THE BLOCKHOUSE
UK, 1973, 93 minutes (director’s cut 108 minutes), Colour.
Peter Sellers, Charles Aznavour, Jeremy Kemp, Per Oscarsson, Peter Vaughan, Nicholas Jones, Leon Lissek.
Directed by Clive Rees.
The Blockhouse had a very unfortunate film history. The director found it difficult to get a budget for the film, when it was released many scenes were cut – and the film was virtually put on a shelf. However, it did appear in competition in the Berlin film festival of 1973. A VHS was released in the 1980s – but in a very cut version so there has been very little access to the film.
The film boasts a strong cast with Peter Sellers in a very serious role. The focus is on a group of men in a blockhouse, with the horror atmosphere of being buried alive, the darkness, nerves, the waiting for D-Day? – with the bombings and cave-ins.
The theme, being very serious, did not fit the sensibilities of the 1970s. Given the range of films about World War Two and these kinds of disasters in more recent decades, it will be interesting to view The Blockhouse again. Perhaps it was ahead of its time.
1. What was the ultimate impact of this film? Was it meant to be entertaining? Why was it made?
2. Was it a successful film? According to its purpose? For informing and moving audiences? What was the main audience response to it? Why?
3. Were the events in the film credible? How important was the fear of burial alive and audience response to this? How important the need for living? How important the fact that this story was true and that the final two survived in darkness for four years? The impact of this?
4. What techniques of horror film did this film use? The burial alive, the darkness, the interaction and wearing of nerves etc.? Was it made human by the events of the war, the need for survival, the interaction of the men?
5. How well did the film establish the reality of D- Day - the raids, the men at work, the men running, the need for survival and escape? How did this give a setting to the film? Effectively?
6. How ironic was the illusion of safety as they ran for the blockhouse? Would ordinary people have done this? The irony of it turning into a prison? The bombings and cave-ins etc.? The sense of menace? How did this get through to the men themselves?
7. How important was the physical set-up of the blockhouse itself, the amount of supplies, the drink, the candles, the air and space? Was it credible that men could have survived?
8. Did the film differentiate well amongst the different characters? What impact did they make in themselves? Should the film have explored their background more? Would this have made the film different? What impact did each make? The teacher and civilization, his wearing away, making peace, the quiet dignity of his suicide? The man who continued to eat? The man continually wanting to dig his way out? The authoritarian man who didn't want to steal what did not belong to him and his quickly going mad and dying? The two men and the growing affection, and one killing the other? The little man who seemed to survive all the time?
9. How well did the film show the inter-reactions between the men – good nature, fear, nerves, reading, eating, withering away?
10. The importance of the sequence with the joke and the race? The importance of the celebration of Christmas?
11. How was death communicated in this film? The horror of death?
12. What was audience response to the final message and darkness with the two men alone? The fact that they lived on for four years?
13. What insight into human nature did this film give? Into the nature of man and his survival? Into his withering away and death? His resources and lack of resources?
