THE HUMAN FACTOR
UK, 1975, 96 minutes, Colour.
George Kennedy, John Mills, Raf Vallone, Arthur Franz, Barry Sullivan.
Directed by Edward Dmytryk.
The Human Factor ends with and endorses the Old Testament injunction of an eye for an eye justice and, while sitting through it, it is hard not to feel this strongly. Taking current terrorism, with its arbitrary choice of victims and
its heartless cruelty for a cause, the film shows George Kennedy, aided by John Mills, detecting the terrorists with alarming swiftness and accuracy by means of computers and Raf Vallone representing the law. But law and information do not
suffice and the human factor of pain, rage and a burning compulsion to execute justice takes over. A topical film, taking us behind so many current headlines, and posing distressing moral problems.
1. The significance of the title? Tone? Reference to the human factors of killing, psychology? Contrasts between computers and machines? The irony of the illustration of the human factor, that it was indicated by a computer?
2. The background of the 70's and international terrorism? The international themes, justice within this setting? The atmosphere of realism, suffering, exasperation of terrorists? The individual within society, at the mercy of society and its dangers? Man as victim? Justice and the administration of justice, the use of scriptural quotations on vengeance at the end?
3. The contribution of the international cast, the Americans, the English, the background of Italy, America, Europe? The universal value because of international themes, terrorism?
4. The Italian background, locations, contrast with America? Americans in Italy?
5. The impact of the initial massacre and the audience reaction to it? The way it was visualised, blood, wounds, death and slaughter? The hero's reaction as shared by the audience? Its impact for later massacres? As a justification of the hero's behaviour, revenge? Expectations of justice against administration?
6. Portrayal of the group involved? The backgrounds, international origins, social origins, political outlooks? Revolutionary? Guerrilla tactics? The techniques and style as presented in detail: advertising, the woman coming to the house, weapons?
7. Kinsdale within this context? His arriving home, impact of the massacre? The effect on his whole outlook on life, personality? His rage and the way this was portrayed? Audiences identifying with his suffering and rage? His involvement in the solution of the killing, its gradual obsession? What he should have done, in terms of the police, the political situation on NATO and America in Italy? George Kennedy as this kind of character, his build, look, age?
8. George Kennedy's style in the performance? The background of Kinsdale as an American, family, work? Involvement in computers? The irony of his involvement in war games and his becoming victim of a real-life war game? The film's oblique comments on NATO, defence, armaments, America and terrorists arising in this kind of situation?
9. His associates, John mills and his British style in his character? As a person, at work, helping Kinsdale, his phone calls, programming the computer, knowledge that it was against the rules? Janis and her role in NATO, as support to Kinsdale, apprehensions about what would happen? General Fuller and his relationship with his men? His disapproval of what happened? How well-delineated were these supporting characters to give the film interest, realism?
10. The film's background of computers? The machine factor and its role in modern life? The way that they are programmed, information? Kinsdale and his reliance on the computer for information? The quick ways in which information was supplied? McAlister? and his control of the computer? His asking the computer about the human factor?
11. How interesting were the aspects of the plot in Kinsdale checking out the results of the computer, interviewing people, discovering their innocence, the methods of his investigation? The time element, narrowing down his investigations?
12. The contribution of Admonds as a character for the film? Kinsdale's encounter with him, Edmond's presumptions about his identity, the drinking sequence and his sympathy for Kinsdale and his giving the information? His later being taken to task?
13. The portrayal of the Italian police in their ordinary work, involved with such slaughters, the international implications? Doctor Lupo as a person. his information, his decorum and protocol? Relationship with the CIA men? His encounters with Kinsdale and his underestimating of Kinsdale's resourcefulness, eg. in the identity card? The inevitability of clash with Kinsdale?
14. The portrait of Taylor, his background, motivations? The visualising of him in his surroundings? The second massacre? The importance of Kinsdale's saving the Gerardis? The suspense generated, Kinsdale's involvement in the violence?
16. The suspenseful build-up of Kinsdale narrowing on the terrorists, Mc Alister and the results of the test, decisions as to what is to be done? The involvement of Dr. Lupo?
17. The drama of the killing of Taylor, the confronting of the terrorists? The sequence with the pain in Kinsdale's hand?
18. The appropriateness of the supermarket for the place of the finale? The involvement of ordinary people, deadlines, machinery, the danger of ordinary people becoming victims? The atmosphere of the supermarket, the siege? The desperation of Kinsdale and his charge, audience's identifying with his executing the terrorists?
19. What kind of world did the film presuppose, present? How real a world of the 70's? The impact of the Biblical quotation at the end? Justified?
