ROSELAND

US, 1977, 104 minutes, Colour.
Teresa Wright, Lou Jacobi, Don De Natale, Geraldine Chaplin, Christopher Walken, Lilia Skala.
Directed by James Ivory.

Dancing is a powerful symbol for human experience and relationships, from tangos to waltzes. Its qualities of sentiment, skill, nostalgia, endurance are used in three stories, set in a still-used but symbolic New York ballroom, Roseland. A widow (Teresa Wright) relives her past; an imperious old lady (Lilia Skala excellent) more alive at Roseland than elsewhere, wants to win the Peabody competition; the central story of a gigolo (Christopher Walken) and the elderly women who depend on him as well as the dominating divorcee, Geraldine Chaplin. Writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and director James Ivory have made many perceptive films in India; here they look at facets of America, ageing and loneliness. with care.

1. The impact of the total film? Each individual story and their cumulative effect? The quality of the film as entertainment, human drama? The message of the film?

2. The contribution of the writer and director, the male-female combination of creative work? Their background of films in India - and their concern with fading cultures and their survival in the present and their hold on the present?

3. The quality of the three stories? The introduction to the characters during the credits? The interweaving of the stories? The importance of Roselands as the locale and atmosphere of each story? Audience identification with the principal characters in each story? The overall experience of such identification and shifts in identification?

4. The visualising of Roseland - as a ballroom, its size, vastness, cavernous atmosphere? The design and decor of the past and yet its being in the New York of the 70s? A world of its own, its power of isolating people? The M.C. and his hold over the people there? Cleo and her importance as guide, teacher, confidante? So many old people and lonely people there with their memories, means of communication? The essence of their lives lived there - with so little shown outside Roseland ? Companionship, partners, communication, the interplay of men and women? Roselands as a microcosm of the world? Was the film wise in taking the audience outside the building into the New York streets?

5. The significance of dancing as an activity of skill, art, grace, communication? Beauty of movement? Its engaging the whole activity of the person, bodily movement, feeling, emotion? The competitiveness of the dancing and the competitions? The motivation to win? The possibility of achievement on the dance floor, at any age? Loneliness and age and achievement pervading the atmosphere? These dancers symbolising this?


6. The waltz: the focus on May? In herself, an attractive woman, widow? The importance of her memories and her frequent talking about herself and her love for her husband? The encounter with Stan and the difference in his style from her dead husband? Talking with him and his reaction and wanting to escape from her? Drinking and her primness, change of heart, being loosened by the drinks? Stan's purpose in going to Roselands and enjoying the dancing? Their dance together? Each changing after the harassment? The mirror effect and May wanting to look in the mirror more and more, the memories of the past? The importance of accepting herself as she was, of accepting Stan and inviting him to dance with her not just for the experience of seeing her husband? The brevity of the story and its full impact? The importance of Cleo's commentary and judgments on the characters and their experience?

7. The hustle: the central story developed at most length? The importance of the title of the story and its focus on the central competition? The kind of dance that it was, symbol of the activities of the main characters? The hustle within the atmosphere of Roseland and its people and its dancing?

8. The focus on Russell? An attractive young man, his life as a gigolo? What was he doing with his life? Avoiding responsibilities? His being used by the women and becoming a victim? His using them? Cleo and her partnership with him, her commentary, her continued withdrawing even though jealous and desiring his support? Pauline and her total reliance on him? Marilyn and the attractiveness and her trying to possess him? His way of talking, his interests, his support of Pauline? His acts of kindness and courtesy towards her? Marilyn trying to force him to make a decision for her? His being attracted by Pauline's gifts and his automatic reaction to follow her? Did he have a mind of his own? Why could he decide only when pushed? How weak a character was he? How good a character?

9. How well drawn was the character of Pauline? Her life, widow, age, wealth, her illness, her fear of hospitals? Her friendship with Marilyn and pushing Russell towards her? The aftermath of her operation, watching for Marilyn and Russell dancing and her jealousy, her pain? Her fading life and her dependence on Russell? Her presence and drawing his decision from him? How authentic a portrait of this kind of woman?

10. Cleo and her presence at Roseland, her skill in coaching dancing, the young couple that she was training and their failure in the competition? George and Bella and her relationship with them? Her partners, her hopes for Russell, her proposition, Marilyn's supporting him? How insightful a portrait of the coach at Roseland?

11. Geraldine Chaplin's interpretation of Marilyn? Her first visit to Roseland, prim, her divorce? Her attraction towards Russell? The transition from liking to possessing? Her talk and explanation of herself, her searching for a job? Seeing her outside Roseland? Her not getting on the bus? The white dress, her plan for Russell and his success, jobs, paying for his lessons? The imposition on Russell and her losing him?

12. How credible were these characters? In the context of New York, Roseland? In their interactions, jealousies? Loneliness, love? Fear?

13. The Peabody: how engaging a short story? Its dramatic impact after the central story? Essentially a Roseland story - the effect of the sequences outside the ballroom? The focus on Rosa as a strong big woman, her age, manner? Her European background, her dresses? The reality and her confession of her position? The flashbacks and their dramatic effect? Rosa having a nap and a chat and condemning Arthur for his naps? The portrait of Arthur and his age, loneliness, friendliness? His lack of Rosa's competitive spirit? The practising of the Peabody? Rosa's domination of him and his happy response to her? The fact that he proposed to her and the effect on her? Their talking together? The Peabody itself and the skill of the dancers, the M.C. and his comments and chatter? The Peabody as a dance where old people died? Rosa and Arthur and their dancing and losing? The pathos of Arthur's death? The sequences in the New York subway? The M.C. and Rosa's dream dance, her winning? The impact of her death and yet her wanting to leave Roseland feet first? Final happiness in her ageing years?

14. For what audience was the film made? How much compassion, how much insight? The communication of genuine human feelings and response to them?