IN PRAISE OF OLDER WOMEN

Canada, 1978, 110 minutes, Colour.
Tom Berenger, Karen Black, Susan Strasberg, Helen Shaver, Alexandra Stewart, Alberta Watson.
Directed by George Kaczender.

In Praise of Older Women was criticised in the 1970s as being a soft-core pornographic film. It is about sexuality – and does not seem to make particular moral judgments about the behaviour of its characters. The film focuses on a young man, a Hungarian coming from a war situation, who is promiscuous, has relationships with a number of women who are older (and played by some significant actresses).

The film was also criticised as removing the reflective elements from the original material so that it plays simply like a sex comedy or sex drama. However, it has the potential for more than this – for some reflection on the characters, the issues, and their aberrant behaviour. The director was born in Hungary and came to North America in the early 60s, making some films in the United States but several in Canada.

1. The impact of this Canadian production? The Canadian flavour, the European flavour? An example from the Canadian film industry?

2. The reputation of the original novel? Controversy, sensation? The attitude towards novels depicting sexuality frankly? Of the relationships between young men and older women? The film as a controversial version of a sensational work? The atmosphere of the seventies for this kind of film? The significance of the dedication from Andras at the beginning?

3. The tradition of sexual mores? The European tradition and the relationship of younger men and older women? The way this was portrayed in the atmosphere of Poland, Hungary? The transferring to Canada of European customs and traditions? How well observed and commented on were these traditions?

4. The narrative structure of the film? Its episodic nature? Andras's memories? The chapters with the names of the women and the dates? Audience identification, interest, involvement?

5. The sketching of the Polish background? The transition of the war to Hungary and the fifties? Communist Hungary, the build-up to the revolution? The revolution itself? The transition to Canada and the contrast between Montreal and Budapest of the fifties? How well utilized were the backgrounds of war, (different societies, socialism and democracy, the period of change? Crucial periods in the history of Europe?

6. Andras as a child and his comments on his being an altar boy, religion, sex and the chat with the priest? His comment on his parents, Poland's involvement in the war, their fleeing? The impact of the war and his hustling, black market work? A boy doing this kind of work? His hustling the Countess for the soldiers? The encounter with the Countess and her initiating him into sexual activity? The repercussions for him and his comments?

7. How well drawn was the portrait of Andras? As a person, character? As a boy, as a young man and a middle-aged man? The transition in the phases? His standards of values, preoccupations? His black market and hustling background? The callow youth, the shallow life that he lived? As hero for this film? Seeing him at home, at school, with his relations? Study? Social life? The maturity he had as a teenager? The transition to his study at university, special activity and group work? His involvement in the uprising? How credible was he as a lecturer in philosophy in Canada? The range of his experience? A pleasant young man ? how much more? The final comments on sexuality as a supermarket and the significance of this symbol?

8. The episode of Maya: Karen Black in this role as an older woman, her work and translations, her relationship with her husband, attitudes towards sexuality? The reason, however, for her beginning the affair with Andras, her love, involvement? The intimacy of their friendship? The visit of Maya's friend and the acidic comments? Foretelling the break? The cabaret sequence and Andras looking at the singer? The repercussions for Maya, for her friend? Their journey home in the carriage together? The credibility of Andras's beginning a liaison
with Maya's friend? Maya discovering this? The reason for their break-up? Maya's return to her husband? Her grief at breaking with him? How shrewdly observed the plight of the older woman separated from her husband, her needs, liaisons? The effect of the experience of the older woman on the young man?

9. The episode with Mitzi? Her song, its lyrics (its use at the end?), Andras's ogling her during the song? His going home with her and her fears about conception? The significance of their talk together, effect on her fears, his frustration?

10. The transition of time to the sequence with Bobbie? His growing up, the encounter with Bobbie in the cafe and his long commentary, the ashtray sequence, the mutual seduction? Bobbie's passion? The effect of the liaison upon each of them? Shared life, experiences, music, decorating their house, social involvement? The background of the Hungarian revolution and the way this was portrayed? How clear were the issues? Andras's involvement? The revolution itself and his need to leave Hungary? Bobbie and the explanation of parting with her lover during the war? Her Jewish experience? The feelings at his leaving?

11. The transition to Canada? The difference of the way of life in democratic Canada and the new world compared with that of the old world and socialism in Hungary? Social life, cafes, parties - in comparison with the long sequences of the 1951 dances in Hungary, cafe discussions and ridiculing the powers and authorities in Hungary? Andras's social life, a migrant, the position at the university? His ashtray pass at the girl at the cafe and Paula's comments? The atmosphere of new world, the difference between sexual mores? Initiatives, inhibitions?

12. The encounter with Paula? As a person, her work, separation from her husband, fascination with Andras? The importance of her frigidity and the explanation of this? The warmth of their liaison? Andras prepared to seduce women during Paula's absence? His loosening her from her frigidity? How convincing? Her departure? The effect of this encounter on each of them? How genuinely did Andras love the women he was involved with?

13. Anne McDonald? and her being at the party, her drunken husband, her ambitions for study, her family? Her being an inhibited Canadian? His discovering her at the lecture several years later? Her change and her lack of inhibitions? Her outspokenness? The failure of their liaison? Why?

14. Andras in middle age? His comments on older women and his acknowledgement of his age and fascination with the younger woman In the lift? His future?

15. The film's insights into relationships between men and women? The reality of sexuality, preoccupation with it? How accurate the observation, at what depth?