SAINT JACK

US, 1979, 115 minutes, Colour.
Ben Gazzara, Denholm Elliott, James Villiers, Joss Ackland, Rodney Bewes, Mark Kingston, Lisa Lu, Judy Lim, George Lazenby, Peter Bogdanovich.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

Saint Jack is not a box-office success, but an off-beat, well-made story of an American drifter in Singapore (with many parallels to Humphrey Bogart's Rick of Casablanca - updated to the permissive 1970s). Ben Gazzara, the genial Jack of the ironic title, makes a pimp's living, is lured into exploitive R & R work for American troops from Vietnam and into invading privacy for incriminating a Senator and forced to make some options for the meaning of his life. Co-written and directed by Peter Bogdanovich (who also has a good role), the film has an excellent character portrayal, an ageing English accountant whom Jack befriends, expertly played by Denholm Elliott. A richly textured specialist film.

1. An interesting and entertaining film? The ironies of the title? Jack as good and bad? The criteria for good and bad? The focus of Saint and the colloquial Jack? The symbolism of his surname - Flowers? The Italian background of his family, name?

2. The use of Singapore for the location of the film: its cosmopolitan atmosphere - the British in Singapore with their old traditions and longings for England, the new coming Americans and their takeover? The war in South East Asia and the presence of the Americans - and the parallel to the British in previous wars? The Chinese, the Indians, Sri Lankans? The population of Singapore and the rule of the Chinese? The microcosm that is Singapore?

3. The colour photography of Singapore - the streets, the markets, night life, brothels, bars, the Raffles Hotel, the sea, the countryside? The quality of the colour photography? Location atmosphere? What kind of a city was Singapore in the early '70s?

4. The contribution of the musical score - basic themes? The importance of the Louis Armstrong songs with the background of New Orleans (and the parallels with this view of Singapore)? The Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash songs associated with the American soldiers? The sensuality of Shirley Bassey's singling of Goldfinger?

5. The structure of the film: the space of three years, the focus on the encounters between Jack and William Leigh? Jack in his situation, changing way of life in Singapore, the changing presence of the Americans? William L6Igh's visit and the gradual deterioration of his health? The development of each character, the friendship between them? The framework of the beg-inning and ending: Jack and his ordinary life in Singapore - the experiences that he goes through and his return to that way of life? Better or worse?

6. The audience's immediate response to Jack? American manner and style? An American in Singapore, self-assured, his argument with his Chinese employers, friendliness with everybody, the taxi to meet William Leigh? His connections with the underworld, prostitutes? His acting as a procurer? His popularity? Rivals? His success e.g. the tour with William Leigh? Relationship with Monica? The build-up to his getting his own house, his success? Rivalries and his torture, the destruction of the house? The build-up to the encounter with Eddie Schuman? The change of pace, the work for R & R? The choices that Schurnan offered him - surveillance and high prices? His moral choices at the end? How well did the audience identify with Jack and move with him through these ambitions, friendships, crises?

7. How well drawn a character? Ben Gazzara's appearance and style? Manner? Way of speaking, catch-phrases? His explanation of his background? His possibility of doing better things? His being stuck in Singapore? His capacity for relating to people? His making money? His being an entrepreneur in the area of sex? Moral judgment of what he did? Moral judgment on himself? A genial kind of person - and the irony of Saint Jack?

8. How did the film reflect American society during the. 60s and 70s? The indications of the Vietnam wax and judging America by the war? The settled period when Jack grew up, the world attitude towards the United States, echoed in the films of the time? The Korean war? Jack and his service, his ambitions and education? The changing during the 60s? His disillusionment? Ending up in Singapore and using the Chinese as a cover for his own ambitions? The irony of America becoming something of a procurer? The image of the Americans in South East Asia and the war and the parallel with Jack? This being highlighted by the R & R scheme for the GIs? Eddie Schuman as the man of the 1970s representing the Nixon era? The attitude towards the GIs, their relaxation, fattening them for the slaughter'? Jack and the invitation to spy - the atmosphere of Watergate, tapes and surveillance, espionage, the blackening of people's names? The Watergate exposure - and Jack moving to a new phase of life?

9. How well did the film give details of this period of 1972-5: the years passing with William Leigh's visits, Nixon's visits to China and the newspapers, the progress of the war, the peace in Vietnam, the emerging of a new era?

