MASK

US, 1985, 127 minutes, Colour.
Cher, Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliot, Laura Dern.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

Mask was a popular and critical success. Peter Bogdanovich, director of such films as What's Up, Doc? and Paper Moon, moves to a compassionate portrait of a 16 year old with a head deformity, Rocky Dennis says he is normal but looks weird. The film immediately reminds audiences of The Elephant Man.

The film is set in California in 1979?80 and has the gloss of that state. The setting is a bikie gang ? Rocky's mother Rusty, played by Cher in her Cannes Film Festival Award winning role, is a member of a gang. This gives the film a somewhat unrealistic air (the bikies are all very amiable). But the film shows Rocky at school and at a camp for the blind. On the whole, while much of the material is contrived, it avoids sentimentality, and elicits much feeling and compassion from its audience. Eric Stoltz is excellent as Rocky.

The film has a great deal to say to the wide audience.

1. The popularity of the film, its acclaim, awards?

2. Audience emotional response? Understanding? The American style and tone of the film? Universal impact?

3. The impact of its being a true story? Reality and unreality? Persuasive?

4. California in the '70s and 80s: the opening panorama of California, highways, traffic, the city? The bikie world? ordinary suburbia, the school, camp? Familiar settings ? for probing problem issues?

5. The title and its references to Rocky's face, its use throughout the film - especially as insult? A hurting experience for Rocky and his coping with it? His saying he was normal but looked weird? The film providing scientific and medical information about the disability, its cause, effects? The possibility of help or not e.g. plastic surgery? The effects on the victim? Ability to cope?

6. The introduction to Rocky - his name, Roy, and his habit of rocking? The first appearances, ordinary, the revelation of his face? His going to the headmaster and the effect on the people in the school, their manners, manner? Going to the doctor, the friendly nurse, the measurement of his face? The discussion of the symptoms and causes with the doctor? The pompous doctor and Rocky's knowledge of his life expectation? Going to school, the kids and their reaction? The less than warm welcome in the class in contrast in contrast to the welcome to the girl? Breaking the ice? Support of the teachers? Eric and his girlfriend becoming friendly with Rocky? Rocky helping people with studies? His telling of the Trojan War story and its acclaim? His watching the sports events? His achievement at school, intellectual capacity, success? The graduation and the awards? His potential future?

7. Life at home, relationship with his mother, her love, tensions, playing music, his posters, poetry? Their talking, her helping him to concentrate and get rid of his headaches? Yet their clashes, her not listening to the poem. continually going out, the drugs and his attitude? Gar and his support and friendship? The parties at home. the outings? Rocky as quiet, enjoying the bikies' company? Bike rides with Dozer? The infatuation with Eric's girlfriend, questions about sexuality? His mother bringing Lorrie for the night, their friendship, his courtesy, their discussions about depressions and happiness? The outing at the carnival with Gar? His grandparents' visit and going to the match? The headmaster offering the position as camp counsellor, his decision to go after the clash with his mother? Meeting Diana, infatuation, talk, sharing, colours, telling her the truth about his face? The reaction of her parents? His helping the kids? The group turning up to take him home, his mother off drugs? Ringing Diana and her parents blocking the calls? Going to see her? Ben as his friend, sharing hopes, the trip to Europe, the map with the pins? The breakdown of the friendship? Returning to school and reacting against the insults? The reconciliation with his mother, his quiet death?

8. The amiable bikies? Gar and his moving in and out, his style, tough, work, friendliness, support of Rocky, relationship with Rusty? The Blood Bank roughhouse? The bike riding? Tough attitudes? A sense of community? Dozer and his inability to talk but his congratulating Rocky? The going to the graduation, the parties at home? The women in the group, the men? Ben and the pressures of belonging to the group, wanting to return to his father?

9. Ben and his background, friendship with Rocky, the plan for the trip, his going back to Michigan and Rocky being hurt? Rusty looking on and letting them work out their friendship?

10. Eric and the people at school, their glamour, friendship, contrast with Rocky? Rocky transcending the suspicions of the class? Mr. Simms and his concern, support of Rocky? The sympathetic teachers? Camp authorities?

11. Diana and her beauty, blindness, the rapport between the two riding the horses, the discussions of colour, the feel of colour, the truth about Rocky's face and her feeling it, the reaction of her parents? The phone calls, the visit, the bond between the two? The dismayed girlfriend?

12. Rusty's parents and their visit, disapproval, the mother diplomatic and washing up, the father and his insults?

13. ordinary and extraordinary life? Ups and downs? The sweetness and warmth of Rocky's personality? The meaning of his life ? that it was better for him to have lived with his disability?