SURVIVAL QUEST

US, 1989, 96 minutes, Colour.
Lance Henriksen, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney.
Directed by Don Coscarelli.

A group of students meet with a group of gung-ho mercenaries - and inevitably they clash. The film was written and directed by Don Coscarelli, director of Phantasm and the sword and sorcery film The Beastmaster. There is message about harmony with nature, there is also message about violence with guns. While the film has a great deal of action, it is consistent with its message - although there is a final explosion to destroy the enemy. Entertaining of its kind.

1. A blend of action and nature film? Themes of ecology, violence and gung-ho use of weapons in the '80s?

2. The beauty of the Colorado locations, the ruggedness of the wilderness? Musical score?

3. Survival Quest and its establishment in 1959? Aims and methods of training? Personnel? harmony with nature? The strengthening of individual skills, overcoming of fears? The importance of teamwork not one winning, but all winning? The contrast with the mercenaries and their gung-ho attitudes? Seeing 'men'? Violence of predators?

4. The mercenaries and Jake: the tough training, his attitudes towards his men'? The pep talk, training, taking them unawares? The cruel morale? In the plane, spurning of the Survival Quest group? The confrontation with hank and the others? The tough manoeuvres? The shooting of the deer? hank and his threatening Jake, the taking of the knife? The tying up of the four for catching? Raider and his, confrontation with Hank, the shooting of Hank, and the humiliating killing of Jake, according to his own principles? The vengeance chase by the mercenaries? The confrontations, killing their own men? The final explosion? The point being made by the violence of these men?

5. The contrast with the Survival Quest group and their hopes? Introduction to Hank, his falling off the roof and showing them trust? Making Joel fall off? The different trainings and overcom-ing their fears? Going out into the wilderness, his relating with them individually, helping then, to work as a group, discreetly exercising leadership, not telling their, what to do? Their solo days and his interventions? Rescues?

6. Hank and his life story, orphan, his father, gratitude for showing him the wilderness? Toughness, training? The contrast with Jake and the others? His particularly helping Gray? His being shot, hiding, cauterising his wound, surviving?

7. Cheryl and the separation from her husband, lagging behind on the first day, elected as leader and exercising leadership?

8. Olivia and her fiance, wanting to do her own thing, attracted towards Gray, the sexual encounter, grief at the end - and joy?

9. Gray and his arrival, the convict, sullen, the attempt to escape, his return, the attraction towards Olivia, the friendliness of Hank, the final plan and his daring? Discussion of life stories, his journal? His surviving?

10. Rial and his age, trying out the manoeuvre, his being a father-figure, his being shot, determined to walk?

11. Jeff and Joey, Jeff and his haughtiness, his rope breaking on the cliff, Olivia helping? His becoming part of the group? Joey as genial, falling off the roof, the encounter with the little bear and then the big bear? His foot caught in the log?

12. The enjoyment of the wilderness, its beautiful ruggedness, going solo and reflecting on the meaning of life? The escape and the decision-making, the leap into the river, downriver, the rope across the river, floating on the log? The two mercenaries and their help, betrayal, the murdered mercenaries?

13. The sense of achievement? Audiences identifying with this harmony with nature, exertion of efforts, teamwork and achievement?