THE GRASSHOPPER
US, 1970, 92 minutes, Colour.
Jacqueline Bissett, Jim Brown, Joseph Cotten.
Directed by Jerry Paris.
The Grasshopper has been billed as an intelligent drama, full of human sympathy and understanding. It was supposed to be to 1971 what Midnight Cowboy was to 1970. This claim is certainly open to debate. While the film traces the experiences of a nineteen year old girl leaving home in Canada and hitchhiking to California (there is definitely a parallel to Joe Buck's leaving the south and riding to his visionary city of New York), it dwells on the sordid side of these experiences for their own sake. This was something Midnight Cowboy rarely did. Here we are treated to life in Las Vegas for far too long and for too little significance.
Similar comments could be made on the rest of the film. One wonders how much insight we have gained into the central character who finishes her course at 22 years in gaol after going on a skywriting spree writing a four letter word over Los Angeles.
The acting is quite good, but part of the fault of the film (besides the limited vision behind its conception) is a derivative style - there seem to be echoes of many of the popular films of the late 60's, even to one inexplicable insertion of some sepia-and-white frames reminiscent of A Man and A Woman. The film certainly shows us a slice of American life as it is today, and like these slices of life, it doesn't get very far and does not arrive.
1. Was this a significant drama?
2. Did it explore values and present a person who, although confused, engaged audience attention? What was the main theme of the film?
3. How did the opening of the film - leaving home, the cat, hitchhiking etc, indicate a theme of searching?
4. How innocent was the heroine, how naive?
5. What impression of American society did the film give - e.g., the people at the Las Vegas party?
6. Did the heroine have any alternatives than becoming involved with the Las Vegas chorus, the pop group, deviates, pornography, drugs, and the call-girl life?
7. Did the film present this sordid (and real) background in a restrained way or were the sensations exploited?
8. Was there any social significance in the heroine's romance with a negro sports her?
9. Comment on the Las Vegas 'Loved one' wedding as satire on US society.
10. Why was the dinner and the attempted rape by the tycoon included? What was the significance of the heroine spitting in the secretary's face?
11. The golf club bashing?
12. Was there any point in the murder? In the way it was filmed in slow motion and the ball continuing to bounce?
13. What did the heroine's behaviour at the funeral, and her picking up the junkie, show?
14. Why did she go back to the call-girl life? Why was she dissatisfied with the rich benefactor?
15. Did she really think she would fulfil her dream of having a ranch? Did she deserve to be deserted and robbed?
16. What was the point of the joy-ride episode and the obscenity in the sky?
17. Where had she arrived at the age of 22 years. Was her life over? Did you feel sorry for her? Did the film preach a message?
18. The styles of the film were a mixture of - The Graduate party sequence, Goodbye Columbus pool, Valley of the Dolls addicts, and even a sepia and white sequence like A Man and A Woman. Does it affect the impact of the film?
