BOOM

US, 1968, 113 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Noel Coward, Joanna Shimkus, Michael Dunn, Romolo Valli.
Directed by Joseph Losey.

Boom is based on the play The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore by Tennessee Williams. It is an eccentric story of a woman living on an island in the Mediterranean, Sissy Goforth, played by Elizabeth Taylor, who is dictating her memoirs and having injections to keep her alive. A strange character, nicknamed the Angel of Death, turns up on the island. He appears just when elderly women are going to die. He is played by Richard Burton. One of the flamboyant neighbours who comes to meals at the villa is the Witch of Capri played by Coward himself.

The film was criticised at the time as being partly incomprehensible, a camp version of Tennessee Williams’ plays, a strange vehicle for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. However, some people consider it a camp masterpiece.

The film was directed by Joseph Losey who had had a successful career in the United States in the 1940s especially with such films as The Boy With Green Hair and The Prowler and M. A victim of the blacklisting, he moved to the United Kingdom and made films under pseudonyms including The Sleeping Tiger and The Intimate Stranger. However, he kept making films in the UK using his own name from the mid-50s. He had great success in the 1960s with a series of films including The Damned, The Servant, King and Country, Modesty Blaise and Accident. He then made Boom and Secret Ceremony with Elizabeth Taylor. He had a mixed career during the 70s and 80s, sometimes working in England, sometimes working in France. He made a film version of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in 1979. His last film was Steaming based on the Nell Dunn play starring Vanessa Redgrave and Diana Dors.

1. 'What was the ultimate impact of this film? was it interesting and did it sustain interest? Was it easy to suspend disbelief in the characters and themes of this film?

2. The impact and meaning of the title? Boom and its sound, explosion, the waves on the shore (visual aspect of this, moments passing, life and death? The number of times it was spoken by Chris? The production name was ‘GoForth’, how appropriate was this for the film and its theme of death? Williams' original title was The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore’. Chris and the drinking of milk, ‘Go Forth’, saying of this sentence? With reference to death?

3. Was it obvious that this film was based on a stage play? The nature and quality of the dialogue? The limited sets - the sea and the house? The opening out of these sets for film purposes? The Italian background? The outdoor location, sea and sky? The decor of the house and its modern aspects? The animals? The sounds and the music?

4. Audience response to wealth and rich decadence? To jaded rich people and the jet set? To their happiness and unhappiness? The style of life of the rich-idol, preoccupation with self, hypochondria, bitchiness? how appropriate was this setting for the film?

5. The importance of the theme of death, quality of life, especially of Cissy to go forth? The discussion of moments and memories and their passing? The search for the meaning of life - as an introduction to GoForth’s? chapter? The achievement of life? The wealth cannot be taken into death? The nature of fear and death, panic? Go Forth’s panic on heights? The boom of death? Inviting death and needing someone to help the person through death?

6. The angel of death theme? the conventions that we use to communicate it – coming out of the sea, climbing the mountain, confronting the dog guarding the palace, the title of the film, the dress and the sword? The musical overtones of death, fascinating and repellent? People needing the angel of death? Greek mythology of guides through death? The Christian references to last judgment and the gospel overtones? The angel of death’s Hindu story about helping the old man to die? The angel of death bringing God to Cissy Goforth? The angel of death poured into the sea with jewellery? How well integrated into the film were these themes of the angel of death?

7. Madame Goforth - a typical, rich and modern woman? The importance of her wealth, her interest and self pity, hypochondria and nerves, dependence on drugs, place in society? A twentieth century woman, dying, pain and fear, her bitchiness, her loneliness and waiting to be alone? Her background of husbands, her wanting a lover? The device of her telling her memoires? Having a bodyguard, whether she wanted the truth or not? The talk of memories or moments? Her cynicism? Her final facing of death? Her being absorbed in the sea? Elizabeth Taylor’s style, fashions and jewels? make-up? surface respectability and real coarseness? Her interaction with all the characters?

8. The character of Christopher Flanders as distinct from the angel of death? Richard Burton and his stage style? A poet? His love for Blackie? Being chased by the witch of Capri? By being battered by Rudy and the dogs? How real as a person and his final cynical smile? How well integrated was the real character of Christopher Flanders with his symbolism as the angel of death?

9. The function of the witch of Capri in the film? Jet set tone? One of the beautiful people? cynical, smart, a man of the world, tormenting others? The homosexual overtones, his being carried in on the shoulders? Bird noises? His proposal to Flanders? How appropriate was the portrayal and how did it affect the mood of the film? As portrayed by Noel Coward?

10. How real was the character of Blackie? How normal did she seem in comparison with everyone? From a different class of poverty, abused, a widow? Her different experiences from the others? Her emotions? Reactions to Mrs Goforth? The place getting on her nerves, her sympathy for Flanders and the dogs? The dictation and its style throughout the house? The effect for Rider's love for her? Her change of appearance and dress? The significance of her final abuse of Mrs Goforth? Her presence at the end?

11. The role of the doctor and their experiments? Mrs Goforth pushing the machine over the cliff?

12. The oddness of Rudy as a dwarf bodyguard? His brutality? The dogs?

13. The death of Mrs Goforth, her being robbed of her jewels? Being liberated from wealth? Being absorbed into the sea?

14. How seriously was this film meant to be taken? Did it seem to be too arty for full impact? How well was the drama integrated into the themes? The use of symbols, Italy, an island, of memories, of jewels? The transition from comedy tones to serious tones?

15. Was this film a cinematic success?