A HATFUL OF RAIN
US, 1957, 108 minutes, Black and White.
Eva Marie Saint, Don Murray, Anthony Franciosa, Lloyd Nolan, Henry Silva.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann.
A Hatful of Rain is a very well-written, acted and directed film. Based on a stage play, it introduced the star of the play, Anthony Franciosa, to the screen. For a while Franciosa had a very good film career, he then moved into television and seemed to be a lesser presence in film and television. The film treated problems of drug addiction. For the '50s it was quite frank; it perhaps appears reticent now, given the history of the '60s and the '70s. However, it makes an interesting comparison in the problems of drug-peddling and addiction and society's attitudes. Don Murray, also emerging into films at this stage, gives a vivid performance as the addict who wants to conceal his situation.
The film was directed by veteran Fred Zinnemann, at the time that he made films like Oklahoma, The Nun's Story and The Sundowners. He received Oscars for his work on High Noon (1952) and A Man For All Seasons (1966). Dated, though very powerful drama.
1. The meaning of the title, relationship to themes?
2. The use of black and white photography and Cinemascope, the presentation of New York, the particular locations of the city, the musical commentary? The portrayal by the stars?
3. Was it evident that the film was based on a play, the impact, the kind of performances, the confined scenes, the quality of the dialogue? The transition from play to film?
4. The film as representing the '50s, especially in its treatment of the drug question, the importance of the drug question in that decade, the people affected? The impact of the drama in its time, the questions raised about drugs, the effect on people, relationships, money, humiliation? Sympathy for people involved in the problem? The contrast with the '70s?
5. How plausible was the plot. The nature of Johnny's addiction, money, Polo and his support? How credible were the situations and the characters? Were they presented as real? Audience sympathy for the characters and the difficulty of the situation?
6. The impact of drugs, the effect on family life, the importance of money and the consequences for family life? The anger in each of the characters? The protest about such situations?
7. The vivid portrayal of the drug problem; the adult manner in which it was done, moralising? The effect of the drugs, the nature and the effect of addiction, the suffering involved? Johnny and his physical and psychological suffering? His behaviour in relationships, the necessity of secrecy, being victimised by the drug-peddlers?
8. The anguish in the drug addict, the solitary experience and his loneliness, the sense of degradation, the begging and cajoling, the dependence on people and their hold on the addict?
9. The film's theme of appearances and reality: Johnny's respectable appearance and yet the addiction and its evil? Polo as evidently a drunkard and yet his generosity within? Father and Celia as the judges? The effect on audience sympathies for appearances and reality and judging people?
10. The relationship between Johnny and Celia, the quality of their marriage and their life, Johnny's ambitions and work, money difficulties, alienation and anger, the coming child and the miscarriage? Johnny and his relationship to Polo? Polo as seeming weak, the comparison between the two brothers? Johnny and his relationship with his father, his father's pride, wanting to borrow money, audience sympathies for each of these characters?
11. The portrayal of Polo and his weakness, the fact that he was a drunkard, his lack of self-respect, his fascination for Celia, his attitude towards his father and his father's disliking him, the fact that he was a manoeuvrer. his contact with the pushers? The irony of the strength of his protection of Johnny. The love and hatred between him and Johnny?
12. How real was the portrayal of Polo's anguish? A credible suffering, the type of sympathy he evoked?
13. Celia and her ordinariness, her role as wife, helping Johnny, trying to cope with the difficulties while not understanding them, the relationship with Polo, her respect for her father-in-law, anguish and the miscarriage? The need for openness between husband and wife?
14. The importance of the characterisation of the father: the spelling out of his background, the ordinary citizen, his hopes in his two sons, his pride in Johnny, his contempt for Polo? The importance of the money crisis. his praising his sons and his attitude towards them? The scenes illustrating this and the effect of the audience knowing the truth? The fact that he could not understand his sons, his confrontation with the truth and his coping?
15. The importance of the relationships and the themes of relationship: the ambiguity of the sexual relationships, male-female, male-male? Relationships in family., parent-son relationships, rivalry, love and hatred? In the context of the drug and drink problems?
16. The film's exploration of the nature of failure, reasons for it, effect on people, consequences?
17. The film's presentation and exploration of suffering and pain, the individuals, society? The people who inflict pain e.g. the drug-peddler deliberately, relations without realising it?
18. The value of the film as an exploration of important themes? Its value in its time, now?
