SEPARATE TABLES
UK, 1983, 112 minutes, Colour.
Alan Bates, Julie Christie, Brian Deacon, Claire Bloom, Irene Worth, Liz Smith.
Directed by John Schlesinger.
Separate Tables is a television remake of the original film of 1958 for which David Niven and Wendy Hiller won Oscars. Also in the cast were Deborah Kerr, Rita Hayworth, Burt Lancaster, Rod Taylor and Audrey Dalton. The film was directed by Delbert Mann who had won an Oscar for Marty.
This film goes back to the original plays, two plays set in the dining room of a hotel at Bournemouth in 1954-55. Unlike the original film, the leads of the two stories are played by Alan Bates and Julie Christie. They do excellent work in creating vivid characters. (Alan Bates and Julie Christie had worked together Far From The Madding Crowd, The Go-Between?, The Return of the Soldier.)
This film, faithful to Terence Rattigan's dialogue, is directed by John Schlesinger. Schlesinger is noted for a wide range of films which include Darling, Far From The Madding Crowd, Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday. As well as Bates and Christie, the film has a strong cast with Claire Bloom as Miss Cooper and Irene Worth as Mrs Railton-Bell?.
The film relies on the strength of the dialogue, the strength of the characterisations, the mood of the hotel and insights into human nature through these interactions. It is a film of insight and gentle sympathy.
1. The television treatment of Terence Rattigan's plays? Memories of the 1958 film? The use of the two plays, separately? The adaptation of stage production to screen?
2. The work of Terence Rattigan, his gift for language, for creating characters, for emotional situations? British style? A British film version?
3. The use of the two plays in succession: continuity, Alan Bates and Julie Christie starring in each, comparisons and contrasts? The effect of the stars and their performances? Tour de force?
4. The hotel in Bournemouth, 1954-55? The use of only three rooms throughout the film, the mobile camera? The focus on characters, talk, manners? The evocation of radio and the early television days, of newspapers? Gentility in the provincial hotel?
5. The hotel as a microcosm: the guests, their interactions, Miss Cooper looking after them? Style?
6. Miss Cooper and the style of the hotel, her love for John, her devotion to him, wanting to help Anne, telling John the truth about Anne's visit? Her treatment of all the guests? Her sympathy for the Major, listening to his story, not being judgmental, wanting him to stay, helping him to stay? Her treatment of the guests and their conflict about the Major? Her own relationships, learning to cope - especially with the memory of John's love?
7. Table By the Window: The introduction to the guests, their-talk, small talk, the details of the meal, the staff? Anne and her glamorous style, her participation in the meal, interaction with the guests? Separate tables? The encounter with John, the revelation of the past, her marriages, her relationship with John. divorce, his imprisonment, the hurt? His drunkenness and reaction to the guests, Anne? His being hurt? His in-laws? His relationship with Miss Cooper? Anne and the phone call, the truth about her visit, John's physical attack on her? The contrast with their making the rendezvous? The next morning, the reconciliation? The intervention of Miss Cooper and her helping hand? The future of Anne and John?
8. Mrs Railton-Bell? and her aristocratic attitudes, observation? The teacher waiting for the pupil to come and visit him? Miss Meacham and her earthy remarks, her love for the races? Her Ladyship and her friendship with Mrs Railton-Bell?, yet much more sympathetic? The young couple and their initial devotion? The baby, his studying? Their working together? The maids and their waiting on the table? The demands of the maids and the kitchen?
9. Table Number 7: The introduction to the Major, his style, concerned about the papers, his being exposed, his pretences and the fraud? His friendship with Sybil? His feeling that he must leave? The discussions with Miss Cooper and the phone call? Mrs Railton-Bell? and the delegation? Miss Cooper wanting him to stay? His coming late to the meal, the interaction with Sybil and the blend of her horror and her devotion to him, her offering him the money to help him on his way? His decision to stay? The young man being friendly, the others being polite, their all gradually speaking to him, isolating Mrs Railton-Bell? The maids and their friendliness and his staying?
10. Sybil and her mother, her shyness, age, diffidence with people, fearfulness of sex? The story of her job and losing it?. Her being shocked by the news of the Major? Her devotion to him, wanting to go for a walk with him? Being made to feel she was flinging herself at him? Liking him, feeling that she was similar? The offer of the money to help? The meal, her mother's superiority, her finally defying her mother and deciding to stay at the meal? The influence of Miss Cooper and the Major?
11. The meeting, Mrs Railton-Bell? and the discovery, her haughty attitudes, controlling of the meeting, her influence and setting up the delegation, her turning her back on the Major? Her Ladyship and her hesitance, confusion, influence of Mrs Railton-Bell?, her talking to the Major? The Strattons and his defiance of Mrs Railton-Bell?, his wife's prim attitudes? His inability to study, his anger at the snobbishness? His friendliness at the table? The retired teacher and his venturing a word? Miss Meacham and her commonsense friendliness? The isolation of Mrs Railton-Bell?
12. Themes of humanity, reconciliation, self-assertion?
