INNOCENT BYSTANDERS

UK, 1972, 111 minutes, Colour.
Stanley Baker, Geraldine Chaplin, Donald Pleasence, Dana Andrews, Sue Lloyd, Derren Nesbitt, Vladek Sheybal, Warren Mitchell, Cec Linder, Ferdy Mayne.
Directed by Peter Collinson.

Innocent Bystanders is a standard action adventure film – well-done spy material. It was directed by Peter Collinson who directed a number of action films, had success in the late 1960s with Up the Junction, The Long Day’s Dying and The Italian Job. However, his films of the 70s tended to be rather routine although he finished with an Australian part-fantasy, The Earthling, with William Holden and Ricky Schroder.

Stanley Baker is at home in this kind of film as the double agent, Dana Andrews from America is in the cast. Donald Pleasence and Vladek Sheybal are villains. Geraldine Chaplin had emerged during the 1960s as a star, especially in Doctor Zhivago. Her career led her to make a whole range of international films. This is ordinary exciting action thriller.

1. The tone of the title and its explanation during the film? The irony? John's applying the title to Miriam? Who was really the innocent bystander?

2. How characteristic of the early seventies was this espionage thriller? In the vein of the action dramas of the sixties? Its use of espionage conventions? Its success?

3. The popularity of this kind of film and the nature of its appeal? Presuppositions for audience entertainment in terms of action and espionage, violence and pessimism?

4. The picture of British Intelligence, especially in Loomis, the type, his capacity for bargaining with the American behaviour during the meals, the emphasis on good form, his calm cruelty, his attitude towards training his spies, the fact that they wore expendable? The judgment made on British Intelligence in this character?

5. The contrast with the Americana and their brashness? The Americans' use of torture, the nature of their deals, the fact that they had the upper hand with Miriam but that this was not known until the end?

6. The film's comment on espionage and the people involved and its effect on their lives and values?

7. Frank as a hero? A killer, the espionage training, his ageing, the fact that he was act up? The nature of his relentlessness and his capacity for his job? His torture and his withstanding it? His emotional involvement? and yet he was tricked? The nature of the pursuit? His final success? His capacity for violence? How credible a character? How much audience interest and sympathy for him? A man of the 20th century?

8. How attractive was Miss Loman? Her innocence at the beginning, the plot? Her relating to Frank? The various contacts she had during the pursuit? The revelation of her role an a spy? The emotional repercussions on her life? How credible a character?

9. Joanna and Andrew, brash young spies, cruel, intelligent, but lacking in feeling? Andrew and his sadism? Joanna and her allowing him to escape? typical spies?

10. Kaplan an the centre of the plot? The impact of the opening? the escape - the camp and his betrayal? His brother? His code information? His new life in Turkey? The fact that he was being sold internationally? His suspicions and his rescue? Why was he so valuable? Did his capture warrant all the espionage, betrayals?

11. Comic relief? Warren Mitchell's style? What did this contribute to the mood of the film and its quality?

12. How successful was the film as an action melodrama, a serious espionage drama, as comment on human behaviour and society in the 20th century?