REUNION

UK/France/Germany, 1989, 110 minutes, Colour.
Jason Robards, Sam West, Christian Anholt, Barbara Jefford,
Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.

Reunion (L'Ami Trouvet) is a French, German, British co production. Harold Pinter has adapted the novel by Fred Uhlman. Director is former fashion photographer, Jerry Schatzberg (Puzzle of a Downfall Child, Scarecrow).

The film focuses on Jason Robards as a 70-year-old American businessman who returns to Stuttgart, having left there as a young boy in 1932, in the view of the emergence of Hitler and his antagonism towards the Jews. As Robards begins to remember the past, flashbacks show his friendship with a young nobleman - and the growing friendship as well as the clash of ideology between them. The flashbacks recreate the atmosphere of tension in early '30s Germany.

Stage actor Christen Anholt is the young Jewish boy. Samuel West (Howard's End) is Konradin von Lohenburg. Barbara Jefford makes a guest appearance as Hans' mother.

The film retraces material familiar from memoirs of Germany and the Holocaust, the Brown Shirt sequences are reminiscent of those of Cabaret. The film has an impact at the end when, after so many decades, the central character discovers that his once friend was executed for participation in the plot against Hitler.

1. The film as a memoir, a healing experience, a symbol of 20th century experiences of war, destruction and hate?

2. The qualities of Harold Pinter's writing, adaptation of the novel? The framework of Henry Strauss's journey of discovery? The insertion of the various flashbacks, building up a picture of the young boys? A picture of Germany in 1932? The finale and Konradin's execution? The variety of tones of the musical score?

3. The title, the two young men and their friendship, Henry and his voyage of discovery, the truth about Konradin?

4. The introduction to Henry, the American sequences, the successful businessman? The decision to go to Germany? The arrival in Stuttgart, the 55 years, his motivation, meeting people, the clash with the taxi driver and the use of language, the bigotry of the past? The effect on Henry as he searched out locations of his past?

5. The nature of the search, the visit to the school site, to the cemetery? The people that he met - sympathetic, antipathetic? The headmaster and the record of the boys of the past? The memorial of those killed in war? Going to the office, the help from the bureaucrats, the long corridor, the descent in the lift, uncovering the boxes? The discovery of the coin and his putting it in his pocket? The symbols of the coin, the sword, the scissors?

6. The flashbacks: Hans and his age, experience, love for his mother and father, the quality of life at home, his father as a Jewish doctor, veteran of World War I? At school, the classes? Discussions, his success and intelligence? The meeting with Konradin, the offer of friendship, the growing bonds? The clash with the other students, the taunts of being Jewish? The sharing with Konradin, the walks, the books, going camping? The visits? The effect on Hans?

7. Konradin and his arrival, aristocratic background, manner of bearing himself, speaking? At school, the response to Hans's friendship? The shared experiences? His formal style, gradually unbending? The camping, the walks, the books?

8. The theatre episode, his mother's snub? Konradin's explanation of his parents' bigotry? The growing tension between the two? The prospect of the holidays? Konradin and his meeting with Hitler and his sympathetic appreciation of him? The irony of what was to happen to him?

9. Hans' father, his being German, fighting in World War I, decorations? His disbelief as to what was happening? The violence and the deaths around him? The attacks on the Jews? His sympathetic wife?

10. The new semester, the new teacher, the blatant propaganda and interpretation of history? The snide remarks? The boys and their attack on Hans? The fights? The Brown Shirts in the town - and the reaction of Konradin and Hans, the victim? Gertrude and her anti-Semitic tones?

11. The decision that Hans should go to America, his parents sending him, their firmness, the ritual suicide?

12. Each of the young men going his own way, the passing of the 55 years?

13. The drama of the plot to assassinate Hitler, Konradin and his arrest, execution - the jolt for the ending of the film?

14. Henry and his visit to the cousin, the aristocratic woman, her lack of welcome, the memories of the past?

15. Material familiar from other films? Impact for American Jewish audiences? For European audiences? The possibility of healing? The continued relevance of these themes?