DEADLY STRANGERS

UK, 1974, 88 minutes, Colour.
Hayley Mills, Simon Ward, Sterling Hayden.
Directed by Sidney Hayers.

Deadly Strangers is a routine thriller - in the Hitchcock vein. It focuses on Hayley Mills and Simon Ward and their hitch-hiking along the English road. Sterling Hayden has an interesting supporting role. There is suggestion of violence and madness in the background and quite a twist at the end. Direction is by Sidney Hayers, a director of action thrillers and of many action television programmes. There is a Ron Goodwin musical score.

1. The indication of the title? Its ultimate Ironies? The film's use of thriller conventions? How well used? As variations from the usual?

2. The atmosphere of the opening. the clues? Was the film fair?

3. Could audiences guess adequately the identity of the mad character?

4. How was the film an exercise in audience manipulation? The nature of circumstantial evidence? People led away from the truth by evidence? The nature of appearances and reality? Emotional response to characters and situations rather than an intellectual and intelligent approach? How well did the film lead its audience on?

5. The film's use of in English setting and the countryside? For realism, for atmosphere?

6. The atmosphere of madness? The initial sequences in the asylum, the flashbacks the nature of madness? How madness should be interpreted?

7. The film's focus on Stephen? The initial murder, his drinking, the flashbacks indicating his background, sexual preoccupation and fear? What kind of person in himself? The screenplay indicating suspicions about him? The violence, the rape and murder at the garage? His imagination, in terms of Belle? The effect of Belle on him? His pursuing her? His death? The change of sympathies and reinterpretation of his character?

8. How attractive was Belle? The film’s manipulation of audience sympathy towards her? The strong emphasis on her memories? The sexuality element? The plausibility of her story? Her looks? Her fears? The sudden ideas of the truth? The nature of her madness? The reappraisal of her behaviour In view of the ending?

9. Did the film develop its characters as characters or merely persons in pulp fiction?

10. The importance for the ultimate killing in developing a parallel between Stephen and the girl’s uncle?

11. The interlude with Robards? Interest? Extra character? Some humour? Sympathy for Belle? A possibility for escape? The truth about the warning for Stephen?

12. The minor characters, for instance the driver at the beginning?

13. How necessary was it to reinterpret the film in view of the ending? Did the film play fair, for example with only showing half the newspaper heading etc? Who was leading whom?