THE LIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

US/Spain, 1971, 98 minutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner, Samantha Eggar, Fernando Rey, Renato Salvatore, Jean-Claude? Drouot, Massimo Ranieri.
Directed by Kevin Billington.

The Light at the Edge of the World is a light-house at Cape Horn, 1865, and the title of a Jules Verne story. This one has no science-fiction adventure, but is rather a sombre account of a man surviving against evil - of both man and nature. This variation on the Robinson Crusoe theme was used in 1971 in the Richard Harris film, Man in the Wilderness, (directed by Richard L. Sarafian).

Kirk Douglas gives one of his intense performances as the man against evil. Yul Brynner gives a coolly menacing portrayal of the insane Captain of pirate-wreckers who take over the lighthouse, lure ships on to the rocks, kill crew and passengers and plunder the goods. The scenery and environment (photographed by Henri Decae) are important in establishing the isolated locale for the inevitable struggle.

On the surface, it is an adventure film, interesting as such. But as a presentation of the survival theme, it is more than interesting. Renato Salvatore (Rocco and His Brothers), Fernando Rey (Viridiana Tristana, The French Connection), Massimo Ranieri (Metello) and Jean-Claude? Drouot (Le Bonheur, Laughter in the Dark) take supporting roles

1. How did the title of the film and the lighthouse itself embody some of the theme of the film?

2. How well did the film convey the isolated environment of the lighthouse? Much footage of the film was given to roaming over the rooky seascape. What did this contribute to the mood and meaning of the film?

3. How was a sense of joy and content conveyed at the opening of the film - through the new lighthouse, its cleanliness and light, the Captain, the boy and his monkey, the orderly work, the tracking of the goat, the calmness of the sea?

4. What picture of Denton did you have before the wreckers arrived?

5. Was the intrusion of cruelty and brutality too sudden with the view of the crew of the ship and the deaths of the Captain and the boy? Sow did the mood of the film change?

6. How did Denton illustrate the theme of goodness versus evil, of man against nature and craft, of survival in barren isolation? Was this theme well illustrated, well explored, made convincing? How important was Denton’s past?

7. How heroic Was Denton? How skilful?

8. How did Denton contrast with the pirate chief? Did Yul Brynner portray the Captain in a way convincing enough to make him an equal opponent of Denton? How did Yul Brynner achieve this?

9. How repelled were you by the wreckers? In themselves and their behaviour? In their luring of the boat on the rooks and their massacring of survivors? Why did they want to plunder?

10. What kind of man was their Captain? Bow sane was he? How proud? What characteristics of power did he portray? How were these symbolised - his horse, black attendant, wealth, style of living (and their contrast with Denton’s survival) ?

11. How did the scenes of cruelty and vengeance affect you? Why?

12. How effective was the sequence of the plundering of the ship?

13. Did the girl have an important part to play in the story - her assuming her mistress’s identity, her protection by the Captain, his using her as a lure for Denton, her unwillingness to be rescued, her mass rape and death?

14. How important was Giuseppe - as a companion for Denton, as encouragement, as a mirror survival and failure to survive?

15. Did Denton act well in destroying -the plunderers' goods, shooting Giuseppe, firing on the ship? Why?

16. How effective was the climatic fight in terms of realism and in terms of the symbolism of the lighthouse and its burning?

17. Was the film optimistic or pessimistic about human nature?

18. Was the film meant merely to be an adventure, or something more?