HEALTH

US, 1980, 102 minutes, Colour.
Glenda Jackson, Carol Burnett, James Garner, Lauren Bacall, Dick Cavett, Paul Dooley, Henry Gibson, Donald Moffat, Dinah Shore.
Directed by Robert Altman.

Health is Robert Altman portraying and poking at ridiculous Americana - conventions, politicking (including elaborate dirty tricks and plain madness), surface morality and, especially, health fadism (as eccentric, also big business). Loud, colourful, often funny, sometimes silly (and a touch of the cruel for U.S. audiences). Carol Burnett is skilful in a peculiar heroine role; Glenda Jackson has a thankless role as a dull theorising candidate; Lauren Bacall is all glamour as an 82-year-old would-be President. James Garner and, especially, Henry Gibson give good support. Not as clever or aimed at such large targets as other Altman satires - conclusions are left to the mood and humour of audiences. The film is somewhat in the M*A*S*H vein and relates directly to Nashville and A Wedding in its mosaic structure.

1. The work of Robert Altman over the '70s - his capacity for satire, poking fun, laughing at American politics,, American society and its eccentricities? Health as a piece of Americana? How well did it make its points - or did it rely rather on comedy and satire?

2. The style: the introduction to the characters and letting them speak for themselves? The convention situation and the inherent madness of American ballyhoo and politicking? The sights and sounds of the convention - their being interwoven as a kind of cinema mosaic? The creation of a mood? The score - and the continued commentary of the Steinnettes and their songs? Satiric lyrics? The use of the television coverage as a way of observing the convention and characters satirising them? The use of television coverage techniques - e.g. the giving of names for the candidates speaking etc.?

3. The quality of the cast - their various styles of serious acting, comedy? The guest stars and an atmosphere of authenticity?

4. The picture of American conventions: basic issues, ideologies, the importance of public relations, the big business implications, power struggles, pushing, gimmicks, the wooing of the voters? The ballyhoo style and its kitschy overtones? Particularly American? Universal?

5. The political parallels election conventions, national elections and campaigns? Expected styles speeches, mannerisms, gestures, television interviews, double talk? Dirty tricks and smear tactics? Madness? The element of fraud? The echoes of the '50s campaigns with the references to Adlai Stevenson? Speeches, speech-writers, P.R. controllers, bodyguards? The role of the President and advisers?

6. The pomp and circumstance at the convention centre - the rooms, press conferences, swimming pools? The exhibition of health products? Posters and advertising? The songs? The security service disguised as fruit? Sally Benbow and her P.R. work and welcoming guests? The comedy made of her being black - and her confrontation with Cody? Her TV interview and comment about the unhealthiness of the guests? The atmosphere of the awards with the election and announcement of the result of the election?

7. Gloria as the focus - the White House adviser with all the implications of American Presidents in the '70s, their advisers, honesty, cover-ups? Her job? Her dowdy clothes? Repression? Audience surprise at her having been married to Harry? Her curiosity? Her mission and her talking to Esther and Esther's catatonic state? To Isabella and her being formally received as if Isabella was President? Her decision to endorse her? Her going for the swim and discovering the corpse? Her gradual change of clothes - more sexual, meeting with Harry, wanting to relate to him again yet resisting him? Observing Bobby and his being disguised? The discussion about Isabella being a man? The confrontation with Isabella and the innuendo and Gloria's not being able to cope? Her being scared by Cody? Harry's taking advantage of her and her anger? How does she change through out the film? Her idealism, work? Personal crisis - on a light scale?

8. Harry and the suave American type, his relationship with- women and the jokes about this, his divorce from Gloria? His helping Esther? His steering her through the campaign? Reaction to Isabella? His being alert to Bobby and threatening him? His final tricking of Gloria? Dirty tricks and double dealing? Suave, using sexuality as a weapon and for promotion?

9. Lauren Bacall as Esther - her age, Lauren Bacall appearing as her own age, the reasons given for her appearance, the emphasis on virginity, her purity slogan? The humour of her signing autographs? Her entourage and their joking, getting drunk? Relying on Harry? The woman assistant with her emphasis on sexuality and frank discussions with Gloria? The TV interviews and her catatonic state? Her going into coma? Her attitude towards Gloria - signing autographs, discussing the President? The irony that her brother turned out to be Cody? The irony of her inadequacy for the job and yet her winning so easily? The satiric point?

10. The contrast with Glenda Jackson's Isabella - the references to Adlai Stevenson, her restrained and austere manner, her boring and continuous talk? Her reliance on Willow? Tape recording her speeches? Sitting formally at her desk? The interview with Gloria? The later encounter when Gloria was trying to find out whether she was a man? Her cigar-smoking and deals? Cody and his sounding her out - and being afraid because she was relentlessly sincere? The discussions with Bobby in disguise about breast-feeding? Her conceding defeat? The various ways of getting humour from this kind of dull character - the megaphone speeches from the tower, the incessant haranguing of those who would listen, the rumours about her sexuality? Her restrained waving gesture? The satiric point in this character?

11. Bobby the conman and his playing cards, dirty tricks, employed by Cody, the humour of Henry Gibson's impersonating a woman discussing breast-feeding, the talk with Gloria about the sex changes? His finishing up in the pool?

12. Gainey and the independent eccentric candidates, his shouting technique, protests, the gimmick of lying in the pool, putting the placard of himself around the hotel? His being seen once again in the pool - and abandoned there?

13. The campaign manager and the health institute manager - Hassles and his final comment about being gay? Losing the envelope for the announcement of the awards?

14. Sally and her work, the satire in her speeches about the unhealthy healthy?

15. The use of Dick Cavett for real-life interviews, the television techniques, trying to run live interviews with Esther going into a catatonic state? Dick's discussions around the hotel and the convention? His watching Johnny Carson's show at night? Meeting Dinah Shore at the end? The role of the media on such conventions?

16. Cody and his boorish arrogance with Sally. his encounters with Bobby. his terrifying of Gloria, interview with Isabella? The irony of the truth and his relationship with Esther - and the final tantrum with the toys?

17. The Steinnettes and the variety of their appearances, clothes, lyrics of their songs?

18. What conclusions can be drawn about American society 1980? Conventions, fads, politics? How good-humoured was the film?