THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT

US, 1977, 166 Minutes, Colour.
Marie- France Pisier, John Beck, Susan Sarandon, Raf Vallone.
Directed by Charles Jarrott.

The Other Side of Midnight is from the sensational world of best-sellerdom, 1977 mass-appeal soap opera, glossy, international, full of passion, love, lust, hatred and dire revenge. And, of course, fabulous wealth. 166 minutes of
abundant plot and sub-plot.. However, it is stronger and more interesting than others, played straight and with its focus on contrasting Frenchwoman (Marie France Pisier) and American (Susan Sarandon) and its development of their misfortunes. Susan Sarandon's Catherine is well portrayed, but also more real and identifiable with, involving the audience (especially the feminine audience audibly loathing John Beck's callous line in masculine charm - and they were right). Wish-fulfilment fantasy, box-office gold-mine.

1. The significance and tone of the title? The film coming from the world of best-sellers? The transition from big best-selling novel to film? The world and characters and values of the best-seller?

2. For what audience was such best-sellers written and such films made? What kind of response is asked for? How much reality and realism? How much fantasy? Audience interest in what happens and the vast amount of incident?

3. Comment on the themes of best-sellers and their use here: themes of wealth, love, lust, power, possession, vengeance. Themes of good and evil? The criteria for good and evil? Justice?

4. The appeal of the world of the wealthy for audiences? How did this film cater to his: the various European locations, America? The atmosphere of the exotic, the international jet-set, the world of film-making, big business, the opulent world of fashion and wealthy homes, Greek islands etc.? Why do audiences like immersing themselves in this world? Even when it is so far from their reality?

5. Comment on the treatment of the best-seller: how seriously was the film made, how much light touch and tongue-in-cheek? Did it achieve an appropriate blend between serious and light treatment?

6. How important was the structure for audience interest and involvement? The initial start at 1947, Greece, Noelle in prison, the interrogation? The flashbacks within this context? The arousal of audience curiosity about Noelle? The importance of the focusing on the world of Noelle and the world of Catherine, their contrasts, Larry as the link, their coming closer together? How well did this build-up to the court case and the ironic ending?

7. How was Noelle central to the whole film? Audience interest in and sympathy for her in the prison? Her denial of guilt as regards Catherine's death and the irony of the reality? Situating her in 1939 in France, in Marseilles, her family and her being sold, her work, her being used sexually by the proprietor? Her reaction to this? Her estimation of her own worth? The picturing of her as innocent? The importance of her decision to go to Paris and its consequences? The continuing of her being victimised, e.g. by the taxi-driver and his taking her clothes after lying to her? Noelle as a victim of society? Some plausibility for the vengeance that she was to wreak?

8. The irony of her meeting with Larry and his thinking her a prostitute? Her wariness, the meal together? His routine about the room (and its later use with Catherine), the importance of their falling in love, the collage of their happy days in Paris - cigarette commercial style and yet creating expectations in Noelle and the audience that Larry would return? The pathos of his not returning and her encounter with the Americans and their explanation of the pregnancy of the girl in London? Was her anger and vengeance understandable?

9. Her reaction to Larry's not returning, especially when she was pregnant? The importance of the abortion sequence visually, thematically? Her work as a model and her being helped by the proprietor? The changing and hardening of her attitudes and her wanting to succeed in life? The encounter with the film agent and her giving herself to him? Her involvement with the producer and living with him? Her involvement with the actor (the appropriateness of the sex scenes - sensational, exploitive, appropriate?) Her gaining wealth, her losing her conscience and moral sense, her promiscuity? Her being a celebrity, her wealth?

10. The importance of the sequences where she sought information about Larry and was prepared to pay money? Her hold over him? The reaction of the man at the agency? Her preventing him having jobs after the war? The callousness of her motivation?

11. The Greek millionaire and the introduction of him in the American sequences? Indications of his character, presence, wealth? The ironic presence in the French cafe when Larry and Noelle were there? The encounter with him and her becoming his mistress? The Greek islands, the magnificent mansion, fashion and jewellery? Her adapting herself to this world? Her using of the millionaire for her own purposes? Getting his money to prevent Larry getting jobs? Engaging him as her pilot? How did she over-reach herself in this connection?

12. How convincing a character was Larry for this kind of film and this kind of world? As a Canadian, American background, Air Force background? His seeming an ordinary kind of person, his routine? His fickleness with Noelle? The humour of the encounter with Catherine and the propaganda film-making? His pursuing her, the routine? His marrying her and war involvement? The possibility of their marriage succeeding? His being victimised after the war, his being alienated from Catherine? His going to Greece, his recognition of Noelle and his being humiliated by her? His decision to go along with the deception? What criteria for his stances did he have? How credible was his behaviour? To the extent of attacking Catherine, leaving her to die in the cave, planning her death with Noelle? His wanting to get out of it too late and therefore being guilty?

13. How was Catherine a contrast to Noelle? An ordinary humorous character, the ordinary American girl, her quick thinking at her first interviews, her job? Her relationship with her boss and his being able to help her over the years? (How credible a character was he, in himself, in his work, in his helping Catherine, in his helping Larry?) The unhappiness of the marriage as the war went on, her turning to drink? A new beginning in Greece? Her wanting to go back, her trusting Larry despite the stories about Noelle? The pathos of her being left in the caves? Her fear and her going into the sea? How satisfactory that she was alive at the end?

14. The importance of the Greek magnate and his power? As illustrated during the court case - his absence, the deal with the lawyer and Noelle and Larry accepting it, only to be tricked by the millionaire? His presence at the final sentencing?

15. How interesting was the court case, the corruption and the manoeuvring of justice behind the scenes? The irony of the sentence?

16. How melodramatic was the execution? Appropriate for this film? Larry off-screen, Noelle defiant to the end? How could the audience sympathise with her at the end, review her whole life?

17. How was the revelation of Catherine's still being alive an anti-climax? Revealing the ruthlessness of the millionaire? Her future?

18. Even though this film presents a strange fantasy world, how well did it present it, the values? How well do they tally with the values of the average audience?