STARDUST

UK, 1984, 111 minutes, Colour.
David Essex, Adam Faith, Larry Hagman, Keith Moon, Paul Nicholas.
Directed by Michael Apted.

In That'll Be The Day, we watched a callow young man of the 50's fail in marriage and set out on the pop road of success. Here we see where the road--leads. Stardust is a fantasy commodity. It can be magical and deceptive - the theme of this film, with its music and popular aura of the 60's and its heady look at international success (especially the greed, ugliness and the emptiness behind the glamour). David Essex repeats his role of the ambitious singer who naively and selfishly walks over and is guided over people to the top until he withdraws, a junior Citizen Kane to his castle in Spain. Grimly interesting.

1. An entertaining and interesting film in itself? As a sequel to That'll Be The Day? A rock variation on the old A Star Is Born theme? Memoir of the '60s? The facts of the Beatles' career and those of other groups?

2. The production values: British film-making in the '70s? Colour photography? Locations? Authentic atmosphere? Contrast with the United States, with Spain? Britain looking back and recreating the '60s? The contrast of the ordinary world of Jim and his growing up? The affluent world of his Stardust career? The importance of music for the film: the concerts, the rehearsals? The operetta? Show Biz glamour, Show Biz ugliness? The recreation of the popular and pop atmosphere? The world of television and advertising? The importance of the editing?

3. The score and the use of well-known songs? The Beatles parallel and its effectiveness? The contribution of David Essex - with his subsequent career? Paul Nicholas and his career? Keith Moon and his work with The Who - and his tragic death? The elements of realism and fact in the fictitious screenplay?

4. The screenplay taking up the earlier film? The atmosphere of the '50s? Jim's background, music, work, marriage, son? The changes in England in the late '50s? Jim as being affected by these? British culture being affected by the changes in society in the late 150s?

5. Jim and his background, the town, family, relationships? Jeanette and his son? The importance of seeing her and the boy again at the funeral? The reaction? Her change? Changing name? Brian and his support? The hatred - and Jim having forgotten it? His Catholic background and surface religion? Work, music, gigs, the success, the hopes? The ordinary young man and his strengths, weaknesses? His being exploitable? The success bringing the worst out of him? The heights and the depths? His inability to handle success? His short life and the impact of his death?

6. David Essex and his skill in characterisation, singing, his music? The groups? The chances? Johnny and Co and the early success? Mike's intervention and his beginning to manage them? The laundryman and his sponsorship? The world of promoters? Records? Playing with groups? Edging Johnny out? The groupies and the fans? The manoeuvres for popularity? The fans and the charts? The effect on Jim? Drink, drugs, the sex romps etc.? Yet his feeling guilty and wanting to apologise?

7. The group and its style, music? The variety of characters in the group? Relationships? Their handling of success, celebrating, the charts, the tours and their style? Jim growing away from them? Jealousy and their leaving?

8. Johnny and his push, friend, the sex, his music - ability and inability? Mike's decision to be rid of him? Johnny's being used?

9. Mike as the hustler, his lame leg, friendship with Jim, recognition of talent, his ability as an agent, push, smart talk? Money deals? Keeping an eye on Jim and chaperoning him - get permissive e.g. sex? Jealousy and possessiveness of Jim? The funeral sequence and his reaction? Danielle and Mike's jealousy. wanting to outmanoeuvre her? His reactions to Colin Day? To Porter Lee Austin and his push? The build-up to the oratorio? The television impact? Yet his ambivalent attitudes towards Jim and letting him go downhill, not controlling him? The period in Spain and his losing him? His acid remarks to the reporters at the end about the good story? A portrait of a man from the streets and the parallel kind of success to Jim? Yet behind the scenes and a controller?

10. The United States and the different world from Britain? The atmosphere of the '60s, the Beatles and their success, the fans? The continued interplay between the United States and England especially Jim's mother, the funeral sequence? The United States and the television shows, the nightclubs, his being feted, interviews, wealth, Time Magazine and myth? Jim being caught up in the publicity? Danielle's love for him and support? His break?

11. Danielle and her background? Love for Jim? Moving in his entourage? Supporting him? Her being hurt and Mike manoeuvring her to watch him with the groupie?

12. Los Angeles, wealth, push, the pool, hustling, deals, parties and style? American know-how compared with British know-how?

13. The build-up to his improvement in music, performance? The oratorio and its glamorous presentation? The theme of woman? Woman as "Dea sancta et Gloria” (Woman as goddess holy and glorious)?

14. His retirement to Spain? The empty world? The dust of Stardust? What doth it profit a man .....? The attempt at a comeback? The interview and Jim's death?

15. The '60s seen in retrospect? Pace, life, celebrity? Packaged fame? Adulation and the spent star? A perennial show business story with the contemporary touch?