CHECKERED FLAG (CRASH. CROSS COUNTRY WRECKERS)

US, 1977, 95 minutes, Colour.
Joe Don Baker, Susan Sarandon, Larry Hagman, Alan Vint, Parnelli Jones.
Directed by Alan Gibson.

Checkered Flag (Crash, Cross-Country? Wreckers) is another of the many popular drive-in actioners involving racing cars. This time it is off-road racing – and, though the setting is the US, was filmed in the Philippines. Joe Don Baker, action hero at this time (especially for his Walking Tall films as Buford Pusser) is a natural as Walkaway Madden. It is a surprise to see Susan Sarandon in this film. Larry Hagman also appears, doing a variation on his Dallas J.R. character. Driver Parnelli Jones appears as himself.

The film was directed by Alan Gibson who went more upmarket in succeeding years with the television film of A Woman Called Golda with Ingrid Bergman and Judy Davis as Golda Meir, a remake of Witness for the Prosecution with Deborah Kerr.

1. Significance and tone of the title, audience expectations? The original American title was "Crash". For what audience was the film made? For what effect? How successful?

2. Audience interest in and response to the world of cars, their power, dangers and risks, the spectacular nature of crashes and wrecks?

3. The basic idea of the film for the rally? The structure of the film, introducing, the characters in the context of the rally, the progress of the rally and its risks and dangers, achievement? Audience involvement via the structure?

4. The initial introduction to cars and bikes? The importance of machines in the twentieth century, skill with machines, driving them, making demands on them? Success and failure with machines and the effect on the skilled people?

5. The importance of the terrain for the rally, the Philippines, jungle terrain, rivers, roads? The nature of the challenge? To what purpose?

6. Comment on the various accidents and the effect on the audience, the effect on the characters?

7. The pros and cons of such rallies? The personalities involved, the attitudes of danger and risk, the business world and the money-backers and the money risks? The importance of the organizers risking people's lives and playing with people's lives?

8. How important was the presentation of Cochrane in this regard? His busy personality, frantic pace, organization, the initial encounter with C.C.? His stock car background, his explanation of his never being a winner yet having a dream? His money risks, its helicopter supervision? His realisation of the danger with the flood, with the alternate route? The lies and playing with people’s lives? What values did he stand for?

9. How interesting and engaging a hero was Madden? His nickname of ‘Walk Away’? As hero, tough? his attitudes towards the rally and driving, towards C.C.’s presence? The way that he got rid of her? His attitude towards Doc? His skill and his finishing the rally? Did he have the right to run such risks? How real a character was he?

10. The contrast with the character of Doc? His ability with machines, motives for being in the rally, clash with Madden, friendship with C.C.? His not finishing the rally?

11. How real a character was C.C.? How interesting? As a reporter, as a woman, responding to similar dangers? Her observations on the rally? Her presence and her being left? What attitude did she have towards the various people involved? Towards Doc? her comments on life when she was left in the middle of the Philippines?

12. How well delineated were the other characters, in terms of the rally, relationships - the touch on sexuality?

13. How much reflection went into the film? For example, C.C.’s remarks when she was taping? Was the film anything more than a presentation and even an exploitation of machines and risks and dangers?