DULCIMA

UK, 1971, 98 minutes, Colour.
Carol White, John Mills, Stuart Wilson, Bernard Lee.
Directed by Frank Nesbitt.

So many modern films do not seem to be about very ordinary people. This one certainly is - a simple (except in money matters) aging widower farmer and young Dulcima from a poor family of ten. She too is simple, although wily. She is ambitious without realising the consequences of using and playing on others' emotions. This is an old story, filmed straight-forwardly in beautiful but plain Gloucestershire rural settings, creating a realistic and recognisable atmosphere for the conflict, love and jealousy between John Mills' Mr. Parker and Carol White's Dulcima. A story and theme for ordinary audiences which, apart from an over-melodramatic ending, has something to say in an entertaining way.

1. The name of the heroine has overtones of sweetness. were these true of her character? How did this give significance and point to the whole film?

2. The film went for realism in its style. How effective was this? How well did it use sentiment and sweetness contrasting with rugged realities in rural England? Did this make the film and its story convincing? Why?

3. The film seemed to stress ordinary persons and ordinary conventions in rural England. How well did it explore these ordinary persons for ordinary audiences?

4. The impact of the credit sequences? The presentation of Mr Parker, his drinking, his loneliness, his farm work? The importance of John Mills playing this role? The impact of Mr Parker for the rest of the film, contrasting with the view of him at the end?

5. How well did Dulcima fit into her own family life? The clashes between her and her father? Why? Her looking after the children. her fantasies and fancies? Her life on the farm and her attraction to Mr. Parker's farm? What initial insights into Dulcima's character did we get?

6. What insights into Dulcima's character did the film give - her naivety, innocence her wiliness, as she was presented at home, subdued by her father, attitudes to conventional morality and going to the farm? What moral standards did she have? How did they change with life at the farm? Her preoccupation with fashions.. money?

7. What effect did Dulcima have on Mr Parker? Did he suspect her at all and her wiliness? The help she gave, how gratified and appreciative he was. his proposal to her. his love for her? His reaction to her wiliness with the money? His wiliness in the auctioning of the animals? How similar were they?

8. The impact of the love on Parker and his growing jealousy? Why did Dulcima contrive the character of Charlie to have a hold over Parker? Her fantasy about him and its danger? The growing passion and jealousy of Parker? Her fascination with the gamekeeper and Parker's identification of him with Charlie? Was this enough to make Parker's shooting at the end credible?

9. Why did Parker finally shoot? What had happened to him? Was this too melodramatic for this film? The amazement for Dulcima? Was it satisfactory to have the film end here? Should it have gone on? What would the future be for Parker and for Dulcima?