FEDORA
US/West Germany, 1978, 90 Minutes, Colour.
Marthe Keller, William Holden, Hildegard Neff, Jose Ferrer.
Directed by Billy Wilder.
Fedora comes from Thomas Tryon's novel, Crowned Heads. Writer-director Billy Wilder has made excellent films for decades, often penetrating, frequently sardonic. In old age he has not changed - echoes of his classic Sunset Boulevard. Working with long-time collaborator I.E. Diamond, from Tryon's story about an ageing producer and a faded star, he is able to satirise (as well as pay guarded tribute to) Hollywood, its legends and harsh realities. In two parts, with mood changing melodramatically, the film tries to jolt audience sensibilities and judgments about characters and motives. William Holden stars with Marthe Keller who is overshadowed by Hildegard Neff in an excellent role. Eccentric, not consistently telling, but an interesting portrait of age, dying and empty glamour.
1. The focus of the title? Fedora as woman, star, image, two persons, persona?
2. The film's background of the history of film-making, Hollywood, the impact of cinema? The references to the film world. the ethos of film-making, its glamour, mystique, business, hard-headedness, hard-heartedness? The film as a critique of the world of film-making?
3. The contribution of colour photography, French locations, the impact of Corfu, and its atmosphere? The musical score? The contrast between the sunlit Greek islands and the baroque funeral parlour in France? The contrast with the flashbacks and their locations, mood?
4. The significance of the structure and the use of memories? The first half and Barry's narration? Barry's view, audience sharing his point of view and judgments? The revelation of the truth at mid-point and its jolting the audience? The build-up of an explanation, the plausibility of the explanation, the changing of sympathies? The audience judgement at the end sharing Barry's judgment, differing?
5. The Anna Karenina death with the opening of the film, its appearance, the significance explained, its theatricality and the theatrical funeral, the repetition of the death scene with its emotional significance?
6. The impact of the funeral as the setting for the flashbacks, the people passing by Fedora's tomb, Barry's presence and the beginning of the narrative, his comment on the countess and her husband, Miss Balfour and the doctor watching? The tableau that they presented in the balcony? The pomp, the theatricality, the religious symbols, the admiration of the crowd, their faith? The transition to the interval with the arranging of the flowers, the clean-up? The change of lighting and the preparation for the afternoon session? The significance of Michael York's presence and his laying a rose on Fedora's tomb?
7. The atmosphere of Corfu and Barry's arrival, the character of the hotel manager and his chatter, his assistance to Barry - and the touch of humour? His relations and their helping Barry with his mission? The importance of trying to get in touch with Fedora by phone, his lack of success, the visit and his watching the argument over the wall? His judgement on what was happening? The getting of the beads and his luck changing? Following the car? The encounter with Fedora in the shop, his giving the money for the drugs? His finding the doctor in the hotel, his flattering him, his understanding a bit more about Fedora, his giving him the screenplay? The background of his composing the letter to Fedora and the significance of the Hollywood flashback - M.G.M. studios, Fedora as star, the nude scene, Barry as assistant director and his placing of the water lilies, the discussion about girls, the interlude at the beach and their return to work - and the Countess finally calling him Dutch at the end? A successful device for showing the past?
8. The personality of the Countess and her immediate impact, her sitting in the chair, covering the side of her face with her veil, her harsh tones, her invitation to Barry - and her later revelation of its significance? The doctor and his drinking? The drink and the telephone locked away? The story of the script and Barry's pressure as a producer, the need for Fedora? Miss Balfour and her ominous presence? Fedora's arrival and the tantrum about the script, Michael York as the hero, the discussion about death in 'Anna Karenina' and a woman's way of killing herself? How well did this visit sequence illustrate the interactions and the tensions? Fedora carried away in a tantrum?
9. Audience curiosity about Fedora and her elusiveness during the first part of the film? Glimpsed with her playing of the record and the Countess breaking the record player, the visit to the shop and the need for money, the tantrum about the screenplay, the discussion about death, her escape from the villa, her visit to Barry and her story of persecution, the doctor and his sedating her, the letters from her admirers, the final tantrum and her being straight jacketed? The news of her death to Barry, to the audience immediately after this? The puzzle?
10. The purpose of Barry's visit, wandering the villa, seeing Fedora's bedroom and the material to tie her down? The phone call and the information? His concussion and being out of circulation for a week?
11. How dramatically did the film change at the half-way point? The transition to the Countess telling the story to Barry, the story about her face and the revelation of her ugliness, her reliance on the doctor, her self-centredness in wanting to appear young, the irony of Fedora's hands and the use of gloves to conceal her youth? The flashback to the accident and her delirium with the destruction of her face, the running to the mirror, the retiring to Corfu and the removal of the mirrors? The story of her love for the Count, the birth of Antonia - the visualizing of her Press conference and her glamorous smart talk, Antonia’s visit and Miss Balfour's part? Her going to see Noel Coward instead of her daughter? Her daughter's flatter of her and then her hatred and saying her mother was dead?
12. The Countess revealed as Fedora and seeing her attitudes and how they had embittered themselves in the form of the Countess? Her memories of her career, the glamour, the men, her toughness in being a star, the potential for loving her daughter and losing her? Fostering the legend? The doctor and Miss Balfour fostering this, the Count and his quiet?
13. Antonia growing up, the Count's story about her permissive way of life? Her return and the pain in her mother's facial destruction? Her living at Corfu? The importance of the Oscar award and the Countess' decision to turn her daughter into Fedora? Antonia carrying it off with great aplomb, training herself by watching the films, the meeting with Henry Fonda and its success with the Countess and the doctor watching it from afar? An Oscar-winning performance?
14. How right was the Countess to allow her daughter to take her place? The new Fedora's career? For herself, for the Countess being reborn? The work with Michael York, the infatuation? The success of Michael York portraying himself - his admiration for Fedora's films and the story when he was six, the kiss? The impact of Miss Balfour holding Fedora's disaster over Antonia and her breakdown?
15. The hospitalisation, the therapy, the fake phone call from Michael York, her letters, her escape, Miss Balfour's making her realize the truth and the sudden impact to the Anna Karenina death? Who was to blame for Antonia's death?
16. The portrait of the doctor and his work as plastic surgeon, his colleagues and their reaction, his giving himself up to boredom and wealth in serving Fedora? The Count and his quiet devotion, the death of his wife and Fedora taking the Countess' place? His disapproval of Antonia's career?
17. The emotional response to the ending - the Countess calling Barry "Dutch", the news of her death, the legend still remaining, the success of the cover-up, the final ironic comment about the electric blanket and its significance?
18. Themes of ageing and death, glamour and reputation, questions of identity and the prolonging of oneself in others, selfishness, relationships? The public and their response to show and the show business world? A Billy Wilder testament to film-making and his decades' critique of the film world?
