ROAR

US, 1981, 96 minutes, Colour.
Noel Marshall, Tippi Hedren, John Marshall, Jerry Marshall, Melanie Griffith.
Directed by Noel Marshall.

Roar is a film about lions in the vein of Born Free. Just as that was a story about the Adamsons and their work in Africa, so this is a film about the Marshall family and lions in Africa. It is spectacularly photographed in Panavision with beautiful location photography and a sense of realism about the lions - the animals are credited with co-scripting and directing because of their spontaneous reactions! The film is the work of Noel Marshall and his family: actress Tippi Hedren, actress daughter Melanie Griffith and their sons John and Jerry Marshall. The plot is slight - showing Noel Marshall (Hank) at work, the family arriving after a separation of three years, making their way to his centre and warding off lions, tigers, elephants etc. for almost 24 hours till he gets back to them. The trite story and dialogue give rise to action sequences with numerous animals on screen. There is a thumping and resounding score and the film is made for direct family entertainment of the pleasing but very unsubtle variety.

1. The appeal of an animal film? Lions and tigers, African animals, Africa, work with the animals?

2. The background of the Marshall family - authenticity, providing the slender plot, providing the activity and action of the film, their being at home with the animals? The movie being an elaborate and extended how movie - with the possible tedium for those not so involved with lions?

3. The quality of the Panavision photography, locations, photography of the animals, the special effects and the sense of realism? The house and the river? The atmosphere of the score?

4. The establishing of the situation: Hank and his treatment of the Massai, his riding his bike and speeding with the animals, especially the giraffe racing, the family arriving from America and being left in the lurch,, the visit from the Supervising Committee?

5. The impact of so many lions and tigers? Audience expectations, fear? Their appearance, roars? Growls? Their being playful and natural? The survival by domination? Their potential for viciousness? The vicious lion as villain of the piece? Cruelty and protection? Seeing them in their natural environment? The irony of seeing them in the house? Cruel treatment of human beings? Playful treatment?

6. The impact of the numbers, the activities and the contrived threatening of the family for so long? The visitors and the accidents and scratches and blood? Hank's assistant and his apprehensions? Hank and his being at home literally with the animals?

7. Audience response to the family being terrorised for so long by the animals? The various devices used to escape them?

8. The tigers and their following Hank and the assistant? The elephants - and the breaking of the boat? The other animals - giraffes, jaguars, panthers etc.?

9. The sketch of the family in itself, their story of separation from Hank, arrival at the airport, the scenes with the bus, walking through the bush, discovering the house, their fears, helping one another, hiding, the bike ride, falling into the river etc.?

10. Hank and his going to the airport by boat and its sinking, by bicycle, borrowing the car, the flat tyre, running?

11. The sub-plot of the committee and their reactions to Marshall's work? The two injured men planning to kill? Their shooting of some of the animals? Their deaths? The anti-killing of animals message of the film?

12. The film capitalising on audience love of animals? Environmental themes? Cruelty to animals versus harmony with animals? The message of the film? Enjoyment value?