A BOY AND HIS DOG

US, 1975, 87 minutes, Colour.
Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Jason Robards, Marsha Hunt.
Directed by L. Q. Jones.

A Boy and His Dog is not the entertaining children's fable that the title indicates. However it takes this basic theme but uses it for a futuristic science fiction story with some brutality - it is reminiscent of such films of the future as Soylent Green or The Ultimate Warrior where societies have become decadent and there is mere fight for survival.

Don Johnson who appeared in Zachariah is on the surface of the Earth trying to survive with starving gangs. He is enticed to a world below the surface which relives an old American past with the presentation of American traditions but with its taking over of individuals is as cruel and as ruthless in its gentility as the savage world above. The film is a parable about survival in a savage world. There is the humorous and finally ironic device of having the dog be a character who communicates with his master. His name, not insignificantly, is Blood.

Jason Robards leads the supporting cast as the head of the civilisation under the Earth. Direction is by L. O. Jones, usually an actor of villainous parts in films by Sam Peckinpah and other western directors.

1. Audience expectations from the title and its tone? The family story overtone and the ironic use of the title? Indication of the tone of the film?

2. The role of science fiction films? Speculation about the future, insight into the present? Future situations as a result from dangerous trends in the present? Insight into values, styles of society from imaginary future societies? The value of this film as science fiction?

3. What did this film say about the future of Earth? The world of the surface with its ugliness and violence and lawlessness, the craving for necessities of life? The contrast with the underworld, out of the sunshine, everything looking beautiful but with the same kind of violence and power struggles, violence and death? The comparison of the two worlds? Comment on our contemporary world? The technical impact of the film: Arizona locations, colour, Techniscope, the atmosphere of the desert, the marauding bands, the squalor, the poverty and food, the films, the rape and killing, the filth? The presentation of the machinery and technology of the underworld, the throw-back to the American past and middle-class values, patriotism, sweetness and light - homeliness - with the sinister reality of robots?

4. The audience response to the gimmick of Blood the dog and his talking? The wry comments that he made about human nature, the situation? The parallel with human understanding and feelings? The tone of voice? The ribald comments, very direct, brusque? A counterpoint to the sentiments of Vic and his animal feelings? How human was Blood? How good a friend? The theme of the dog being man's best friend? His guidance, insight and instinct, seeing more than man, helping him? Jealous of other human friendship, detecting evil? Devoted to his friend and waiting for him at the end? The irony of the way that Vic and Blood bonded their friendship with the death of the girl?

5. The survival of Vic and Blood in this ugly world? Where did Vie come from, how did he grow up, his being a loner, an individualist? The background of his friendship with Blood, learning to communicate with him? The combination of human and animal for surviving? Finding food, escaping violence? The irony of Vic's experience in the lower world and Blood's waiting for him and their going on stronger to survive on the surface?

6. Vic representing the ordinary limited human being? The fact that he had survived? The initial battle and the ugliness of the tableaux of death? Vic as the loner and not committing himself to others? Seeing his life within the history of the destruction of civilisation? The ironic background of human nature destroying itself? Vic's way of talking, his view of life, scavenging, stealing, doing deals, preoccupied with sex? His going to see the films and trading? His fascination with the girl? His initial instinct to rape her? What stopped him? Feelings of tenderness, her femininity changing him? (And the irony that this was calculated and that he was understood like this by the committee?) His protecting her during the raid?

7. The contrast with the people surviving on the surface, bands and their killing, shooting, raping? The importance of the visuals? The slave labour sequence and Vic's robbing them of food? The ignorant man who could not read taking the supplies for the films? The nature of the films and their semi-pornography? The people watching them and the way they watched them? The only recreation in this ugly world?
The hold of the girl over Vic? Their exchanging names, history? Her making him more gentle? Blood's ironic comments - seeming harsh but actually true? Their involvement in the fight and Blood fighting the hostile dog and being wounded? The background to Vic's decision to go with the girl? How much of it was his decision and how much determined by programming? Blood's reaction but his deciding to wait for Vic to return if he did it within a reasonable time? The entry into the new world - an underworld of literal darkness with artificial light, climbing down ladders into the bowels of the earth, the machines and technology, the technological contrast with the surface? The elaborate world, the apple-pie look and sound of old-fashioned America? The various details such as streets and houses, dress, competition for cooking, the band and its patriotism?

8. The testing of Vic for this world - the washing sequence, dressing him in overalls and shirt etc? Vic's instinctive reactions which were contrary to the behaviour of the underworld?

9. The portrayal of the committee - in action: their genteel American look, the homely way of acting and talking, the committee head and his having a snack during the meeting, yet the ruthlessness with that of the surface? The cases that they heard and the crimes, the punishments and the deaths - and the visualising of these later? The importance of the girl and her being used by the committee, her rebelliousness?

10. The portrait of an ambitious girl? Her becoming one of the brides, her decision to save Vic for herself, when the committee threatened her, her changing of attitudes, helping him to escape and the lies that she told, did the audience agree with Vic's killing her and feeding her to Blood? The realism of this and its ugliness, the symbolism?

11. The committee's purpose in having Vic for inseminating the women? His reaction to this and the clinical nature of the insemination? The artificiality of the marriage ceremony? The brides? This portrait of the underworld with its law, violence, artificial sexuality? The appearances of cleanliness and order yet covering the baser instincts of human nature?

12. Michael as the robot and his violence in killing the rebels? Their getting a new Michael from the store room?

13. Audience response to Vic's escape, the welcoming of the individual's survival in the harsh world of the surface? Would the girl have any future there? Was it better for her to be killed? Blood and his waiting, his ironic comments about being hungry, the final images of Blood and Vic going off chatting happily about the girl?

16. The moral of this film in terms of science fiction portrayal, ethical values and systems?