SCANDAL
UK, 1989, 115 minutes, Colour.
John Hurt, Joanna Walley-Kilmer?, Bridget Fonda, Ian McKellen?, Daniel Massey, Leslie Philips, Britt Ekland, Jeroen Krabbe, Ronald Fraser.
Directed by Michael Caton Jones.
Scandal is a story of Stephen Ward, the British osteopath, and his friendship with call-girls Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies? and the consequences for British society and the downfall of the MacMillan? government in 1963.
The film draws a portrait of Ward, skilfully portrayed by John Hurt. The strengths and weaknesses of a man are quite evidence - his vanity, his being contacted by M15, his being made a scapegoat for the political scandal. The film also presents a fairly sympathetic portrait of Christine Keeler, portrayed effectively by Joanna Walley-Kilmer?, Peter Fonda's daughter, Bridget, is a cheeky Mandy Rice-Davies? - much less sympathy for her character.
While the film shows a portrait of decadent English society (echoed in such films as Personal Services, the story of the London madam, Cynthia Payne), the film also shows decadence in government. The scandal was known as the Profumo Affair, after John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War, who had an affair with Christine Keeler, denied it in the parliament, later had to admit the affair and resign from government.
The film has some prurient touches - but it is rather difficult not to be prurient in making a film about this particular incident. It re-creates the atmosphere of the '60s, makes comments about personal values, judgments of morals and the need for propriety, especially in government.
1. The impact of the film? A true story? A re-creating of '60s history?
2. The period 1959 to '63 London, the political world, the world of Stephen Ward? The background of the '60s, style, fashion? The use of songs, for example, the Beatles, Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren in 'Goodness Gracious?' and Dusty Springfield singing the finale about guilt not proven?
3. How much did the film depend on audience knowledge of the events and characters, attitudes towards them? Judgment on 'squalid morals'? On politics? Secret Service and espionage, media, the British courts? The introduction of the film: the focus on Christine Keeler emerging from the court, her being hounded, the collage of paper headlines?
4. A perspective of the film: on Stephen Ward, himself, his work, contact with the Secret Service, place in affluent society, his moral values and practice, the pathos of his life? The perspective on Christine Keeler, the goodtime girl, loyalties, emotions, the end? Mandy Rice-Davies? and her glitz? John Profumo, his place in government, his own marriage, the irony that the Russian Ivanov also had an affair with Christine Keeler? Where did sympathies lie, emotions and understanding?
5. John Hurt as Stephen Ward: Hurt's presence and skilful suggestion of character and depth? His watching the women, the man about town, the nightclubs, his range of friends, seeing Christine in the revue, setting her up, visiting her home and meeting her mother, in love with her but a platonic relationship? Sketching her, changing her hairstyle? Taking her to dinners and parties, the nude party, the orgy? Setting her up, promoting her relationships and contacts? His own range of contacts? Lord Astor's holiday home, the presence of Ivanov and Profumo? Lord Astor himself? The arrival of Mandy Rice-Davies? The orgy? The contact from the Secret Service, inviting him to cultivate Ivanov and report? Estimation of him as vain and shallow? His love for Christine, wanting her to set up a flat? Nights out, the marijuana, the contact with the West Indians? His friends and their values? The build-up to the shooting? Being exposed to the public eye, its effect on him, the political scandal, his friends dropping him, Lord Astor wanting the key? The story of the blame for the skull fracture at school - and the headmaster punishing him because he was there? Seeing himself as a victim of circumstances? The politicians and the police, warning him? Christine and the newspapers? His outburst in the courtroom about the harsh attitudes towards Christine? His own arrest, the attitude of the police? Sketching in court? His decision to die, his final letter, suicide?
6. Christine in the revue, young, blonde, glamorous, her meeting with Stephen, at home with her mother, being set up in Stephen's flat? Her lifestyle, her letting him transform her, the dinner, her liking the life of the call-girl and sex? The range of men? Cavorting with the party-goers? The revue and the arrival of Mandy, their clash, Mandy trying to upstage her? Their becoming friends? The relationship with Ivanov, going out with him, the sexual liaison? The introduction to Profumo, the be-inning of the affair, sexual liaison, his gifts? With Lord Astor? Developing a lifestyle? Meeting the West Indians, liking the marijuana, Johnny, the confrontation and the violence? His shooting? The papers, the expose, her selling her story to the paper? Going into the court, being advised to tell the truth? Listening to Stephen's story about himself as victim? The photos of the press and her being hounded at the end?
7. The contrast with Mandy Rice-Davies?, the young sexpot, the revue, baring her breasts to upstage Christine, the fight, becoming friends, setting up a flat, going to the parties? Her style, the advice for Christine? Her enjoying the scandal, selling her story to the papers, analysing herself in court, naming names, the finale and her enjoying the publicity?
8. Ward's friends and acquaintances, at the restaurants, his osteopath clients, political and Secret Service contacts, holidays, gossip, introductions? His enjoying talk with them? The dinners, orgies - and the visuals and impressions of this society?
9. John Profumo, his political position, possibilities of being Prime Minister, marriage to Valerie Hobson? The holiday, the encounter with Christine, the infatuation, subsequent meetings, sexual liaison, the nights with her, the gifts, in love with her, the need to conceal the visits? The scandal, his denying the affair in parliament, his subsequent retraction and letter, retirement? Seeing him in the garden of his home? The effect on Lord Astor and other politicians? Their being named in court and exposed?
10. The political background, the conservative party, their being in power, membership, proneness to scandal, traditions of British political scandals?
11. The police, their interrogations, hostility towards Ward and his friends? Their judgment on squalid morals?
12. The court sequences, the prosecutor and his frankness, the effect on the witnesses, telling the truth, glamorising their stories? The effect on Ward himself? People in the court, responses, the press? The attitude of the judge?
13. The details of life in the '60s: collages, street scenes, the range of music, references to the Royal Family, elections? The subsequent careers of Mandy Rice-Davies? and Christine Keeler, of Profumo? The point of making this film a quarter of a century after the events?
