GOLD

UK, 1974, 124 minutes, Panavision.
Roger Moore, Susannah York, John Gielgud, Ray Milland, Bradford Dillman.
Directed by Peter Hunt.

If movies mean entertainment, spectacle, action, excitement, colour, all combining effectively to grip audiences and carry them with it, then Gold qualifies well as a movie. Fast-paced continuous action, colourful South African mining locations (with incidental glances at black-white relationships) give the film added tone. Roger Moore is the stolid mine manager in the company of Bradford Dillman as a crooked tycoon, Susannah York (always a lively heroine) and a comic gruff performance by Ray Milland. It is somewhat hard to remember why the film was so entertaining, it must have caught us in its flow and tension and been satisfying while there on the screen.

1. The tone of the title, the song, the atmosphere of gold, the credits etc.? How enjoyable was the film? Why?

2. The film was made obviously for entertainment purposes. What were the main entertainment ingredients? Fast action, suspense, location, settings and photography, the characters, danger, romance? Why were these ingredients so successfully used?

3. Comment on the use of widescreen and colour, African photography, the size of the film, the mine locations, the disaster aspects of the film. Comment on the opening song, the symphony of gold during the credits, the visualising of mining and the processing of gold?

4. How important was South Africa for the setting? Its beauty, the presentation of the wildlife, the African people, the whites and the big cities, the blacks and their working with the whites their life by themselves etc.? South Africa as a wealthy country, a country built on gold? The mines, the details of the mine work? The relationship between black and white? The medal ceremony and all the overtones of this? The heroism of black and white, black at the end helping white? (Was the film patronizing black Africans or did it treat them well?)

5. How obvious were the racial themes? How did they provide a realistic background? Character of Big King, his role in the mines with the men. relationship with Slater the medal reception, the clash with Kowalski, his final giving of his life for Slater?

6. What moral atmosphere for this film? The initial disasters, deaths, life was fairly cheap? The atmosphere of greed, the making of money, power, the big international deals and the lack of scruples in changing peoples' lives, affecting Stock Markets. letting thousands of people die if necessary? The atmosphere of trust and distrust, the plans and the double dealings and double crossings? what is audience reaction to this? How interested, how repelled? What moral judgement did the film make on this atmosphere?

7. How successful was the film in the action department? The initial disaster, the flooding of mines, the collapse, the dialogue helping the fast pace. the building up of atmosphere, the final crisis with the work, the collapse, flooding, the need for the plane to land, the rescue, death, murder and the killing of Steyner?

8. How interesting a character was Rod Slater? In himself? His background, the dossier on him, his particular talents, relationship with the men and with King? The attitude of Hirschfeld towards him? Steyner choosing and using him? His relationship with Terry? The background of his relationship with women? How well did he love Terry, did he use her? The fact that he was a victim of a plot without realising it? The fact that he could be deceived? The final heroics? Was Slater more than a two-dimensional character in an action movie?

9. How attractive a heroine was Terry? Strong? Relationship to her grandfather and her influence, the sequences of married life with Manfred, the strained relationships, the scenes at the airport. at home, her infatuation with Slater? How did it grow into love? Her influence for Slater getting the job, the significance of her being with Slater during the disaster, also being used by Manfred, the heroics with the plane, the happy ending.

10. How successful a portrait was Ray Milland's performance as Hirschfeld? The credibility of an African tycoon? The hold that gold had on him and his family, his toughness and ruthlessness. his soft spots, his relationship with his grand-daughter, with Manfred, with the men. the medal-giving etc.? His response to the disaster? How interesting a portrayal was this? What insights into the tycoon character?

11. How interesting a villain was Manfred Steyner? What kind of man was he in himself? Why had he turned crooked? His obsession with work and the mine? His relationship with his wife? His ambitions through her? Using of Slater? His double dealing on the international scene? The relationship with Farrell, and the deals? The sinister presence of Marais? The horror of his death? The brutality and the justice?

12. How interesting a villain was Marais? The tones of homosexuality, of power? Of sinister pushing? How evil was he? The murder of Steyner. his death?

13. How evil were the men like Farrell? The nature of the international meetings and the lack of scruple? Greed? The bomb-murder of the German partner?

14. How did this contrast, with the presentation of King, black man in Africa with the whites? Heroism, death?

15. How impressive were the colourful heroics? The fast pace detail of each disaster? The landing of the plane etc.?

16. Which particular incidents were impressive? The action, the presentation of Africa, the examples of the African dancing etc.? The blending of background with incident?

17. What values were behind the makings of this film? Its observation on the 20th century world?