THE GREAT SANTINI
US, 1979, 115 minutes, Colour.
Robert Duvall, Michael O'Keefe, Blythe Danner.
Directed by Lewis John Carlino.
The Great Santini is an excellent film based on a novel by Pat Conroy (Conrack, Sounder). It is an excellent film about family life and relationships. It is set in the early '60s, a time of idealising the family and yet of change. Robert Duvall is excellent (and was Oscar-nominated) as Bull Meechum, a Sky Devil and expert flyer who expects his family to life his military precision and ideals. Blythe Danner is his supportive wife. Michael O'Keefe is also excellent as Ben, his eldest son (and was also Oscar-nominated).
The film not only shows family life, the context of the '60s, but also raises a number of themes, especially in the South with racism.
The film is written and directed by Lewis John Carlino (The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea, Class).
1. The impact of the film? Its quality? Portrait of family? The adaptation of the novel by Pat Conroy?
2. The atmosphere of the 1960s, the air bases, the southern towns, the aerial photography? Musical score?
3. The introduction to Bull Meechum, the nickname The Great Santini? Sky Devil, his experiences of the war? Toasting the corps and the elite? His general behaviour, the dance, vomiting, the prank in the toilet and his blah explanation? His friendships4 greeting, wrestling? Comparisons? His greeting his family, the move, talking to his son and the expectations of the Meechums? Tenderness to his wife? Things not changing, gung-ho attitude? References to dinosaur and throwback of the species? Warrior without a war? Being beaten at basketball, taunting Ben? Condemning him as a girl? The practice in the rain? Praying for war? Wanting to give his son the gift of fury? His competence with the flyers? Wanting them to see him as God, the burning bush? Pre-game tension and signals? Enigma? His daughter wanting to know could a girl be a Meechum? Ben's birthday party, the drunken rambling, spoiling the birthday party? His daughter taunting him with conversation, being pregnant by a homosexual negro bald pacifist, etc? The, playing of the game? His anger with Ben, Ben throwing the game? His being down on Ben? Clashes with Lilian? The scene with Tooma and Ben's confrontation of him, Tooma's death? The partial reconciliation and understanding? His going off to. fly, the heroism of his saving the plane crashing into houses? His death? Portrait of an old-fashioned warrior?
4. Ben as the oldest child, with his sisters, talking with his mother, meeting his father, the talk’ in the car, the drill’ inspections, not wanting to go into service, resenting his father, the baseball, the friendship with Tooma, the dog? Red and the fishing? Talking with Tooma, school? 4 a.m. birthday present and jacket? Bull reminiscing about the day Ben was born? World War Two, the orders about the party? His mother's letter about being a man? Gentleness the best quality? Her blessing and’ love? His life as a gift to her? Breaking boundaries of love? Taunts about drinks, martinis? His father's toast? His praise of his son, making him drunk, Ben 'really great' to carry on? Carried in by his father? The pre-game tension? Dad in the locker-room and giving orders? The playing of the game, Ben's throwing the ball, the fight? The coach and his comment about standing up to his father? Phoning his father about Tooma, finding him? 'Nobody tells you anything'? The fight in the kitchen, Bull going out by himself, Ben finding him after his mother asked him to? The reconciliation? Declaration of love? Running off, the game and the taunt? The white, coat, the photo, the family, the dance? Waking his mother?. Concerned about his father? The Rosary: we will not cry, cry now, tomorrow no tears? Ben coming down to his mother, used to praying for the plane not to crash? The family
5. The portrait of Lilian, the loving wife, support of her husband, her care?
6. The sketch of the sisters, their place in the home, girls not being able to be Meechums, the older girl wanting a talk with her father, sending him up? His sour reactions? The grief at their father's death?
7. Tooma and his friendship, the cruelty in the South, being black, sharing with Ben, the antagonism of Red and the others, the bees, turning them on Red, his wanting revenge, coming against Tooma, Tooma with the dogs, the accidental shooting? The result of the hatred? Tooma and Ben, the pathos of his death?
8. The sketch of Red and the Rednecks, taunting, the bees, the shooting?
9. The picture of the American air force, its ethos, the bases, the homes, the bars, friendships, drinking together, toasts, camaraderie, elitism? The aerial sequences?
10. The background of basketball, its place in the American consciousness, Ben and his skills, the advice of the coach?
11. The build-up to the finale, Bull and his flying, the fire, not wanting to harm people, ditching in the-sea?
12. A portrait of credible people? A portrait of family tensions? The strength of the American background, military, religious? Yet the fights, the hurts, the reconciliations?
