MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI
US, 1979, 110 minutes, Colour.
Ron Howard, Candy Clark, Bo Hopkins, Paul LeMat?, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Philips, Charles Martin Smith.
Directed by Bill L. Norton.
More American Graffiti illustrates its title by fragmenting the 1964 New Year's Eve framework via different visual styles (Panavision at a race-car track) with three flash-forwards to 1965 (Vietnam newsreel/hand-held style and M*A*S*H tone), 1966 (drug and split-screen music sub-culture), 1967 (ordinary screen for protests and middle Americans). As before, the soundtrack has contemporary music backing and commentary. Ultimately it works, especially for those who remember the era and (like Hair) it makes us wonder why and even appreciate in hindsight. The graffiti are sketchy but comment, often satirically, on each other and the times perceptively. The cast (much more assured after 5 years) make the most of their characters.
1. The appeal and popularity of the original? Its awards? Content, style? A piece of Americana - the '70s looking back on the '60s? The need for a sequel? The quality of the sequel? How well did it match the original in content and style, development?
2. The focus of the title: how particularly American? America in the '60s compared with other countries? The focus on graffiti - partial views, comments? The technical presentation of the graffiti: the widescreen sequences for 1964. newsreel and hand-held camera for '65, split-screen and psychedelic tones for '66, conventional screen for '67? The structure and the intermingling of these years? in graffiti style?
3. The stars from the original film, the continued interpretation of their characters.. their assurance in their roles after five years' experience
4. The screenplay and its style in covering the period: the use of New Year's Eve for four years? The significance of New Year's Eve and the ending of a year and the opening of another? 1964 to '68 as the period covered. the contrast with 1962 for the original? The focus on changes in America during this period? The contribution of the war? Was the war the major contribution? The only contribution? The presentation of the race in '64 and its innocence and the transition to war involvement and puzzle, confusion in '66, growing disillusionment in '67'68?
5. The technical flair of the film? Audiences getting used to the differing styles for the differing New Year's Eves? The contribution of the editing? The colour photography., the representation of each year? The importance of the musical score. the selection of songs. their use as background and commentary?
6. The 1964 framework and the irony of John's death at the end of the day? 1964 as represented by John and his story ? the possibilities for the future, the emphasis on the car and the young American's skill and know-how with cars? John as hero, as a success? His friendship and banter with his rivals? His skill in winning races? The admiration of the girls? Terry, Laurie and Steve present at the rally? The girl from Iceland and her inability to communicate except by smile and gesture., her friendliness. his advances to her and her reaction, John's apology? His attempts at communication? Getting the translator? Her joining in the work and supporting him in the race? The hard work of the day, the threat of the big companies and their takeovers, using him in advertising? The pooling of resources for the car and the final race? A successful day and the irony of his accidental death? Why the story of John as framework for the other stories? The songs chosen to illustrate 1964?
7. Terry as symbolising 1965 and New Year's Eve '65 being his story? His presence in '64, his growing up, willingness to go to war and his patriotic remarks? The experience of the war and its ugliness? His awkwardness and the M*A*S*H style comedy of his firing his rifle accidentally, the enormous bombardment against him? The Americans thinking that they were killing the Viet Cong. the emphasis on body count and impressing congressmen? The presence of the congressman and his continually looking out of the safety hole? The cover-up and the manipulation of the truth? Terry and latrine duty and his humiliation? Sinclair and his theoretical earnestness in going out on missions? Terry's Texas friend and their shared memories, friendships and bonds, the pathos of his death? Terry and Sinclair being gunned down, under serious fire/ Sinclair's loss of nerve and Terry's rescuing him, the commanding officer's fear of coming down in the helicopter? Terry being used.. the return to the latrines? His plan for escape, the cake and its black humour, his disappearance with the aid of Sinclair? His questions about whose war it was, the picture of 1965 American jingoism and the soldiers opting out? His professed death and its repercussions on his friends and their memories of him? The songs from the period illustrating war and the themes of 1965?
8. Debbie as representing 1966? New Year's Eve and Debbie's story? Her change in appearance and style from 1964, the other girls in '64 and their flatting in San Francisco in '66? Debbie and her boyfriend.. being busted by the police, his being jailed and humiliated in jail, her getting the money to bail him out? Her interest and love for him and trying to get him a job in the band? Her discovery of his betrayal and the brawl in the bar? Debbie and her pleasantness. foolishness? Her singing and dancing with the group? Her memories of her friends? The effect of the split screen technique, psychedelic colours. the overtones of the emergence of drugs? Groups and musicians, questions of long hair? Her trying to persuade the group to accept her boyfriend as musician, the incessant talker, the driver and his crashing into things, the leader of the group and his rescuing her? Her going off in the van and crashing into the garbage tins? The songs illustrating 1966? Debbie surviving and becoming a country and western singer?
9. Laurie and Steve's story representing 1967-68? Their marriage, school sweethearts, Laurie's pregnancy in '64. the twins? The picture of married life after several years? Steve as the successful middle American businessman? Conservative views? Laurie and her wanting to go to work? The emphasis on the Women's Movement? The picture of the family, the argument, the children watching TV and the parents behaving well in their presence? Her leaving and Steve's comic sequences trying to look after the children while they caused chaos? Steve and his insurance work and dominance of the home? Laurie and her leaving? The introduction of her brother, the girlfriend? The introduction to campus clashes, the burning of draft cards, the world of demonstrations and causes? The rightness and wrongness of the causes? The war focus? The police and their viciousness, the attacks? Laurie being caught, suffering the violence, trying to get out? Steve and the humour of his pretending to be the police to get information where she was, going into the campus, his being caught? Their trying to escape? The arrests? The women in the bus and the wardress and the defiant singing of 'Baby Love'? Steve and Laurie taking the bus and everybody getting away? Steve's change of attitude? The songs illustrating the period and the transition from exuberance to pensive reflection and disillusionment? Laurie and Steve and the parent generation of the '70s?
10. The portrait of young Americans in the '60s and what happened to them to form them for the '70s? The '70s generation remembering, surviving, interpreting? Nostalgia. regrets? The subsequent steadying of America and the blend of careers and causes?
11. The film's attitudes towards the issues of the '60s? Attitudes of right and left. of establishment and protest? The image of the President and his decisions and the disillusionment of the '70s? Presumption about official policies and their correctness? The experience of the Vietnam war and the fact that it could not be easily won and questioning American presence and participation? The image of America and its critique? How was this shared by the characters, by observers of the United States in the '60s and '70s?
