CHARADE

US, 1963, 112 minutes, Colour.
Cary Grant, Audery Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy.
Directed by Stanley Donen.

Charade is considered a classic of smooth sophistication in film-making. The Paris settings are beautiful. It is a murder mystery with twists. It is a romance. It is also a star vehicle for an ideal pairing of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Walter Matthau, in an early role, is a villain. With strong men James Coburn and George Kennedy in support.

Various people are in pursuit of the wealth left to a widow – with various twists and tricks, charades, in order to deceive her.

The film won a number of awards, a BAFTA award for Audrey Hepburn, an Oscar nomination for Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer for their song ‘Charade’. The film was directed by Stanley Donen who had come to prominence in the late 40s with such musicals as On the Town and Singing’ in the Rain. He then moved to sophisticated dramas – some with Cary Grant including Indiscreet and The Grass is Greener.

The stylishness of the film is not caught in the 2003 remake by Jonathan Demme with Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton, The Truth About Charlie.

1. The importance of the genre and style of the film? The impact of these? The significance of the title? The importance of the stars?

2. The use of colour, the song and music, visual tricks, the quality of the ironic and humorous screenplay?

3. What thriller and mystery conventions did the film use? How well?

4. Regina and her type of character? American society in Europe, the quality of her marriage and its break-up, the mystery about her husband, the revelation of the mystery? Regina’s attitudes towards trust and love? Year and fear of death? Truth and lies? How well delineated was her character?

5. The importance of people lying in this film? Bartholomew as the only one seeming honest? The effect of the audience being one step ahead of Regina in understanding who was lying?

6. Peter Joshua as friend, hero, identity, lies? The sequences of his helping Regina, menacing her, the irony of the final chaos when he seemed to be menacing?

7. The comic touches in the film? For example the detail of the funeral service, Peter Joshua and the oranges at the dance?

8. The impression that the gang made, the funeral and their reaction to the dead man, their varying personalities, terrifying Regina, their lies, the pursuit of Joshua and Regina? The fight on the roof? threats? The deaths of each of them and their effect?

9. Bartholomew and his support of Regina punctuating the film? The revelation of the irony of this?

10. Regina and the breathing space before the final climax, the awareness of the truth, the pursuit of the stamps?

11. The impact of Regina and the truth about Bartholomew?

12. The dramatic effect and the suspense of the final pursuit by Joshua, the dilemma between trusting either of them? The confrontation of Joshua and Bartholomew?

13. The humour of the ending, Regina’s honesty, the identity of Cruickshank?

14. How enjoyable the charade in the tricks? The values of this kind of film and audience response to it?