MITCHELL

US, 1975, 97 minutes, Colour.
Joe Don Baker, Martin Balsam, John Saxon, Linda Evans
Directed by Andrew V. Mc Laglan.

A conventional private eye crime thriller, probably more brutal than the average. Joe Don Baker excels at this kind of role and has performed it quite often on the big screen and on television. Martin Balsam and John Saxon have good roles an villains. The film reflects the crooked society of America in the seventies especially with crooked union men and with drug running. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglan?, more noted for his many Westerns especially with John Wayne and with such adventure films as The Wild Geese.

1. The tone of the title, the focus on the private eye? An enjoyable and interesting crime Private Eye thriller?

2. The conventions of the genre? The personality of the private eye, independent and unorthodox? His relationship with the Law? The presentation of the criminals, the involvement of the private eye and his following the criminals? Violence? Criminal men, women? The moving in various strata of society, especially the criminal rich? The importance of violence and the uglier aspects of life? How were these portrayed?

3. The U.S. locations, photography, colour? The world of the wealthy, the criminals? The world of drug pedlars? Call girls? The special effects especially with the chases? The importance of the musical score, the theme song and the lyrics about Mitchell, making him a hero? Justified?

4. The plausibility of the plot? Mitchell and the kind of private eye that he portrayed and involvement with criminals? The types of criminal presented - Deaney and the crooked unions? Cummins and the drug links? The drug people? Greta? Sufficient sketching of characters and situations for this kind of plot?

5. Mitchell as hero? Personality, style, strengths, weaknesses? Involvement with Deaney and Deaney's trying to kill him? The following of Cummins and the humorous ever presence of Mitchell, eventually acting as bodyguard, doublecrossed by Cummins? Mitchell’s use of violence especially in the slamming of the car door sequence, the
killing of Mistretta, of Cummins? The liaison with Greta and his charging her, the ending? Mitchell an hero of this kind of American crime thriller?

6. The presence of Greta, the world of the call girl, her uses, prison, her presence at the end and her being re-charged?

7. The villains - Deaney and his assumptions of immunity, crooked dealings, use of killers?

8. Cummins and his arrogance, the presence of Mitchell, the manoeuvres for the peddling of the drugs? Go and his influence, Mistretta?

9. The particular crises - parallel to television series and the way these were presented? Memorable sequences?

10. Themes of good and evil, law and order, justice, crime and violence, the role of the individual in society? What comment does this kind of film make on American society in the seventies?