COMING OUT OF THE ICE

US, 1982, 100 minutes, Colour.
John Savage, Willie Nelson, Francesca Annis, Ben Cross, Peter Vaughan.
Directed by Waris Hussein.

Coming Out of the Ice is the true story of American Victor Herman who went as a young man to Russia with his parents to help in factory-building programmes, became a sports hero and parachute-jumper, refused to become a Russian citizen and was interned and kept in the Soviet Union until 1976. The film shows something of the grim Stalinist days and the gulags.

John Savage is credible has Victor Herman? Francesca Annis has a small role as his loving wife. There are guest performances by English actors Ben Cross and Peter Vaughan.

The film has an anti-Russian, pro-American stance. It was directed by Waris Hussein, director of many interesting films and many interesting telemovies including Divorce His, Divorce Hers, Callie and Son.

1. The impact of this telemovie? Interest, entertainment? True story? Portrait of courage and suffering? U.S. vs. U.S.S.R

2. Detroit in the 1930s, Russia in the 1930s? The cold factory towns? Siberia and the gulags? The visuals, the feel of the Soviet Union? Atmospheric score?

3. The political stances of the film: the United States and the American dream, freedom? The Soviet Union and the Russian Revolution, nationalism, Stalinist suppression, torture and imprisonment?

4. The situation in 193), American Russians going to the USSR? The hope of the Hermans, Sam and his vision, belief in the Revolution, Rose and her regrets, her torment with the sounds of the Revolution, Victor and his hopes? Their arrival, work, accommodation? Victor and the invitation to participate in sport? Success? The Air Force, his record parachute jumps and his being acclaimed as a hero? Pressure on him to be a Soviet citizen, the temptation to lie? The crisis for him?

5. Sam and his beliefs, his clashes with his son, his wife's death and his blaming himself, her torment? Victor's reaction? Sam's helplessness in trying to get his son's release?

6. Victor and his stances, being requested to lie, the grim prison sequences, the interrogator and the torture, condemned to prison, the labour scenes? The friendship with Red and sharing ideas, philosophy? His eventual release, living in the town, his stance, refusal to sign documents? The barber and her friendship, the sexual encounter? Meeting Galina, her dancing, friendship, support, marriage, the child? Imprisonment, transfer, in the snow, Galina and her walk with the baby? The eventual release in 1976? Character portrait?

7. Red and his imprisonment, friendship, character, philosophy?

8. Galina and her love, her child, walking through the snow, the officials and their harassment? The end?

9. The Russian General as a hero of the Revolution, friendship with Victor, powerless to help Sam?

10. The interrogator, the torture, the various officials?

11. The barber and her friendship, transforming Victor?

12. The experience, Soviet Union in the 20th century, repression of human rights, hopes and freedom?