he did not know who had killed his wife? The irony of his knowing and his revenge? The elaborate plot? His interview with Danforth, the Omega plan, his using Danforth? His approach to Tanner and the violence of his psychological persuasion? The use of videos and the revelation of Tanner's friends and their plot? The impact of the kidnapping of Tanner's wife and son, the violence of their rescue? The importance of installing the surveillance material? The weekend and Facet's spying, continued surveillance, prurient watching, voyeur? The irony of 'face to face' meetings - in person, via the television screen? The impact of the comic touch as Facet had to improvise the weather forecast? His advice to Tanner? The complications of the plot? The shootings? The kidnapping of Tanner's wife and son? Looking at the group in the van? The explosion and his cruelty? The build-up to Tanner's final programme, Facet's exposing Danforth on television? The irony of the pre-recording and Tanner going against Facet and rescuing his wife and son? The field agent, his expertise, his revenge, madness? The extraordinary intricacy of his plot? Using Tanner and the media to expose the C.I.A.?

7. The contrast with Tanner and his skills? The long sequence of his interview with the General? His reputation? Danforth wanting to be on his programme for his political purposes? Facet luring Tanner, persuading him, showing him the videos? Tanner's relationship with his wife and son? The dramatic impact and violence of the car chase to rescue them at the airport? The arrival of his friends, the nervousness, his dealing with each of them, the details of the weekend - meals, swims, conversations? Facet's continued presence? Spying on his friends - again, the voyeur atmosphere? Horseplay at the pool yet suspicions and violence? The shooting, Osterman and the shooting? The chase? The agents arriving and Tanner's wife shooting them? The final deals, Danforth on the programme, the expose? The pre-recording and his rescuing his wife and son, shooting Facet? making up the programme for later video transmission? His future?

8. Danforth and the image of the C.I.A., right-wing stances, political ambitions? His believing Facet rather than his aide? His being persuaded, his presence to persuade Tanner? The TV deal? The Omega plan? His twisting it for his own use? His response to the expose on television, his awkwardness in answering the questions, his wanting to justify himself? The significance of Burt Lancaster in this role?

9. The three friends and their interaction? Seeing them on video, the sinister aspects of their plans, branded as Soviet agents? Video and audio of their words - and the doctoring of the tapes? The drive-in meeting? The Russian agent joining them? suspicions? The audience believing with Tanner that they were agents? The infiltration of Omega into their lives - on the TV, the bathroom, the policeman giving the ticket on the road? Their growing wariness? Their seeming to be setting up Tanner? Their lifestyles, money, careers? Seeing them at work - the doctor and his patients, the rich clientele, his wife and her drugs, suggestive telephone calls, preoccupation with sex? Joe and his background, work, wife? Osterman and his television career?

10. The weekend itself - the arrival, tensions, reactions, audience seeing the group suspiciously with Tanner? Meals? The surveillance - even to the bedroom? Joe and the doctor wanting to get out? The wives and their reaction? The chase, their seeing images on the television screens, the explosion? Osterman sane, the danger in the pool and Tanner rescuing him, the agents' attack and the long underwater sequences?

11. Tanner's wife and her escape, the chase, her anger, the arrows, shooting the agents, becoming the hostage? The sketch of Tanner's son and his participating in the danger?

12. Facet's set-ups, the charades? The irony and humour of the weekend?

13. American response to surveillance, the invasion of privacy, violence on the screens, sex? The use of telephone, television? The media? The preparation of tapes - and the film itself illustrating what can be done with art and skill?

14. A picture of the United States in the '80s? Technological development? The overtones of 1984 and Big Brother? The changes in American values? The threat to values?