RIDER ON THE RAIN

France/Italy, 1969, 119 minutes, Colour.
Marlene Jobert, Charles Bronson, Addie Cordy, Jill Ireland.
Directed by Rene Clement.

Rider On the Rain is a thriller by the French director Rene Clement, who has made so many classic thrillers. This one is both interesting and entertaining, although making no claims to originality. At times reminiscent of A Man And A Woman with romantic French colour photography and music, at other times like a Truffaut or a Hitchcock thriller, there is a graphically portrayed murder, bizarre touches, a strange atmosphere, although we know the world is the everyday one. The film keeps us interested because the killer causes no puzzles; it is rather the investigator of the killing who is mysterious. Charles Bronson in his European phase is the star.

1. How successful a film was this? Why? How did it manipulate audience feeling and identification?

2. How much did the film focus on Charles Bronson and his enigmatic personality? How important was this for the success of the film? How did it balance with the heroine's fright?

3. How much was the audience meant to identify with Melancholy? Especially a feminine audience? The initial ordinary life, curiosity, menaced by the murderer, fright in her home, the killing and the dumping of the body, and the consequent fright in trying to escape detection?

4. How real was this situation? Was it plausible and credible? Is it what an ordinary woman would have done? Why didn't she communicate with someone about the murder?

5. How well did the film fill-out the character of Melancholy in her relationship with her mother? What kind of woman was her mother, emotionally and loving to her daughter? In the story of her father's abandoning then? Her relationship with her husband, his going away on Ms flights, his lack of love for her, his affair with her friend etc.? Melancholy and her fear - why was she so fearful? Had she good reason to be?

6. How horrifying was the Rider on the Rain? His looks and his menacing? The situation in the house, the rape and the death and the horror? Was it a good example of death in self-defence? why?

7. How important was the Major and his enigmatic personality? How did we see him from Melancholy's point of view? How puzzling was he to her and to us? The fact that he knew so much? His persistence in following her? How well did she parry his investigations?

8. When you learnt the truth, did you feel that the Major had the right to do what he did? Confusing the two murders in melancholy's mind? Using her and her fears of death for his own purposes? Was this just? The warnings of the police to the Major? Was he too unscrupulous?

9. Why did she continue to hold out when it seemed he knew, the truth? What did she want to find out for herself? Her encounters with her mother, husband, the friend at the shop and the confrontation about the affair?

10. How impressed was she about seeing the murderess arrested on the beach? What effect did this have on Melancholy? Her going to Paris? The effect of this on her? The danger? Did the major have the right to allow her to suffer as she did?

11. Were you satisfied with the solution? Had you been satisfyingly tricked? Was the film satisfying in its suspense? Was the solution easily explained?

12. What value have thrillers like this besides entertainment? In their portrayal of persons in dangerous situations? In their insights into the way people react to danger and to fear?