A DELICATE BALANCE
US, 1974, 134 minutes, Colour.
Katharine Hepburn, Paul Scofield, Lee Remick, Kate Reid, Joseph Cotten, Betsy Blair.
Directed by Tony Richardson.
Edward Albee has a skill in capturing the scathing tones of love-hate relationships in families, the weary futility of argument and mutual hurt, the terror of ageing, with the prospect of increasing emptiness in life. This solid version of Albee's play is fairly relentless in its harrowing emotional clashes and verbal lashings. Katharine Hepburn as the aggressive Agnes and Kate Reid as her alcoholic sister give performances worth seeing. Paul Scofield has many powerful moments. Lee Remick, Joseph Cotten and Betsy Blair give excellent support. Six characters in two and a quarter hours of emotional endurance that offers so much grim wisdom.
1. Audience interest and response to such filmed plays? The concept of the American Film Theatre? The transferring of a play from the stage to the screen and retaining as much of the stage impact as possible? The type of response demanded from the audience?
2. The cinematic treatment of Albee's play? Retaining the dialogue and the way this is dramatised? Keeping the scenes and the differentiation of acts and scenes? The delineation of character - and the contrast with the overall stage presentation with the use of camera techniques of close-ups, editing, tracking sequences etc.?
3. The status of this play in the American theatre, Edward Albee and his style and interests? The importance of the stars and their reputations,, individual acting styles? How well did they act as an ensemble? The reputation of director Tony Richardson?
4. The structure of the play: the separation into acts and scenes, the span of time and its passing, the devices for pausing within scenes? The use of the house and the various rooms? The effect of immersing an audience for so long within this scene and with the small number of characters?
5. The significance of the title - its reference to each character, especially Agnes? Its use throughout the film?
6. The impact of the opening: the presentation of the set, the room and the house and the affluence,, the indication of a way of life and manner? The introduction to the characters in themselves, within their environment, the tensions with one another, the issues?
7. The importance of the rooms,, especially the dining room - the emphasis on the table, the many sequences of eating and drinking? The characters and their behaviour at the table, eating and drinking?
8. The portrait of an American family? The ageing parents, the middle-aged daughter and her problems,, the neighbours,, the alcoholic sister? The focus on age? The background and years of tensions, of love-hate relationships, of the hold that each character had on the other?
9. The film's focus on Agnes and Katharine Hepburn's performance? Her particular characteristics - quivering, manner of speaking, tears? Her preoccupation with herself and her possible madness,, "losing her marbles"? How strong a woman was she, how aggressive? How dominant in her household? The way she illustrated this with her manner, bearing, speech? Her capacity for love and hatred? Her devotion to Tobias and yet the distance from each other? Her love for her daughter yet her critique of her? Her reliance on Clare but her despising of her? How good a woman., how strong, how weak? At meals, the nature of her speculation, her seeing herself as a fulcrum within the family? Her inability to cope? How was this illustrated in her clashes with Clare? The importance of the intrusion of Edna and Harry, past friendships and their being threatened, her inability to cope, her hostility? How interesting a portrait of an American woman, within the confines of family and environment, class and wealth?
10. The contrast of Paul Scofield's portrayal of Tobias? As husband to Agnes? The background of the shared experience of their lives, the strengths and weaknesses, fidelity and, especially, infidelity? Tobias' ease within the house, his being an easy balance? His love for his daughter and yet his inability to understand her and her marriages? His welcoming attitude? His inability to communicate? The importance of having Clare in the household and his relating to her? The background of infidelity? The intrusion of Edna and Harry and his welcoming them, the nature of the friendship, his response to the hysteria and their inviting themselves to stay, his being awake all night? The friendship with Harry and supporting him? His attitude towards their staying and the clash with Agnes? How interesting a characterisation of an older American man?
11. Julia and the contrast of generations? Her being spoilt, her marriages, her vulnerability, the gun? Her moods, her reaction at the arrival, her behaviour through the meal, her resentments, her drinks and talking about rights? Her hostility towards Edna and Harry?
12. Clare as at home and yet out of place? Her relationship to Tobias and Agnes? Love for Julia? The discussions about her drinking, Alcoholics Anonymous? The lonely spinster as a figure of pathos - or not? Her tongue, taunts and cracks, vulnerability? Strengths and weaknesses with each and her support of them?
13. Edna and Harry as an ordinary American ageing couple? The ordinariness of their arrival? The realism and symbolism of their talk about terror? Their feelings their age, loneliness? The coming and imposing themselves, the dramatics of their taking over? Harry and his talking with Tobias and the mutual support? Edna and the discussions with Agnes about marriage, sexuality, rights? Their response to Julia's hostility? Audience sympathy towards their loneliness?
14. The importance of the dialogue and the reliance on language - imagery, wit, cleverness, interaction and the crackling aspects of the drama? The long speeches and their importance in the revelation of character, the raising of themes? At the table, speeches moving about the room?
15. Themes of age, fear, dying? Insights into love, marriage, success, failure, relationships? How was each of the characters meant to be a typically American representation of these attitudes?
