CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

UK, 1968, 145 Minutes, Colour.
Dick van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Frobe, Anna Quayle, Benny Hill, James Robertson Justice, Robert Helpmann.
Directed by Ken Hughes.

Adults enjoy films designed especially for children if they see them in a theatre full of children. The obvious over-acting, the repetition, the unsubtle psychology, the predictable episodes, the age-old horse play are aimed at the children who love it. After Mary Poppins and Doctor Doolittle which can only be appreciated when seen with children, comes the greatest car on land, sea or air, Chitty- Chitty Bang- Bang. Inventions (a machine to cook and serve bacon and eggs while you sit and wait), magic, castles, an eccentric grandfather who goes into his hut which can be Africa, Alaska or where he wants, a battle where children overcome the Baron's court, a yarn by Ian Fleming, wonderful use of the serial technique for intermission - they're all there. One of the better films for children.

1. Was this an enjoyable film? For what ages? For adult enjoyment? Why would children delight in it?

2. Was it an enjoyable comedy? Funny? What were the best characteristics of its comedy?

3. How good an adventure was it? A fantasy adventure, but with conflicts and danger? Heroism and happy ending?

4. Was it attractive because it was about a family? Was the family attractive? Why? Could children identify with it?

5. How important was the car in the film? How do cars, especially vintage cars, appeal to modern audiences? Did the film use this well?

6. Comment on the British setting, British manners, Edwardian atmosphere, and transferring from an Edwardian atmosphere to a European fantasy land. How did this give an atmosphere to the film?

7. why was Caractacus Potts so attractive? The personality of Dick van Dyke? As a father? As an inventor? As poor? Did you like Grandfather? Why was he so eccentric? What characteristics of the British was he satirising? His going on his expeditions? His love for the grandchildren? How attractive were the children?

8. Was Truly Scrumptious an attractive heroine? The importance of her encounters with the family? Her having a car? The bond that the car made? The fact that her father owned a sweets factory? The attraction for a children's audience of the sweets and the factory? Did you like Truly's father? Why?

9. How important were the songs in the film? The title song itself and the atmosphere of the car? The Husha Bye and Lullaby songs? The songs between Caractacus and Truly? The toot sweet song at the factory? Would the film have been different without the songs? Better without the songs? Why?

10. How did Chitty Chitty Bang Bang become a character in the film? What kind of personality did the car have? The sequences where it was being built by Caractacus and the anticipation of the children? Truly's joining them and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in going for the picnic etc.? The fact then that the car entered into the fantasy story and flew through the air, etc.? How important was this for engrossing the audience?

11. How skilfully done was the introduction of the fantasy story? The transition from the picnic and the enjoyment to the story element with the King of Vulgaria arriving by ship etc.? Comment on the dramatic value of the intermission with the car going over the cliff? How important and exciting was this?

12. What was your opinion of the King of Vulgaria? The fact that he wanted to steal the car? That he was jealous of flight? His vices and pampering of himself? His pampering of the queen?

13. What was your reaction to the Kingdom of Vulgaria? That it looked so beautiful? The castle and the scenery? Yet the people within it? The king as a big child? The queen as a kind of a witch? The fact that there were no children? That toys were banned? How would children respond to this situation? (In contrast with an adult's view?)

14. What were your impressions of the people in Vulgaria? The horror of the child-catcher and his abducting the children? His hatred of children? The toymaker and his attraction for the children? His help towards Caractacus and Truly?

15. The party sequence: how extravagant? How delightful for a children's audience? The use of colour and the use of the decor for this sequence? The contrast with the children underground? The importance of the fight in this setting? The reaction of the king and the queen with the child-catcher? Truly as a doll and the coming alive of the dolls? was this an important clash and conflict for the film?

16. Were you glad when all was happy at the ending? What had they all learnt by the story that Caractacus told? Was it a satisfying, happy ending with prospects for the future? Was this a good children's film? Or not?