HIGH MIDNIGHT

US, 1979, 90 minutes, Colour.
Michael Connors, David Birney, Christine Belford, George di Cenzo.
Directed by Daniel Haller.

High Midnight is an effectively grim telemovie. It takes the police styles of '70s films and telemovies and combines them with the personal vengeance and justice themes. It can also be related to Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City with its emphasis on special squads, especially for narcotics, who abuse their power. This film focuses on an undercover police raid which culminates in accidental death of innocent victims. There is police cover-up and the searching out by the husband of the victim of the guilty parties. The film is brief, the performances telling, and the build-up of frustration in the hero communicates itself to the audience. A postscript indicates that laws were changed after incidents such as the one portrayed in the film.

1. The impact of the film as telemovie? Drama for home audiences? Identification? Acceptance? Insight?

2. The atmosphere of an American city, homes, police stations? The atmosphere of violence - intruding on normal home lifestyle? The pace of the film, editing? Musical score and drama?

3. The message at the end about the changing of laws in the light of incidents such as that portrayed? Audience sense of identification and outrage? The feeling for the characters, attitude towards the police and those covering up? Themes of justice and law in terms of cover-up and truth?

4. The ordinariness of the opening? The family, the outing, the fireworks, the party? The introduction to the group and audience not knowing what it was doing - seeming to prepare for a criminal raid? The eruption of violence in the home? The camera mistaken for a gun? And the violent deaths? The policeman who shot the wife eventually shooting Mihallich? The deaths, the torture of Tony. the ransacking of the home? The self-righteousness of the group? The horrified reaction when the’ mistake was discovered?

5. Tony as an ordinary citizen, the experience of the ordeal,' his grief, the funeral? The consolation of his sister? His visiting his son in hospital? The police questioning and seeming harassment? His going to work and coping? The friendship with Liz - but his suspicions of her and her police work? Support from Ellis? The heavy questioning from Donovan? The motivation for inquiry and vengeance? His discovering more of the truth? The accidental discovery of Mihallich by hearing him on the radio - and the irony of Mihallich's receiving a medal? The set-ups? The attempt on his life in the river? The confrontation with Liz? His setting up Mihallich and his men? The final shoot-out? His possibility for killing M1hallich but laying down his gun? His life being saved by Alex? A credible portrait of a victimised man?

6. Mihallich and his crack squad, the preparations for the raid. the deaths, the decision to cover up, the varied reactions of his men, their co-operation? The irony of his promotion and the medal? His black contact - and the irony of his being used for the final confrontation? His decision to murder Tony? The various plans, the confrontation? He might have been killed - and was still willing to kill Tony? Alex killing him?

7. Tony and his motivation - the possibilities of justice by the law. his experience in the war and with explosives, the repercussions of the accident, his final decision not to shoot?

8. Ellis and the possibilities of civil detection? Donovan and his brusqueness yet being alert to clues? Liz and her care - especially for Tony's children?

9. The human touch with the portrayal of his sister, the nun in the hospital, the men at work?

10. How well did the film blend action adventure, police film, social criticism?