THE CHANGELING
Canada, 1980, 106 minutes, Colour.
George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, Madeleine Thornton- Sherwood.
Directed by Peter Medak.
The Changeling is an elegant haunted house story, creating a gradually menacing atmosphere of chilly eeriness (shocks kept to a minimum). It also has the threat of murder/detection and sustains interest (though action fans might find it slow).
The events are made plausible by George C. Scott's strong presence and on discovering the truth with him. Melvyn Douglas contributes a forceful and key performance. A Canadian production, the film is set in Seattle and an elegant mansion with a persuasively vengeful ghost. Much tracking camera work, a vivid seance, atmospheric score, some social criticism and Trish Van Devere, Scott's wife, supports him again. A good example of its kind. Director Peter Medak made Negatives and the Peter O'Toole film The Ruling Class.
1. The appeal of thrillers, ghost stories, haunted house stories? Audience interest in the parapsychic in the '70s? The value of this contribution to the genre?
2. The qualities of Canadian production, American locations, colour photography, the stars?
3. The purpose of the prologue? Audience identification with Russell, the sense of family, the sense of loss with their death? The effect on his mind and people's use of it afterwards? The red herring about his daughter's death and the death of the girl in the house in Seattle? The recurring memories of the accident?
4. The audience identification with Russell and his continued discovery of the house, the ghost, the purpose of the ghost? Wondering with him, suspense and puzzle? His own experiences and search, the search with Claire, the visit to the parapsychic expert, the seance, the detective work, the discovery of the murder, social corruption? The build-up to the personal confrontation with Carmichael? The qualities of the screenplay moving the hero and the audience through these stages?
5. The quality of suspense and atmosphere? The comparatively few shocks? The basic melodrama of the whole and its being made plausible? The eeriness of the atmosphere: the exterior of the house, the stories about it, the large interior, the playing of the note by itself, the pounding noises, the voices, the upstairs and the rocking chair, Russell's vision of what happened, the movement throughout the house, the communication by the house? The vengeful death of the detective? The parallel visit of Carmichael and his death in his home? The pursuit of Claire? The final eruption of the house? The importance of the editing for this atmosphere?
6. How plausible a plot - the facts about Russell, the facts about the house and its occupants? The story of American wealth and greed? Big business and its evil origins? The house itself and its occupants? The plausibility of the ghost and its communication? The credibility of the seance? The odd phenomena associated with the house? The ghost and the pursuit of justice? Audience belief in this, suspending disbelief for the sake of the film?
7. George C. Scott's presence as Russell - at the start with his family, his grief? His mourning in the empty house in New York - and the child's ball? Seattle, friends? His work, the lecture filled with the large audience, the concert, his composing (and the irony of the melody in the music box)? The taking of the house, the friendship with Claire, the greater discoveries about the house and its origin, his becoming involved in the house's mystery, his being alone, sharing the puzzle with Claire and his continuing to do this? The visit to the doctor and the discussions about the psychic? The impact of the seance and his playing the tape and discovering the voice and the message on the tape? The confrontation of the senator? the scene at the airport? The confrontation with the detective? The final fight and the rescue of Claire? How developed a character? Plausible, experience, moods?
8. The mystery of the death? The music box, the ball in the river, the identity of the girl who had died and the research, the discovery of Joseph, the voice on the tape, the medal, the digging up of the house, the dream and the vision of death?
9. Claire and her place in Seattle, the house, sharing the research? Her mother as a character adding to the plausibility? Her presence at the seance? The digging up of the house? Claire's anger at being sacked, her searching for Russell in the attic, the pursuit by the chair?
10. The senator - in himself, a tough campaigner. wealthy businessman? His speech for the symphony? The confrontation at the airport and his fears? His contacts with the police? His being confronted in his home by Russell? The mystery of his medal? His experience with the portrait of his father, the discovery of the death, going up to the room in his imagination yet dying in his own how? vindictive justice?
11. The background detail of the film to give it a plausibility - the doctors, the police, the concert and the lecture, the rehearsal at Russell's home, Minnie and her giving information to the senator, the senator and his security guards, the detective?
12. The violent aspects of the film - e.g. the little girl and her dream and the digging up of the body, the death of the detective? The atmosphere of menace and its violence?
13. The success of the film as a ghost story? As a study of a man obsessed to discover the truth? As a comment on the American tradition - wealth, violence, power, the need for punishment?
