LADIES ON THE ROCKS

Denmark, 1983, 108 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Christian Braad Thomsen.

Ladies on the Rocks is a surprisingly entertaining film. It is the story of two women who travel the country with a satirical review that they perform in halls and local centres. However, there is Much more. The women refer to entertainment with meaning. Their review is a blend of comic and ironic comment on relationships between men and women. There are many powerful attacks on assumptions of male superiority and chauvinism of the brutal as well as the 'gentlemanly' kind.

While the film is directed by a man, Christian Braad Thomsen, the origins of the film are in cabaret acts written and performed by the leads, Helle Ryslinge and Anna Marie Helger. They are very good indeed. In fact, they are so good that at times we are not sure whether vie are watching their stories or rehearsals. A stimulating film.

1. An, interesting film, an entertainment with meaning? Enjoyable and interesting?

2. The cabaret origins of the film? The talents of the performers? Composition of music and songs? Of sketches? Their sense of theatre, performance, playing to their audience? Feminist cabaret satiric, parody? Insight?

3. Danish production values: locations, the cities and the towns, libraries, halls, bars? A road film - and sequences of the road, the sea? The range of people and situations?

4. The universal impact of the film? its acclaim? A portrait of women, their perspectives, lives, hopes? Relationships? Hurts? The satire on men? The interrelationship of sketches and life? brutal men? The gentlemanly chauvinists? Marriage,
family, class and economic situations?

5. The opening credits and the rehearsal of the song giving a mood? Later songs of the feminine and smiling? The range of sketches presented: the sex aid parody? The rehearsal of the girls making up and talking about men - and the realisation that it was a rehearsal rather than real? The interrelationship of the two? The finale based on experience, popular songs and sexism satirised? The points made?

6. The two as friends, their work in the theatre, touring, the van, places to stay, the bars, the halls, audience, their fighting and clashes, moods, mutual support, griefs, Laura’s children staying with them? A portrait of friendship?

7. Mischa and her background, relationship with Leonard, the visit with him, his offhand and callow manner, her moods? Her seeing the advertisement and going to see him perform, going home with him, sexual liaison, the fight, his not coming to see her review? The fight and the humiliation? Seeing him in the audience and slapping him? (And the irony of the audience asking whether 'the performance had started' - the interrelationship of review and reality)? Her support of Laura?


8. Laura and her affluent home, children and the instructions, her husband? Phone calls? Her ability to comfort Mischa? Her husband's arrival, the meal and his imposing his ideas on what she should eat? His presence at the review, reaction to Mischa's outburst, his embarrassment at the sex aid parody? The night together, the clash? The decision to break up? The introduction to Charlotte? Her moving in? Laura’s freedom, her grief when her husband's letter arrived, the night with the younger man, his leaving without telling her? Her anger and taking it out in the fight with Mischa?

9. The sketch of the children, the breaking of the marriage, their coming to be with their mother, their on the move with their mother, the criticism of some of the audience? The finale with their collecting the bottles - its significance? Symbol?

10. The range of characters: the librarian and the discussion after the review, the fat woman being offended by their sketch about figure? The humour of this sketch and its indication of women's feelings, sensibilities? (Saying that they based a lot of their material on popular magazines?) Audience response? Women? Men? The friends they made along the way in the various hotels, bars?

11. Cinema and the road movie as a medium for satire and for Message? A substantial feminist film?