VIVA KNIEVEL
Viva Knievel is a fact and fiction story about the motorcycle stuntman, Evel Knievel. There had been a film about him in 1971 where he is played by, of all actors, George Hamilton.
This film has some biographical material with Knievel playing himself. It has a strong supporting cast including Gene Kelly, Lauren Hutton, Leslie Nielsen. However, it also has a drug story, with an invitation to Knievel to perform, be killed, his body used for transporting cocaine across borders. This was 1977, a decade where there were many films about drug deals. This seems one of the most preposterous in terms of credibility
The film was directed by Gordon Douglas, a veteran of many action films from the 1940s to the 1980s.
There were several other films about Evel Knievel, including a telemovie in 2004. Knievel himself, after the period in which Viva Knievel was made, fell on hard times, was charged with assault and battery, became an alcoholic. He had something of a revival, especially with television commercials, and finally died in 2007.
1. The world reputation of EveI Knievel - how much is fact, how much fiction? His status and audience response to him?
2. There had been a previous biography of him. How did this film present him, make use of him? Thrust him upon his fans? Appropriately, enjoyably?
3. Audience response to the atmosphere of daring, the nature of dare-devilry? Bikes, stunts, people coming to watch and their expectations? How well was this communicated.? Sufficient stunt
work? The climax and the final chases?
4. How much could the film be considered biography? Predominantly fiction? Even if Knievel acting as himself?
5. The feelings of the opening with Knievel arriving, his Santa Claus behaviour, relationship with Sister Charity? Indication of a human story, the blend with action? Was this sufficiently weIl sustained throughout the film?
5. Evel and his skill, press releases, significance of the initial clash with Ben and his greed? The portrait of the greedy promoter?
7. The contribution of WilI Atkins to the film? Gene Kelly in this role? the importance of his past, Knievel’s reliance and tribute to him, his help? His doing the work? His alcoholism? The revelation
about Tommy and his blaming him for his wife’s death? The sequences showing his inability to relate to his son? His being used by Jesse and Millard? His relationship with Kate and her telling him the truth? His realization of his being used, his being victimized with the drugs? His participation in the final chase, the build-up to the reconciliation? How conventional a human story? How much value for the making of money? Sentiment, sentimentality?
8. The portrait of Kate as a photographer, her sneering and cynical attitude towards Knievel, their verbal clashes, emotional attraction? Her feminism anrd emphasis on Ms? Her presence, her reaction to his accident, her support, family intervention, her being kidnapped with Tommy? An inevitable happy ending? An attractive heroine suitable for this kind of film?
9 . Jesse and his relationship with Evel , background of friendship, rivals? Drugs and the drug world ? His ambitions and their being exploited? His duping Will Atkins and taking the photos? His involvement in the crooked deals, the changing of the caravan? His reaction to overhearing Millard and Courtland? The attitudle in knocking out Evel and going to his death? A heroic villain?
10. The portrait of Millard and Courtland as big business tycoons, as evil? Their plans personalities, ruthlessness? Their talk? their smoothing things over with Evel, exploiting his accident? Callously preparing his death for their own purposes? The irony of things going awry, the climax and their being chased? The plausibility of Jesse over hearing Courtland speaking so glibly? The contribution of Norman as the gun man, Bart and his mechanics, exploding the device, being present as hospital assistant, the participation in the chase?
11. The drug sequences and the hospital isolation of the will Atkins? The humor and stunt work of Evel’s breaking in, rescuing him?
12. Mexico, the crowds, the governor, the atmosphere of success? The radio and media commentators? What do people want to see?
13. The stunt work in the chase, will and his pursuit of the car, Evel and his skill in riding, over the terrain, the long sequence in the village as a useful display of stunt work and skill, the pursuit of the truck? How well did his feet into the atmosphere of the whole film? The happy ending with all of them out in the countryside?
14. A film of values, popular heroes, conventional attitudes towards good and evil, right and wrong? American sentiment, sentimentality, aspects of American corn?
