VISITORS

US, 1972, 88 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Mc Vey, Patricia Joyce, James Woods, Steve Railsback, Chico Martinez.
Directed by Elia Kazan.

The Visitors is the last film from celebrated director, Elia Kazan. Kazan had made a great impact on the Broadway stage in the 1940s with A Streetcar Named Desire and Marlon Brando. He won an academy award in 1947 for Gentlemen’s Agreement. He then did, amongst many films, Viva Zapata and A Streetcar Named Desire with Brando. Again with Brando, he won an academy award for directing On the Waterfront in 1954.

This is a film about the war in Vietnam, its aftermath. A couple receive visitors on a Sunday afternoon, who discuss the war, a court martial in which they appeared on different sides. This offers psychological drama as well as reflection on the war, especially in the context of the early 1970s.

1. What was intended by the filmmakers? The significance of the stark title? Style of the screenplay, photography? A rough and ready film?

2. The title and irony of the film?

3. The structure of the film? The presentation of one day: the opening, ordinariness, challenge and change, menace and suffering, the ending of the day?

4. The film was meant to be an allegory about modern America in the 1970s. America and its involvement in the war? American violence? How useful and successful an allegory?

5. The importance of seeing the main characters as everyman and everywoman of the America of the 1970s? The importance of the setting: the house, ordinary life and work, the fact they were
not married but living together, the role of the child. Ordinary American family?

6. The importance of Harry, the father? The fact that he wrote westerns? Westerns and the tradition of American violence and manliness? The relationship between Harry and his daughter? His relationship with Bill?

7. Comment on the film’s technique of gradual knowledge for the audience about what happened in Vietnam? Was it necessary to show the flashback in reality? The effect of the flashback?

8. The initials impressions of Tony and Sargeant? Menace? Relationship to Bill? Their intentions? The growing impact when the truth was told? Did the audience share the reaction of the girl? Or sympathetic to Harry’s interpretation?

9. Comment on the film’s focus on ordinary things in building a menace. Meals, going for walks, discussions with Harry, going hunting etc.?

10. And in the atmosphere of fear grow? Bill as afraid of what the men will do to him?

11. The importance of guilt as background to the film? Did Bill feel any guilt as regards what he had done? Harry’s approval disapproval of what he had done? The girl’s approval? Tony’s attitude
and his relentless wanting to punish Bill? Sargeant having served his time and not holding a grudge?

12. The film’s ironic comments on manliness? Harry and the shooting of the dog? The sharing of stories? The background of westerns, drinking and violence, the presuppositions about manliness?

13. Did the film show emotional conflict will? The board and the band in each of the characters? Talk, interactions, meal situations?

14. How inevitable was the Philip physical violence of the fight? The way that it was filmed? Impact? Tony, Sargeant, Harry or Bill?

15. The sensual aspects of the deals relationship with Tony? The dance? The violence of the rape? The parallel to the Vietnam situation? The effect on the girl?

16. The vengeance scene? The tradition of vengeance in America? In the west? How ugly the way the violence has portrayed?

17. What had the characters achieved by the end of the day, in terms of fear, guilt, heroism?

18. Comment on the themes of war, violence, American myths, the west, hurting, shooting, fighting, manliness, power, supremacy?