CARNY

US, 1980, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jodie Foster, Gary Busey, Robbie Robertson, Meg Foster, Kenneth McMillan?, Tim Thommerson.
Directed by Robert Kaylor.

Carny is an offbeat feature which had limited cinema release. It was written and directed by documentary-maker Robert Kaylor (Roller Derby). It has sharp observations about carnival life, the routines of travelling the American countryside, the sideshows, performances - and the people whose lives are shaped by their carnival work. The world is presented as a strange microcosm, taking hold of the very life and personalities of all involved.

The central focus is Frank, a 'bozo' who sits on a perch taunting passers-by to throw the ball at him to make him fall into the water. He is able to read human nature - but sometimes goes too far. With his painted mask, clownlike, he is caged and becomes a symbol of antagonism and victimisation. Jodie Foster portrays a waitress dissatisfied with her life in a small town who leaves and joins the carnival, naive, the victim of violence, but eventually learning the exhilaration of manipulating a crowd. Rock singer Robbie Robertson co-wrote the story, produced and acted a central role. There is a very strong supporting cast of character actors including Elisha Cook Jr., Burt Remson. Not popular film-making, but a very well-made curiosity film.

1. For what audience was the film made? Its offbeat subject, style? The carnival as a microcosm? The film as a piece of '80s Americana? The portrayal of a world of popular entertainment - in a specialist way?

2. The portrait of the carnival: the use of darkness and light, shades of colour, darkness? An atmosphere of reality and unreality? The carnival as a microcosm - a self-contained subculture? Its vision of itself - limited, hustling? The gypsy way of life? The portrayal of the freaks - yet a home for those who are considered freaks? The group of unwanted people, exploiters and exploited. victims and con-artists?

3. The atmosphere of reality in the texture of the film: the attention to detail, the life of the individuals, the group, the tensions? The group considering themselves as insiders and their attitudes towards outsiders?

4. The picture of America: the towns, people who came to the carnival, enjoyment and delight. gaping, mockery, voyeurs and curious? The illusions of the carnival - hustling the illusions of the audience? The American road?

5. The title and the significance of the credits? The effect of the vivid close-ups watching Frank putting on his make-up? The initial impression of a clown? Laughter? Frank saying he wasn't a clown and that the make-up was a mask? Sadness, entertainment, provocation? Provocation as a way of communication? Frank as a Carny instead of clown? The mask. the paint, its thickness, colours, vividness, disguise, challenge? The Carny's ability to read nature? The bozo who mocks and is mocked? Provocation? The cage, the dunking, being pelted, a kind of scapegoat for animosity? The tension for the Carny? His enjoyment of his role, his feeling caged by it? His wanting others to experience the cage like himself?

6. Frank portrayed as real and symbolic? His work, relationship with people, partnership with Patch, reliance on Patch for people to come to his show? Bond, sharing the caravan? The wealthy-looking caravan and its comfort? The two complementing each other? Patch's control of Frank? Rivalry? The reaction to Donna and her friend? Guessing her age and her name? His delight in her turning up again, creating a bond, taking her along, introducing her to the group? The violence in the diner and their having to move out? Getting her the job dancing? The violence and Frank's saving Donna? His getting a job for her with Greta pulling the cords? His continually going back to his cage? The reaction to the authorities, the bribes? The friendship with 'On The Mark'? The violence and the destruction of the carnival in Georgia? The trick violence on the local hoods and scaring them off? Donna’s sexual encounter with Patch and Frank's seemingly nonchalant reaction? His wanting to go off by himself? Patch offering to take his place? A symbol of the 20th. century victim? The qualities of Gary Busey's performance?

7. The contrast with Patch as dealer, hustler? The sequences in which he moved from item to item passing money, urging people along, threatening the types disrupting the action? His control, hustling? His being his own man? Friendship with Frank? Working with the others? Working with Heavy St. John and the needs for permits? His unperceived jealousy? The hostile reaction to Donna? The violence in the diner, pushing her to the striptease? The subsequent violence? His encounter with her in the caravan and the sexual liaison? Paying off the authorities? Hustling the local hoods? The violence to the carnival and his reaction? The mock-death to frighten the locals? His taking Frank's place? Another version of the Carny?

8. Heavy St. John and his control, the rules for the setting up of carnivals, local laws, pay-offs? The takeover and exploitation? The items for the locals - striptease, sex? Using Donna?

9. Donna and her boyfriend, watching Frank, Donna engrossed, her hating her work as a waitress, her boyfriend's bad manners and temper? Her deciding to leave her work? Helping in the carnival, tidying the caravan - and Patch's hostility? The violence in the diner, her wanting to work, her costume and delight, dancing at the background of the striptease? The violence and her inability to cope? Working on the store with the pulling of the cords - and her being able to hustle, attracting the two lesbian girl to lose their money? Her wanting to tell this to Frank? The encounter with Patch? Her future? The young American wanderer of the '70s and '80s?

10. The portrait of the people involved in the carnival: the buskers, their spiels, the sideshows, the stereotypes, the range of 'freaks'? Normality and abnormality? The sympathetic portrayal of the sideshow characters - not exploited by the filmmakers?

11. The sleaziness of the stripper show and the audience response?

12. 'on The Mark' and his place in the carnival, frightening, loony? His stranger utterances? The pathos of his death?

13. The carnival world - a mixture of delight, shadow and violence?