THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN
UK, 1969, 95 Minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr, Richard Attenborough, Leonard Frey, Laurence Harvey, Christopher Lee, Spike Milligan, Yul Brynner, Roman Polanski, Raquel Welch, Isabel Jeans, Wilfred Hyde Whyte.
Directed by Joseph Mc Grath.
The Middle Ages had community 'Feast of Fools' where all, lay and clerical, shared in days of satire and the ridiculing of life and all conventions. Large sections of today's communities would be reluctant to approve such festivals and would question their good taste. Hence, boisterous film satires are usually classified objectionable. This happened to The Magic Christian (a ship!), based on Terry Sothern's book. It is outlandish English ridiculing of the way we all sell and degrade ourselves for money. Naturally, there are heavy-handed lapses of taste. Many will find the finale hard to take, but by and large, the usual areas of sex and violence are ignored and greed and hypocrisy become the targets. There are some hilarious and scathing sequences with Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr using Paul McCartney's message: "If you want it, here it is; come and get it for it's going fast.' And people do. It is extravagant satire. If you enjoy satire, you will like this.
1. The reputation of the novel, of Terry Southern as an iconoclastic satirist? The reputation of the film? The indications of the title and the strange juxtaposition of words and ideas?
2. Audience expectations of a film version of Terry Southern's work, from the title? The satire, the stars?
3. The impact and importance of satire, black comedy and the ability to ridicule, to laugh humorously, to laugh at? How much truth is told in satire, even with exaggeration? Oblique insight into human situations via satire? How applicable is this theory to this film?
4. The satire was particularly British. what particular aspects of Britain were satisfyingly satirised? Was universal satire applicable?
5. The tone of the credits with the Beatles' song, the style with the indication of how to sing the words, the tone of the song, the indication of the theme of money and greed? How did this tie in with the final sequence of people getting into the vat for the money? The satire of money and greed as a framework for the rest of the episode?
6. The character of Guy Grand? The irony of his being a grand guy? What did Peter Sellers bring to the characterization? Guy Grand and his role in society as eccentric, a megalomania of devilment, his attitude towards money and power, his tilting at nobility, business, everyone? How is this embodied in portraying the initial search for a son? The irony of Ringo Starr playing his son? The satire on the romantic finding of a son and heir? Their plotting together? Setting a tone of expectation of the satire to follow?
7. The portrayal of big business, multinationals, power and control? The satire in the persons on the board meetings, the conduct of the board meetings, Guy Grand's control, the wheeler-dealing and the attacks on it? Guy Grand Junior going into the meetings? An example of the upsetting of the establishment?
8. The satire in the presentation of the Guy Grand family: the various types, sisters, at home, travelling? The skits on their behaviour, especially their reaction to television violence? what aspects of middle-class and upper class self satisfaction were being attacked?
9. Comment on the effectiveness of the episodes in which Guy Grand and his son attacked the establishment and pricked the balloons of pomposity
a) the theatre-going and the production of Hamlet, the humour and the good taste of Laurence Harvey's striptease during the soliloquy? The irony of Junior's comments on and knowledge of Shakespeare? What was being satirised as regards the theatre world, theatre audiences?
b) Guy Grand and his pretending to be the gourmet at the restaurant, the satire on snobbery and greediness?
c) the sequence at Sotheby's, the people that go to auctions, their motivations, the people that run auctions, eg. the satire with John Cleese and Patrick Cargill and their types? Greed and status?
d) the satire on the ordinary man in the street, Spike Milligan's traffic warden, his being able to be corrupted, eating of the traffic ticket?
e) the satire on the Oxford crew and being able to be bribed, the irony of Richard Attenborough being the coach? The battle that ensued and the corrupt motives of all concerned?
f) the train sequences and travelling in style, the satire on this kind of first class travelling?
g) the hunting in the country and the war games. the satire on war and people's callous attitudes to this kind of game-playing?
h) the dog show and the panther destroying the dogs? i) which other sequences and episodes were most effective and what were they satirising?
10. The build up of atmosphere to the building of the magic Christian and its launching? Guy Grand's motives of having the cruise? The portrayal of the ship and its luxury, the snobbery of the people going on board? The humour of the captain and his ho-ho-ho attitude, his drinking, everything being out of control and the bland reassurances? The glimpses of satire on the ship, eg. Raquel Welch and the slave galley, the various passengers, Christopher Lee as a vampire, Yul Brynner as female singer, Roman Polanski as passenger? The growing chaos and the fact that they voyaged nowhere?
11. The importance of the final sequence with the vat. the repugnance, the ingredients being poured in and mixed, Guy Grand and his son watching on with content, the scattering of the money, the tentative approaches of people, their sinking of their pride for greed? What was the audience left with at the end?
12. The enjoyment and comedy value? The satiric barbs? Momentary effect? Permanent effect?
