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CHANDLER
US, 1971, 85 minutes, Colour.
Warren Oates, Leslie Caron, Mitchell Ryan, Alex Dreier, Gordon Pinsent, Marianne Mc Andrew, Charles Mc Graw, Gloria Grahame, Scatman Crothers.
Directed by Paul Magwood.
Chandler is yet another private eye film, rather complicated in its plot, using Warren Oates who is at home in this kind of role but is significant for having Leslie Caron as the leading lady. A very talented dancer and actress in the fifties, she turned to dramatics with The L- Shaped Room in the sixties and had a number of roles scattered throughout the seventies as in this film and also Serail and Ken Russell’s Valentino. However the film itself is just another example of the American private eye genre, seventies style.
1. The tone of the name? Raymond Chandler’s private eye suggestions? A good example in terms of plot, mystery, social background and crime, the private eye, the leading lady?
2. How well did the film work within the private eye genre? Better of its kind, not?
3. Panavision and colour? Californian locations? Musical score? Interiors of the wealthy world of the government and the rackets? The outdoor sequences and the small towns, the coast? The effect of this environment?
4. The clarity of the plot? Credibility and plausibility? The world of the private eye and his disillusionment? The world of the rackets, corruption, government protection, plots and rivalries? The women in this world - in the offices, mistresses? Their being discarded? A world of violence and death and lack of moral perspective? Audience interest in this world?
7. Warren Oates's style as Chandler? The initial giving up of his job, his acceptance of the job during the film? Should he have, did he know what he was doing? His skills, violence, anger and frustration? His attraction to Katherine, their history? His following her? The realisation that he was being used as a bait and his emotions being interpreted? His violent reaction? The futility of being pursued? The inevitability of his being shot? The genre of the private eye as particularly American? The American character?
8. Katherine within this world, her background, her explanation of her being the mistress of the racketeer, her love, love of luxury? Her being discarded, running away? The violence that she experienced? Her relationship with Chandler and love? Her moving away from Carmady? Her being set up? Her reaction to Chandler’s being shot and her shooting Kincaid? Why did she not shoot? A credible woman within this world? The characters of the racketeers: Carmady and his involvement with Katherine and its jeopardy for the rackets, Kincaid and his ambitions and ruthless plan and violence? Maxwell and his ever-presence and his representing the government and their protection? The minor criminals and their plotting? Chandler’s mentor and his getting him into the case? A world in itself, the inherent violence and death? The minor characters and their contribution? For example, Angel Carter, Smoke and his playing in the night club? An authentic atmosphere?
9. Particular sequences from this genre and their impact, e.g, the train rides, the encounters, the chases, Chandler's violence?
10. What insight into a modern financial and corrupt world? How pessimistic the outlook on the individual against the world?