DEADFALL

UK, 1968, 120 minutes, Colour.
Michael Caine, Eric Portman, Nanette Newman, Giovanna Ralli, Leonard Rossiter.
Directed by Bryan Forbes.

Deadfall is a British thriller of the late sixties starring Michael Caine. Caine was just coming into prominence at this time after his performances in Zulu, Alfie and his Harry Palmer films starting with The Ipcress File. This should have been a more effective thriller than it is. It is long, protracted in its presentation and complex in plot. It was written and directed by actor, writer, director Bryan Forbes. Forbes had made several effective films in the early Sixties including Whistle Down the Wind, King Rat, The Whisperers.

With Deadfall the production is ambitious and not as successful as the previous more economic films. Forbes was to have a mixed career as director in the next ten years with such projects as The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Slipper and the Rose, International Velvet. The leading lady in Forbes' wife Nanette Newman who appeared in many of his films. There is a sombre performance by Eric Portman as a homosexual thief. The film is entertaining in its way but more of a curiosity item in Caine’s and Forbes' careers.

1. How well did the title indicate the meaning of the film? The deadfall during the robbery attempt? Harry’s final deadfall? The symbolism of the birds and their falls? The falls from grace? The fallen human nature?

2. What did the film have to say about greed? Gaining the whole world and losing one’s soul? Did the film illustrate this theme well? How?

3. Was the film an effective thriller? In which ways? Robbery conventions? Or was it more than a thriller? Where? How successful was the film on the whole?

4. Critics did not like it. Comment on the use of the visuals, the use of colour, the editing and the superimpositions, angle shots and symbolism of the angle shots etc.?

5. How successful was the use of music? The general musical accompaniment for the whole film? The concerto and its use during the robbery? Was this a high point of the film? How did the time of the concert counterpoint the time of the robbery?

6. The climaxes? What was the final effect of this in the film? Was it a successful experiment? Was it well integrated into the film? How was this paralleled during the final robbery attempt with the girls playing of the record and the dancing and Harry’s in rooms?

7. Did the audience have any sympathy with Harry as a person? First impressions of him at the home and the symbolism of the bird? reaction to his profession? To his lining up a robbery by pretending to be alcoholic? His greed in joining the Moreaus? His responsive love to Fe? His skill and daring in the robbery? His trying to attempt too much before he was ready? What impact did Fe have on his life? Did it change his attitudes at all? What was the impact of Richard on his life? How did it change his ideas, make him question? Did he like Richard? His discovery of the truth about Richard? The relation of this to his final robbery attempt? What motivated the final attempt? Why was it a failure? (The parallel of trying to get the chandelier and the dragging away of the safe earlier?) The significance of his death and deadfall?

8. What were your reactions to Richard? The meaning of his past, his profession, his growing old, the fact that he was Fe’s father? Were you surprised? His homosexuality? The impact of his personality on Fe and upon Harry? The meaning of his death and its being worked into the final climax of the film? (How successful was this as an editing device for the film?)

9. Fe? Was she a conventional character in this film? What was the meaning of her life? The ambiguity of her relationship to Richard? Her surprise at the truth? Norms of right and wrong in her relationship with Harry? Her role as a thief? The sequences where she was continually waiting for Harry? The significance of the fact that she survived? The emotional impact of seeing her at the funeral?

10. What moral comments did the film make about crime and criminals) Their cool planning? Their dedication and ingenuity? Their waiting for the right moment? The humiliation of failure? The risk of death?

11. Were the people in this film real characters, real people? Or were they symbols? Why?

12. Comment on the presentation of the minor characters and their impact in the film: Salenus and words, his sanatorium, his vanity, his relationship with the girl at the time of the robbery etc.; the man with the computer memory and the impact of his sequence; the girl and her relationship to Harry, the following his advice, Wal being used during the robbery, her using Salenus for her career? What comment on human nature did these minor characters make?

13. One of the themes of the film was futility. How well was this illustrated? What was your final emotional response to the film and themes of enterprising futility? Was it satisfying entertainment? Why?