THE LADY IN THE CAR WITH GLASSES AND A GUN
UK, 1970, 105 minutes, Colour.
Samantha Eggar, Oliver Reed, John Mc Enery, Stephane Audran, Marcel Bozzuffi, Bernard Fresson.
Directed by Anatole Litvak.
A complicated title for a complicated murder mystery. It needs and has a rather long explanation. The screenplay is by Richard Harris with screen writer Eleanor Perry. Direction is by veteran thirties and forties director Anatole Litvak who made such outstanding films as All This And Heaven Too and Anastasia. There is very attractive photography in French settings and a Michel Legrand score. Samantha Eggar does very well as the terrified heroine. Stephane Audran gives a persuasive dramatic performance. The film is escapist entertainment and quite an entertaining but rather elaborate murder mystery of the early seventies.
1. The appeal of a murder mystery, plot, characters, complications and clues?
2. The glossy production values: French locations, the world of advertising? Panavision, music, song?
3. The impact of the stars, style?
4. The importance of the initial setting, the introduction to, Dany? Type, background, psychological problems, her work? Relationship with Anita? Her sight and the glasses? setting out on the mystery with her? Identification with her? Work, her employer, the car, the trip?
5. The importance of the structure: the trip, the cruise, the mystery of recognition of her? Philippe, the body? Monsieur Kobe? The explanation and the retracing of the journey with explanation? How ultimately satisfying?
6. Samantha Eggar’s style as Dany? Character, memories and their visualising, especially the abortion? Her work, commitment to the Caldwells? The initial puzzle during the trip? The police moving her on? The trackies? Philippe and her giving him a lift, going to bed with him? The irony of the picnic and his robbing her? The reappearance with the body? The melodramatics of meeting him again? Her strengths, weaknesses? Her building on the crisis to solving it?
7. The contribution of the people on the way: the police, the lady at the shop, the people at the garage, the truck drivers?
8. Philippe as a mystery character? wastrel at the Riviera? Getting a lift, insinuating himself into Dany’s sympathies, love making? Payment? The irony of his romance and robbing her? The body and getting rid of it? The mystery of his disappearance?
9. The Caldwells: their links with Dany, Anita and her way of life, the murder? Michael and his hostility towards Dany? The setting, the importance of his appearance and the revelation of the truth? His hatred, motives, explanation?
10. A sordid atmosphere of evil? Victims and victimisers? A exploration at the popular mystery level?
