SUNDOWN

US, 1941, 91 minutes, Black and white.
Gene Tierney, Bruce Cabot, George Sanders, Harry Carey. Joseph Calleia, Cedric Hardwicke, Carl Esmond, Reginald Gardiner.
Directed by Henry Hathaway.

Sundown is a rather exotic World War Two morale-boosting film. Gene Tierney is glamorous as an African girl, a wealthy trader, who is able to help the British. George Sanders and Bruce Cabot are the stiff-upper-lip heroes - and Sir Cedric Hardwicke as an Anglican bishop, as George Sanders' father, sermonises at the end to offer morale helps during the early days of the war. The plot is somewhat far-fetched, has all the elements of comic-book intrigue - and is fascinating in many ways because of this. There is a lavish Miklos Rosza score.

1. The value of the film as entertainment? Adventure? War propaganda and morale-boosting? Its impact in its time? How dated does it seem now?

2. The atmosphere of Africa, the desert, the exotic aspects of African tribes? World War Two in Africa? The British presence in Africa? The Germans? The credibility of the plot and the characters?

3. The atmosphere of the British Empire? The echoes of British Empire adventure stories? The tradition of the exotic action adventure? The techniques of 19th. century action stories into the 20th. century?

4. The opening with the focus on Zia, the plane, the African landscapes, her changing from western dress to African dress, the trader caravans and the lifestyle, the trade contacts. the empire of traders in Africa, trade posts and their use during the war? Zia and her circumstances? The mystery of her origin, of her operations? Her contact with Crawford. the severity of Major Coombes? Her seeming to betray the group? The villainy of the Dutch trader? Her being put in prison? Her vindication? The revelation of her identity and belonging to two worlds? The finale with the marriage and the sermon? The credibility of Gene Tierney in the central role?

5. The African outpost - echoes of Beau Geste and the Foreign Legion? Crawford and his style? Personal interest in his work? Hero? The clash with Major Coombes and the letter of the law? The passing through of information? Polini as prisoner, as helping? The spy? Principles? Tracking down Zia? Imprisonment? Escape? The final heroics?

6. Major Coombes and George Sanders' suave style? Man of principle, letter of the law, hard-headed? His suspicions? The clash with Crawford? Letter of the law with Polon! and his later relenting? His death?

7. The bishop and his sermon? Like father, like son? The sacrifice of his son? Propaganda and morale-boosting for the war?

8. The Germans in Africa, the traders and their cover, the trading outposts and the supplying of arms to the tribes? The suave Dutchman and his story? His betrayal? The killing of Polini? His death?

9. Polin! and the comic touch with the Italians and their siding with the British? His loyalty? His death? Dewey and his knowledge of the territory? His helping Crawford?

10. The background of African tribes, having weapons, their knowledge of the desert, war? The death of the carrier in battle? The grief of his wife -in the light of the marriage ceremony?

11. Boys' Own African adventure-style action in a war context? Themes of war, violence, romance, self-sacrifice? The idealism of the Boys' Own adventure?