10. How well did the film give insight into Singapore - a republic, the Chinese government and business interests, the links with Hong Kong, shrewd Chinese businessmen? The ordinary people of Singapore - taxi drivers, whores? The strictness of the appearances of Singapore e.g. fines for littering? The cosmopolitan East: Indians, Malays, Sri Lankans? The ordinary aspects of the Orient - and the exotic aspects of the Orient?

11. The contrast with the British in Singapore - and the memories of the past, the misfits from English society lording it over the Singapore people and being ignored? Their bawdiness, boredom, drinking? Their manner of speaking, English blah? The small group and their particular characteristics, sketching in of types? Unlikeable? Arrogant? The visit to Yates and Mrs Yates at the Raffles Hotel? The Raffles Hotel as a memory of the past? The attitude towards William Leigh? Their going to Jack's house and exploiting it? The finale with Leigh's death - drunk, sneering? Anxious about the death? Their presence at the funeral and the pompous singing of English hymns and the pointed contrast with the local funeral and religious, customs outside?

12. The effectiveness of Denholm Elliott's portrait of William Leigh? As a persuasive character in himself, the complexity of his character? Tentative, likable? The anxiety of his first arrival, the encounter with Jack, naive and nice, wanting to play squash, his heart condition? His ability with his work? Interest in Jack, offering him the drink, going around with him and fascinated by what he saw? Deferential to Jack? The Goldfinger episode and the audience prying with him? His fascination with Jack's way of life? Their running from the thugs? Jack seeing him off? Leigh's warning about the dangers? His return to find Jack succeeding with the house? His presence during its destruction? Jack's tattoos and replacing the tattoos with flowers? His final arrival and his collapse in health? His relationship with the English group over the years? The visit to the Raffles Hotel and his collapse? Jack's kindness to him and the prurience of the servant? The final visit to the hotel, the encounter with the English, the pathos of Leigh's death? His funeral? The sadness because of his dread of retiring from Hong Kong, the fishing in the west country? Jack's phone call to Mrs Leigh and sending her the ashes? A satisfying portrait of an ordinary man?

13. The emphasis on sexuality in Jack's world? Cinematic suggestion? Jack and his arrangements with people? The tour with William Leigh and the long sequence about the two women and the Goldfinger sex act? The glimpse of the tourists wanting to be fixed up by Jack? The Singapore people involved - the old women. the rooms, the houses? The contrast with the encounter with Monica and Jack's relationship with her? His own privacy, loving relationship with- Monica? Her working for him? The build-up to Jack having his own house? Its style, staff, the English being present there? The confrontation - with the midget about the sex magazines? The hostilities of gangsterism in Singapore? Eddie Schuman and his comments about Lincoln providing whores during the Civil War? R & R facilities for the American soldiers? The setting up of the camp? Questions of drugs? The women working there? Monica and her presence? The scuffles and fights and brutality? The use of sexuality as a political weapon? Jack prying on the Senator? The audience prying with him? His genial presence, the walk in the park, the picking up of the boy, the boy leaving the door ajar and Jack photographing? The role of sexuality in the film---exploitive, sensual, enjoyment, political weapon?

14. The portrait of Monica - the introduction, her Sri Lankan background, her life with Jack, presents, the sari sequence, her being with him at the camp, the decision to break up? Her regrets? His seeming detachment?

15. The portrait of Eddie - as an American type, wealthy, the cigars, the chauffeur? His scouting for talent for business interests, the American government? His style of talking? His investigating Jack? His knowledge about him and his career, name? The setting up of the R & R camp? His explanations? The drive through the gardens and the discussion about the change in Singapore over the years? His employing Jack to spy on the Senator? His hosting the Senator, giving the sign behind his back? The final confrontation and Jack's arguing against him, throwing the photos away?

16. The importance of the Senator sequence - its length, prurience, the victimisation of the Senator - and his, meriting it or not? The audience forced into sharing Jack's position after the destruction of the house, his having to survive, the need for money? The audience sharing his decision?

17. The Americans wandering through Singapore - the tourists, the war and the young soldiers in the street? The Americans at the camp, their songs, drugs and talk, brutality? The end of the war and the end of this presence in South East Asia?

18. How well did the film illustrate the good and bad in human nature? Insight? The comparisons between Jack and William Leigh? The portrait of the exiled British,? The Chinese? The Americans? The incidental characters throughout the film and their swift but effective delineation?

19. The audience immersed in a sleazy and corrupt world? Entertainment value? Insight?