THE BAD SEED
US, 1985, 100 minutes, Colour.
Blair Brown, Carrie Wells, David Carradine, Richard Kiley, Lynn Redgrave, David Ogden Stiers.
Directed by Paul Wendkos.
The Bad Seed is a telemovie remake of the 1956 Mervyn Le Roy version of Maxwell Anderson's play. The film is glossy in style and geared for the television audience.
However, it is a fairly faithful remake of the 1956 film. Blair Brown is persuasive in the central role of Christine. Carrie Wells emulated the sinister presence of Patty Mc Cormack in the original. David Carradine is more sleazy and suspicious than Henry Jones in the original. The neighbour, Monica, is much more glamorised with Lynn Redgrave and David Ogden Stiers as her husband rather than brother. Richard Kiley has a strong presence as Christine's father. There is not such an emphasis on Claude's mother as there was in the original.
The film is updated to the 80s, however there are the same discussions about heritage and socialising for criminal behaviour. However they are couched in an '80s style which makes some impact. Direction is by Paul Wendkos.
1. Impact of the film? Shock value? Audience knowledge of the play or the original film? The focus on human nature, psychology, sociology?
2. The adaptation of the play and the updating of the film? The strong cast, the opening out of the play, the flashbacks and suggestions? Explicit rather than off-screen? The opening out of the play?
3. The importance of the return to the original ending and its chilling reality?
4. American telemovie style, glossy atmosphere, colour? interiors and exteriors? the opening out of an interior study and showing what actually happened, especially with the little boy's death? Face and atmosphere? musical score and mood?
5. The significance of the title, the focus on Rhoda, the theories, the pros and cons of psychology and sociology? Theories of the '50s interpreted by the '80s? The greater pessimism of this version?
6. The plausibility of the plot: the focus on Rhoda and her behaviour, her heritage? her criminal behaviour? The bypassing in Christine s generation?
7. Rachel and her appearance, age, seen as perfect? Good impressions? Her love for her mother? Her manoeuvring her mother? Monica and her husband and spoiling her? Leroy and his presence, sinister attitude and suspicions? The story of the medal, the dramatising of it, the beach, Rachel and her attack on Claude, killing him? Her callous behaviour afterwards? Concealing the truth? The concern of the school? Her lies? Monica and the outings? Leroy and his suspicions, taunting her, threatening her, trying to make her afraid? Killing him? The dramatising of the early murder and the woman in the ice? Her mother and her trying to cope with her, desperation, the pills and killing her? The heredity theory?
8. Christine, trying to cope, relationships, love for her father, dependence on him, her finding out the truth? The adoption? Her criminal mother? Her concern about the theories? Discussions with Monica? Friendship with her? The picnic, her reaction to the little boy's death, finding the medal? suspicions about her daughter, yet her love for her? The lies? Her father and the truth? Phone calls? Leroy's death? kill her daughter, killing her, shooting herself?
9. The little boy and his death, Rachel's cruelty? The children, the teachers and their concern, parents?
10. Monica and her garrulous style, friendship, love for Rachel, care for Christine? her husband?
11. Leroy's presence around the house, sleazy, suspicions of Rachel, interrogating and taunting her, his violent death?
12. The grandfather, his concern, the truth and his reluctance to tell it?
13. Themes of death, cruelty? Motivation? Blame? Christine's decision to end her daughter's life? Audience concern about psychopathic behaviour?
