STATION SIX SAHARA

UK, 1962, 101 minutes, Black and white.
Carroll Baker, Ian Bannen, Peter Van Eyck, Denholm Elliott, Mario Adorf, Jorg Felm, Biff McGuire?.
Directed by Seth Holt.

Station Six Sahara was one of the few films in the short career of British director Seth Holt (Scream of Fear, The Nanny). It is interesting rather than entertaining. It focuses on a group of men isolated at a station in the Sahara, their bickering and power games. The film turns more melodramatic when a blonde and her ex-husband literally crash into the station and affect the lives of the men, especially the manager played by Peter Van Eyck. Carroll Baker is the blonde. However, the main interest for audiences is in the interaction between the two British workers, Denholm Elliott’s military style snobbish Major and Ian Bannen's sloppy and provocative Scot. The film has some interesting observations about men isolated and their interactions. The film was written by actor-director Bryan Forbes with Brian Clemens (writer of thrillers and The Avengers). The film has atmospheric black and white photography. Offbeat.

1. An interesting character study? men in isolation?

2. The black and white photography, atmosphere of the Sahara? The isolation? The confinement at the station - the plant, living quarters, eating quarters? The editing and pace for the tension between the men? Musical score?

3. The title and its focus on the Sahara? The men on five-year contracts? Their reasons for being there? Their capacity for interaction? Bringing their tensions with them? The absence of women?

4. The audience entering the situation with Donitz? The German? His background in Germany? Enigmatic? His not communicating with people but isolating himself? The encounter with the prostitutes getting off the bus? The black driver taking him to the station? The dead man being put in the coffin? Audiences interested in looking at the situation through his eyes?

5. Donitz and his control, his interaction with Fletcher, not telling his story? His tolerance of the Major? The disregard of Santos? His waiting to meet Kramer? His being summoned to his presence? Doing the job? Not wanting to follow house rules - but relenting with the poker game? His observations on the men? The arrival of Katherine, her ill ex-husband? His understanding what was happening with Kramer? The confrontation at the poker game and his winning? His final observations?

6. Kramer as aloof, his background in the war, his being taken prisoner? His reaction to Donitz with his not drinking or smoking, not being taken prisoner? His eating alone? Power over the men? The Major's subservience to him? Fletcher's off-handedness? Santos being ruled by him and doing the work? The poker game and his playing with power? The confrontation with Donitz? The arrival of Katherine, giving her his quarters? His infatuation, going to the room, the sexual liaison? Its disrupting his plans? Disorienting him? Her death? His leaving?

7. The conflict between Fletcher and the Major? The British background? The canny Scot and his off-handedness, sloppiness, not getting any letters, needling the Major? The major and his properness, curiosity, asking questions? His getting so much mail? Taking the best fruit etc.? The arrangement of buying the letter with the month's pay? The build-up to the mail's arrival, the sorting of the letters, Fletcher taking it, the Major searching for it? The mutual understanding at the end and Fletcher telling the truth about the letter? A touch of optimism in relationships?

8. Santos and his work, the corpse for the coffin, the breakfast with Katherine and his infatuation? The man put aside by all the others?

9. The melodrama with Katherine and her ex-husband careering into the tins? The injuries? Treatment of the ex-husband? Katherine's health, the sultry and sexy style, leading the men on, the reaction of Santos at the breakfast, Kramer sending the men out to supervise the boundaries? The liaison with Kramer? Her using him? Taunting of the ex-husband? His killing her? The melodrama of this strand of the plot contrasting with the realism of the men's interactions?

10. The isolation of the desert, the technology and the plants needing care, the mail truck arriving, contact with the outside world, the prostitutes in the town? The tension of close living, the rules of the games, the mutual needling of each other?

11. Some perceptive comments on human nature?