HARDCORE
US, 1979, 106 minutes, Colour.
George C. Scott, Season Hubley, Peter Boyle, Dick Sargent.
Directed by Paul Schrader.
Writer-director Paul Schrader has spoken of the influence of his strict Calvinist upbringing and its influence on such screenplays as Taxi Driver. Here he visualises it and shows a runaway from it plunging into the sordid sub-culture of Californian pornography. The contrast of the mid-west Dutch Calvinist way of life (so typically American) is contrasted with a taxi driver-look at lurid Los Angeles (so typically American). The screenplay falters at times and seems unreal (though how does a father searching for his daughter and emotionally and religiously disturbed react in fact?) but is sustained by another George C. Scott powerful performance. This ugly subject is treated in an unexploitive, though heightened manner.
1. An interesting film, entertaining? Its purpose? Exploration of the United States, American communities, the moral atmosphere of America? Its exploration of the world of pornography, exploitation? How soberly did the film present its subject? Sensationalising or not?
2. The focus of the title, its tone? Audience expectations? Audience moral attitudes, presuppositions, judgments? The necessity of pornography or not? The attitude to be taken - censorship or not? Legalisation, suppression? Pornography as a world-wide phenomenon of the 70s?
3. The importance of locations and atmosphere for the film? The contrasting of the world of Grand Rapids with that of Los Angeles? The comparison of the two worlds? Colour photography? Special effects especially for Los Angeles? The audience being invited to observe the two worlds, enter into them, check attitudes and judgments with them? Conclusions to be drawn? The importance of the musical score, the traditional themes, hymns, religious overtones? The contrast with the electronic and jagged music?
4. The writer-director drew on his own experience for the first part of the film especially. How evident is this? The way of life of the Dutch Reformed people of Grand Rapids, Michigan? Insight into their way of life, relationships, theology, moral attitudes? The contrast with the permissive and broken world of Los Angeles and hustling?
5. The film opening with a popular song and the lyric of 'Precious Moments? The irony of what had happened in between? A musical theme for the presentation of Grand Rapids: the mid-west kind of solid city, factories and shops, snow-clad? The atmosphere of Christmas, the family way of life, the watching of television and the adverse comments, prayer and grace before meals even for missionaries, the exchange of presents, the thanks for good food, family chatter, theological discussions about speculation and reliance on the Bible, the sense of righteousness? The focus on the youngsters going to the Calvinist convention? The bus the families seeing them off? The tightly-knit family and community atmosphere of Grand Rapids - compared with broken relationships and isolation and wandering in California?
6. Our introduction to Jake within this context? His place within the family, his relationship with Kristin? A religious man, commonsensed, alone? His seeing his daughter off? Seeing him at work in his factory - his control of the woman with the recommendation about the blue colour, his getting his own way but being gentlemanly about it? His meal with his sister and brother-in-law and the eruption of the news about Kristin? The shattering of the man of faith and his puzzle about God? His visit to his brother-in-law - and sitting on the veranda with the men, the comments about faith and belief in God?
7. The establishing of Kristin as a character, her motivations? Her sudden disappearance and the audience understanding her through her father? His puzzle about her disappearance? The convention, the hints about sex talk? The visit to Los Angeles? Jake and his arrival in California and the contrast with Michigan? The encounter with Andy Mast? The discussion about detection, fees? His return to Grand Rapids and his restlessness? The sudden arrival of Mast, the explanation of the spread of pornography even to Michigan? The sequence in the theatre, the visual presentation of the film, Kristin's presence in it, the anguish in Jake's reaction and his grief and anger? His reaction to Mast? His facing the facts of her involvement?
8. The portrait of Mast - the Californian private eye, his skill at his work, his presence, personality, style? His bringing the film to Grand Rapids? Did he enjoy humiliating Jake or not? His touring the shops, the porno film-making studios, his being invited to watch? Jake finding him in the motel with the girl? His reaction to being sacked? His relationship with the Los Angeles police? Wes and the rehiring, mast and his protecting Jake? The significance of his addressing him as 'Pilgrim'? His role in the finale, the shooting of Ratan? His wandering off when Jake had no more use for him?
9. Jake and the impact of Los Angeles on him and on the audience? The driving round and observing it detachedly like the taxi driver? The visit to the porn shops and the paying of the 50 cents. the interrogations? The atmosphere of the shops, the parlours? The girls with their routine introductions? His encounter with the prostitute and her explaining to him about tips? His anger and his being thrown out? His decision to change his clothes.. his appearance? The bravado of his interview with Ramada? His setting up his advertisement, the interviews with all the men for the pornography films - and their selling themselves and his reaction (the comic touch?)? The discovery of the actor with Kristin and his beating him? His finding information? His visit to the club, his visit to the film set. the encounter with Niki? Rediscovering her in the nightclub with the telephone? How credible was this behaviour on Jake's part? A man with money and time to find his daughter? His shrewdness?
10. The world of Californian pornography? Ramada as a businessman, smooth-talking, his being a father to the girls? His assistant Curt and his being the man who said "RighC? The contrast with the world of Grand Rapids?
11. The streets of Los Angeles, the boulevard tour, the parlours, the girls and their introduction to men, the asking of money, the pimps, the tips? The girls involved? The hustling on the streets? How adequate was the portrayal of the seamy side of Los Angeles for the purposes of the film?
12. How attractive a girl was Niki? Her presence at the film set? Her work on the telephone? Her explanation of her background? (And Jake's general unwillingness to listen?), her listening to his story and his explanations? The discussions about sex and his lack of regard for it and her considering it unimportant? The importance of the discussion of the basic tenets, of Calvinism at the airport? Her observations on this? The lack of meeting of this theological approach to the contemporary world? Her being at home in San Diego, her contacts and communications? The discussion at the marina about their lives?
13. The importance of the screenplay in elaborating Calvinist theological ideas? Jake's belief in the basic predestination theology and his presenting it to her? How did this pervade the film? Paul Schrader's basic Calvinistic approach - predestination, intrinsic corruption of man, the confrontation of the world of the elect and the non-elect? The response of Niki as symbol of the response of the contemporary world?
14. The world of San Francisco, its Californian ugliness, sleazy atmosphere? The massage parlours, the brothels? The film's incorporating murder? Jake and his poses? His narrowing down the connections for finding Kristin? His brutalising Todd and the chase through the lurid brothel? The confrontation with Ratan and the shooting?
15. Niki and her hopes that she would be cared for by Jake, her disappointment and disillusionment and wandering off?
16. Kristin and her presence in the club., her explanation of what she had done, her reaction to her father? His expressing his love for her? The credibility of her returning with him?
17. A portrait of the United States and its two worlds? The significance of religion and its theology, theological attitudes pervading behaviour? The world of pornography and the critique of this? Sexuality? Man having to cope in an ugly world?
