MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN

UK, 1979, 120 minutes, Colour.
Gregoire Aslan, Martin Benson, Colin Blakely, Terence Stamp, Roger Lloyd Pack, Marius Goring, Athol Fugard, Warren Mitchell.
Directed by Peter Brook.

N. Gurdjieff has made some impact as a searcher for the meaning of life. Peter Brook's adaptation of Gurdjieff's partly autobiographical book invites audiences to get to know him and appreciate the style and significance of his search. Beautifully filmed in Afghanistan (the photography is a constant and striking pleasure), the film has an impressive opening with the adolescent Gurdjieff. As he moves on his search in Persia, Egypt and the Gobi Desert and Tibet, it becomes more solemn (at times portentous in its utterances) and exotic, especially in its presentation of a universal brotherhood and its asceticism and song and dance movement. A beautiful, reflective (even if not entirely persuasive) experience.

1. The impact of the film? As a film, as a portrait of Gurdjieff, as a film about the philosophy of life, the experience of truth and religion? The philosophical and religious viewpoints? How were these communicated cinematically? A good example of the visual and aural communication of philosophy and the search for truth?

2. The personality of Gurdjeff: his reputation, his books, his work in France, the significance of his background, the nature of his search? What did he discover? What did he have to offer 20th century people? The filmed version of his book - its episodic nature, the cumulative effect of the episodes? The proportion of the episodes? The film as part biography, part study?

3. The technical qualities of the film? Peter Brook and his cinema and stage background? An intellectual investigating the truth and trying to find cinematic images to communicate the search? The quality of the colour photography, the Afghanistan opening, the use of Afghanistan locations? The mountains, desert, towns? How well did the film create the atmosphere of Russia, of the East? The significance of the musical score? Background? Music used in Gurdjieff's search? The quality of the editing and pace - the length of the shots of people, landscapes? The audience being immersed in the landscapes and the events? The close scrutiny of the characters at length? The effect of making the audience work at its response to being confronted with the images?

4. The film's re-creation of the early 20th. century? The vast extent of Russia? The Caucuses and the people who lived there? A blend of East and West? European heritage, eastern location and atmosphere? The contribution to Gurdjieff's upbringing? His journeys, Egypt, the Gobi Desert. Tibet? The partly primitive background from which he came, the emergence of machines, education in the 20th. century? Gurdjieff seen as a man bridging cultures, bridging times, representing the developments of the century?

5. What does the film have to offer on Gurdjieff: his character and personality, the explanation of his background and its visualising, the significance and nature of his search, the quality of his experience, the source for his questions and answers? The remarkable men that he encountered? Audience curiosity about him, search for information? The possibilities of following his ways? Discipleship? Gurdjieff as a symbol of 20th century human search for the meaning of life, the meaning of human nature?

6. The impact of the opening episode: the long credit sequence, the mountains and their beauty, desert mountains? Land and sky? The gathering of the local people? The competition for the music and sound and echo? The focus on the faces of the crowd? Their gathering, their respectful listening, their respect for the judges? The contestants and their making music? The wonder of the winner? Young Gurdjieff and his fascination and wonder? His father's presence and comments? The change of pace in the school sequences, the home sequences? Young Gurdjieff's friends, fights, the attraction towards the girl in the town square? Jealousies? The duel? The young students going to the cannon field? The risk of death? The injury of the other partner? The e effect on Gurdjieff and his wonder about death? His father's work, wisdom ? comments on life and the soul? These sequences as a tribute to Gurdjieff's father?

7. The transition to the adult Gurdjieff? His work in the railways? The group to which he belonged, the varying personalities? The woman in the group? Their search? The manuscripts ? and their painting the bird and selling him to gain the money? The searching for news of the brotherhood? Their disappointment in the texts?

8. The young monk and his befriending Gurdjieff? His discussions about relig~ ion and being unworthy? Gurdjieff's reflections on religion, priesthood? Their orthodox upbringing? Sharing their friendship? Their search for the maps, manuscripts? Their going to Egypt ? and the former monk deciding not to go on with the search but to continue his study of machines?

9. The visit to the monk in the monastery, his map and the story of the prince tracing it and giving money, GurdjieffIs? tracing the map?

10. The visit to Egypt, the fascination with the land? The wise men? The encounter with the archeologist? The meeting with the prince and discovering him to be the man with the map? The prince and the story of his search for truth? His guiding Gurdjieff to the various masters? The sequences of the visits to the dervishes? The discussions about exercises, breathing, prayer and reflection? The style of the masters and their disciples? The eastern manner of discipleship?

11. Terence Stamp's character portrayal of the prince? A man of melancholy, search and dignity? The possibilities of his life? His sense of failure? His continued search, friendship with Gurdjieff? The opportunity for peace and his accepting it?

12. The wide range of wise men in Egypt and their influence on Gurdjieff? Their not satisfying him?

13. The build-up to the expedition to the Gobi Desert? The archeologist and his influence? Gurdjieff's decision to go, his gathering his group tog~ ether? The joy of their meeting one another again? The zest for the common search? The preparations for the journey through the desert, the difficulties, the winds ? and the use of the stilts to breathe? The camels? The end of the expedition and the sense of failure? The group going back? The archeologist going on with Gurdjieff?

14. The significance of the remote monastery, the Italian friar and his wisdom? His explanations of search to Gurdjieff? The brotherhood? The community in which he lived, the good that he did? The archeologist finding his place there?

15. Gurdjieff's long journey to Tibet, the difficulties of the journey, endurance and hardships? The arrival at the monastery? The remoteness of the monastery, its search for the truth? The head of the monastery and his insight into Gurdjieff's character? The discovery of the prince and the renewal of friendship, the tour of the monastery and the long presentation of singing, dancing, movements? The invitation to Gurdjieff to discover what was most helpful to himself?

16. The long presentation of the exercises, dances and music of the monastery? The significance of the movements? The possibility of self-discovery by going inside oneself through the help of these mans? The exotic style? Colourful? The choreography, the discipline and training?

17. The atmosphere of the East and its traditions for self-knowledge? Their relevance for 20th century people? Gurdjieff and the eclectic nature of his search? The significance of the title of the film and Gurdjieff's memoirs of his experience? The significance of Gurdjieff's questions, the significance of his answers, teaching?