MAGIC

US, 1978, 107 Minutes, Colour.
Anthony Hopkins, Ann Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter.
Directed by Richard Attenborough.

Magic is the story of the ventriloquist who so identifies with his dummy that he no longer controls it is not original but is always dramatically interesting and psychologically fascinating, a man dialoguing with the shadow side of his personality. Anthony Hopkins portrays Corky and his dummy Fats so well, especially in a scene where he shows he cannot function without his dummy conversing with him, that he keep the interest in this offbeat story of conventional triangle romance and murder. Too leisurely for the intense crime/horror it might have been, the film has its eerie moments, especially in the bawdy/violent conversations. Ann Margret and Burgess Meredith are both impressive. Unusual.

Magic and Anthony Hopkins' performance invite comparison with the classic performance by Michael Redgrave as the ventriloquist in Cavalcanti's Dead of Night.

1. The focus of the title, its impact? The explanation of magic, especially on the part of the magician and his sleight of hand, the eyes of the observers and what is noticed and not noticed? The appeal and fantasy of magic? The power of magic? Corky and his explanations of magic? Black and white magic? The difference between magic and tricks?

2. The old story of the identification of ventriloquist and dummy? How well was this old story used? Dramatised, the comedy aspects, the psychology? Transferred into the realm of romance, of the thriller, of the psychotic murder story? How well did each of these ingredients blend? The film was criticised strongly for being flat, lacking direction flair. Were these criticisms justified?

3. The irony of the romantic themes? Corky and his shyness, his relying on Fats? Peggy Ann and her liking for Corky? Duke and his brutality? The irony of their knowing one another when they were at school, growing older? The basic triangle theme and its presentation and use? The triangle theme with its murderous tones? Romance, shyness, compensation? The love as a possibility for the redemption and change of Corky, of Peggy Ann?

4. The film tradition of the psychotic schizophrenic murderer? The precedents and audience expectations? The dramatisation of psychotic behaviour? The use of the ventriloquist and dummy to illustrate symbolically and realistically the reality of the split personality? The questions of personality, control, responsibility? Who is it that acts? Fats seeming to act and his finally laying the blame on Corky and explaining it was his responsibility?

5. The importance of the ventriloquist's dummy? Made of wood, lifeless, artificial, painted? Yet it coming to life and having a personality of its own? An extension, alter ego of the ventriloquist? The lifeless being, alive? Fats and his looking like Corky? His manner of speaking? The way the film photographed the two of them together as two aspects of the one person? The irony of the symbol at the end of the wooden heart and its relationship to both Corky and Fats? The gift to Peggy Ann? The symbol of a lifeless heart? Its being visualised at the end?

6. The basic psychological themes of the ventriloquist and dummy: the dummy as the shadow figure of the person, the compensation, the vulgarity, crudeness, language, sexuality, violence, intelligence, control? Fats as an important extension and compensation for Corky who was so shy and fearful? The indications of the possibility of integrating personality? The feminine role and Corky's being influence by Peggy Ann? The possibility of his being healed and becoming a whole person? The power of Fats and his taking over and dominating? Only leaving control when he was about to die?

7. The personality of Corky ? as revealed in the introduction? His relationship with his teacher ? Merlin, with the magic overtones? His reporting back to Merlin and his words belying the reality shown us in the flashbacks? The humiliation of his failure, the significance of his lies as indicating the split in his personality? The insight into Corky that the audience had? How well did Corky understand his failure and his reporting this to Merlin? The tone of what was to follow?

8. How well did the film make the transition to his success? Showing this to us through the eyes of Harry and the invitation to the television executive? Harry and his smooth and smug confidence? The executive and his boredom? Corky and the audience fearing that he would repeat his failure performance? The sudden arrival of Fats, its unexpectedness, the language, the personality and the success of the magic tricks? What need did Corky have for Fats for success? The build-up to the question of contracts, Corky wanting to fulfil them, the problem of the medical test and the crisis that it made?

9. Burgess Meredith's performance as Harry? The embodiment of the American entrepreneur, his style, manner, clothes, car and his devotion to it? A tough man, the bond with Corky, the promise of the meal? The long negotiations with the executives? The importance of the medical test and Harry's suspicions? His response to Corky's escape? His deciding to visit, taking a tough line? The inevitability of his death? The ugliness and violence of his death, the shock value of its slowness and the audience thinking that he was dead when he was not? The irony and ludicrous aspects of his body being in the river, the fishing hook and then the ironic discovery of his body on the shore? The questions of his car? A rounded characterization as well as the contribution to the thriller plot?

10. Corky and his response to success, the build-up of his fears? His escaping to the country, the explanation of himself to the taxi driver? The first encounter with Peggy Ann and their both thinking they were not recognised? The link with Peggy Ann, the memories, the stories? His falling in love? The importance of the consummation and Fats being present? The audience's ambiguous attitude in its response to Corky with Peggy Ann and Fats and his jealousy? The repercussions for Corky and the possibility of his running away with Peggy Ann and succeeding in life? The repercussions on her to make a decision about her marriage, her emotions, affirming Corky? The repercussions of Fats and his growing jealousy and violence? The shadow side of Corky that could not accept the integration of healing and fought against it? The repercussion for Duke and the inevitability of his death?

11. Ann Margret's portrayal of Peggy? Her place in the motel, her life up to middle-age, her worn aspects, her warm personality? The shared experience and memories with Corky? Her falling in love with him? The decisions? Her behaviour when Duke was present? Her not wanting to hurt him? Her decision to go and Fats revealing the trick and debasing her emotions? Her danger in being the murder victim? The symbolism of the wooden heart and Corky giving his life for her and for her to live?

12. The character of Duke, the build-up before his arrival, Peggy Ann's talking about him, his reputation at school, the years that she shared with him, his work and the lies about this? A jealous and violent man? Friendship with Corky? The fishing expedition and the effect on Corky, especially with the discovery of the body? The mounting tension during this? The suspicions of Duke and his examining his house, the inevitability of his death, the violence of Fats stabbing him? Corky's burying him?