DESERT BLOOM

US, 1986, 105 minutes, Colour.
Annabeth Gish, Jon Voight, Jo Beth Williams, Ellen Barkin, Jay Underwood.
Directed by Eugene Corr.

Desert Bloom is an interesting and entertaining film. It is a portrait of an American family. It also focuses on the atomic tests in Nevada in 1951. It was produced by Columbia Pictures with the help of Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. It was co-written and directed by Eugene Corr. Jon Voight gives a strong performance as the stepfather. Jo- Beth Williams is very good as the optimistic mother. Ellen Barkin is also very good as the glamorous Starr. However, the film belongs to Annabeth Gish as a 13-year old girl facing difficulties in family, growing up. The film combines family drama with a sense of period and social issues.

1. The film as a piece of Americana? The re-creation of the '50s: of Las Vegas? Family? The background of the transition to a nuclear age?

2. The insight and sensitivity of the writer-director? Insight into a girl's growing up? Family? Social consciousness?

3. Location photography, Las Vegas in the '50s, Nevada and the desert? The city, school? The ordinary atmosphere? The military build-up? The atomic tests?

4. The voice-over for Rose: the adult Rose, information, attitudes, experience?. Wisdom in hindsight? Her theme of the desert and the wildflowers blooming unexpectedly?

5. The '50s and the U.S.: the experience of post-war settling down, the victory in Europe and the Pacific in the use of the atomic bomb? Families, break-up? The injured stepfather and the war experiences? The optimistic mother? The glamorous sister?. American style? Growing up in this era? Breaking out? The cold war? Paranoia against the communists? The beginning of a new era?

6. The background of World War Two: Jack's memories of General Patten and the Battle of the Bulge? Nostalgia and nerves? Injuries? The atmosphere of Korea, greater involvement, defeats? The Chinese? The prospect of the use of the atomic bomb? MacArthur's attitudes? The fixation on communists? Jingoistic atmosphere? The training for an atomic blast: duck and cover exercises for schoolchildren?

7. The beginning of the atomic age, the experience of World War Two, the consciousness of the Americans, the militaristic attitude for wanting to drop the bomb and contaminate the Chinese? American supremacy? The arguments for use of atomic weapons? The decision about tests in Nevada, the reassuring of the populace? Work opportunities? The propaganda style of the times? The tests? The family watching the, mushroom - and the little girl saying how beautiful it was? The film. ending with the superimposition of the bomb and Rose's looking at it?

8. The portrait of Rose: Annabeth Gish's presence and performance? The voice-over? At age 13? Memories of 9, her mother marrying Jack, her hitting him on the head? Jack and the war, their clashes, her fixing his radio and his rejection, his moods, hard and disciplining her, making her pick up the crockery, his drinking, anger, her hatred for him, the wanting to escape and run away, seeing him with Starr? His coming to the contest? His various reconciliations and gifts? His looking for her glasses in the desert and giving them back? His comments about forgiveness and apology? Her relationship with her mother and her mother seeing what she wanted to see? Mixed affection?

9. Her sisters, their arguing, singing? Starr as her heroine, her delight in her coming, dresses, woman-talk, help with the swimming, the dance? Feeling betrayed by Starr and Jack? Their fight, the reconciliation and the bath? Mr Mosel and his help? Robin and his noticing her, her change of dress, the swimming, the dance, persuading him to run away, his support of her? Her girlfriends and their little club? The opening with her getting glasses, her image of herself? In Las Vegas, school? Her skill at spelling, winning the competition, strength of will? The details of her way of life, her experiences, growing up? The experience in the desert? The end?

10. Jon Voight as Jack: the war experience, his marriage, pumping gas, his relationship with the girls, loving the two younger ones? His military talk, radio? His reading and the Great Thinkers? Nerves, drinking? His relationship with Lily, anger and tenderness? The clashes, his moods with the girls? The reconciliation? Drying out, his return and their song, return to his moods, drinking? His hitting and disciplining Rose? His fooling around with Starr? Going to the contest? The final fight? His going to the desert to seek Rose? Finding her glasses and returning them? Mr Mosell's threat about hitting Rose? His interest and enthusiasm about the atomic tests, knowledge, his guns? Keeping vigil with his gun? A hard life?

11. Lily and her first husband, a good woman, optimistic, seeing only what she wanted to see? her range of jobs? Slap-up meals? her love for Jack? Wanting to be faithful until death? Her love for Starr? Her affection and lack of affection for Rose? Her supporting her? Trying to ease things over for Jack? Christmas photos of the children? Typical mother? her anger at Rose, the fight? Recovery?

12. Starr and her background as a model, her sexy style, the divorce, the 42 days in Las Vegas? The memory of the marriage, defending her husband? Her love for Rose? The Texan and his flowers, outings? The possibilities? her being turned down and paid off? Drinking with Jack? The fight with Rose? Her helping Rose with the swimming, with the dress? The reconciliation? Finding her husband?

13. Mosel, the school, support of Rose, fear about the atomic tests, sending his family away? His threat to Jack? The atmosphere of school, the duck and cover practices, the spelling contest, the swimming pool scenes, the young teenage party?

14. Portrait of a family, family love, break-up, fights, reconciliation?

15. The blending of social themes and family themes?