TOWN WITHOUT PITY.

US, 1961, 105 minutes, Black and white.
Kirk Douglas, Barbara Rutting, Christine Kaufmann, E.G. Marshall, Robert Blake, Richard Jaeckel.
Directed by Gottfried Reinhardt.

Town Without Pity was directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, a German director who made only thirteen films but made several in Hollywood including Invitation, segments of The Story of Three Loves and the war film, Betrayed, with Clark Gable and Lana Turner. He also made the comedy with Alec Guinness and Robert Redford, Situation Hopeless … But Not Serious.

The film is rather grim in theme and tone. It focuses on American forces still stationed in Germany at the beginning of the 1960s. Four young soldiers are accused of raping a local girl. The town is without pity, wanting vengeance on the Americans. They are played by amongst others, Robert Blake and Richard Jaeckel.

At the centre of the film is Kirk Douglas, playing the major who is assigned to defend the soldiers. Apart from coping with the vengeful hostility of the townspeople, the victims’ parents, he has some compassion for the victim. Her behaviour was ambiguous, but she deserves proper defence – rather than his putting her on the stand to ensure the freedom of his clients.

Christine Kaufmann, who had a long career in German cinema as a child actress from the 1950s until the beginning of the 21st century, plays the girl. (She had after this a brief marriage to Tony Curtis.)

The film was in black and white, focuses on courtroom styles, the psychology of cross-examination, the issue of men and their sexual violence towards women, the protection of the victims, as well as anti-American hostility after World War Two.

The theme song, Town Without Pity, by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, won a Golden Globe and was nominated for the Oscar for best song (missing out to Moon River).

1. How interesting a film was this? From the human interest, social interest, American background in Europe? What was its main impact?

2. The background of this film in the early 60's when it was made? The reputation and status of America then and now? Audience response to this kind of film now?

3. Comment on the use of black and white photography, German locations, the importance of the background song and its recurrence during the film, the use of music? Appropriate or not?

4. How effective was the device of the lady journalist's commentary? Was it a successful technique for audience involvement in this film? Was it well carried out?

5. The importance of the audience seeing the crime in itself, with its circumstances, before the trial began? what was the impact on audiences? Where did sympathies lie? Were sympathies all with Karen and against the soldiers? Why? Did the film slant the case for audiences?

6. How important a theme for the film was the nature of consequences? The lies that Karen told, the moral standards of the town, the attitudes and hardness of parents, Frank's mother protecting him, the nature of the town, its smallness, small-mindedness, puritanical attitudes? The effect of these things on people's behavior and consequences wider than anticipated? Did this theme come through strongly enough?

7. The impact of the four soldiers? Was their motivation well explored? Or was it merely taken for granted? The audience observers at their trial? The importance of Jim Larkin as being neurotic; his putting the shirt over Karen, his protesting and pleading guilty, his suicide attempt, his response to the psychiatrist? The attitude of the people towards these Americans? The place in the trial, the nature of their ultimate punishment? As symbols for American hatred, as symbols for American support? The reality of the death penalty for the men?

8. How important was the death penalty as theme for the film? Did the death penalty for this crime seem too much? The heavy emphasis given by the mayor, Karen's father, the American soldiers? The drama given to the trial by the American officers? The importance of the discussions by Garrett and the lady journalist? The balance of Karen's life against the men's life? Was this issue made clear and telling?

9. The function of the town itself in the film; the selfishness, hardness, the resentment, the class differences, the sneering, the smears, the scandal, the role of justice? The lady journalist to from the Globus reflecting this? The portrayal of the town's curiosity during the trial? The attendance, the chatter, and laughter? The non-attendance when Karen was not there? What judgement did the film make on the town? The meaning of the title?

10. The importance of Garrett as the central character for the film; Kirk Douglas' style, his doing a job, his legal abilities, as a sane man looking at the situation, his relationship with the four soldiers, with the lady journalist, with Karen's parents, with Karen? The quality of his investigations, his visiting the river? His knowledge of the truth? His role as a lawyer to defend, legally, the four men, and protect their rights? His human values? The importance of the sequence where he was drunk? His wanting to help Karen's parents and their refusal? His wanting to help Keren? The impact of his brutality towards her in the courtroom? The responsibility on her soldiers for her death? His disgust with the whole proceedings? How did the audience view the proceeding through his eyes?

11. Audience response to Karen and the changes during the film? Sympathy, how much was she to blame for the events, the fact that she was young, preoccupied with relationships and sex? The quality of her lies to her parents? The badgering she got from her parents? The father and his sense of position in the town? Her facing the people in the court? The gradual knowledge of how she had behaved e.g. the exercises at the window? Audience sympathy at her collapse? The hostility of the town and her parents? The chance of the escape? Was her death inevitable? Audience response to this? Who was responsible for her death and why?

12. The character of Frank? His relationship with Karen, his protecting her and himself in the court, his helping her to escape and making a decision? His reaction Mrs Garrett? The hold his mother had on him?

13. The importance of Ackerman and his conduct of the prosecution? Was it just? Legally accurate? Could he be blamed in any way for his conduct of the case?

14. The importance for the theme of the town of the man watching Karen at the window? The class resentment?

15. Garrett's use of the gossip and her malice? What was audience response to legal procedure and the effect that this has on people's lives?

16. How grim a view of life was this? Was it realistic?

17. How successful was the film in what it set out to do? Could it have been better? How?