THE METHOD
US, 1989, 104 minutes, Colour.
Melanie Dreisbach.
Directed by Joseph Destein.
The Method is a small-budget film from the American west coast. It focuses on acting and the struggle to become an actor.
The film is based on the experience of the leading lady, Melanie Dreisbach. At 40, she decides to take time away from her husband, her children are in college; she wants to test her past ambition to be an actress. She goes to San Francisco, experiences the struggles of drama school, personal interactions, the hopes and despairs.
Melanie Dreisbach is excellent in the central role, giving it great strength. The film also shows the workings of a drama school, and has a great cast offering a variety of talent in showing us the lessons in the school. Eventually, the character Anna gets an opportunity to audition and finds a part in a feature film.
The co-writer and director Joseph Destein also made a transition from business to film feature directing.
The film is small-budget, but has a fine look about it - and is interesting for those who like character studies as well as a portrayal of the vocation of acting. (It is like an adult Fame.)
1.Audience interest in acting as a career? Skills? The lives of actors and their struggles?
2.San Francisco settings, the city, locations, apartments, the theatre? Musical score?
3.The title and the tradition about acting methods?
4.Acting as a skill, the desire to act, professional competence? Self-giving, feelings and self-knowledge? Identity with characters? The effect on the actor's life?
5.The portrait of Anna: Oregon, leaving her husband, driving to San Francisco, her age and experience, the separation from her husband and children? Wanting time for herself? (And the final song and its lyrics?) The house, the meeting with Deni? Grubby, settling in and cleaning (intruding into Deni's room)? The teacher and the group? Her audition with Lady Macbeth and its stilted style and her later dramatic performance? A sign to Tony, the Sam Sheppard play and rehearsals? Their rehearsing, meeting, out together, the seduction and her allowing it? The repercussions? His exploiting her in the performance? The response of the teacher? The contrast with Nick, his observations, outings, the zoo, imitating the animals? His jealousy? The bike ride, the reconciliation? Helping with her character of Angelina? Anna and her observing, her looking at all the actors, learning? The audition and her fear? The scene as the mother deprived of her baby - the powerful impression of her acting? Deni deceiving her about the audition phone call? Her visit to the agent and giving the resume, learning how to do an interview? Getting the job, going to talk to the prostitute, the talk in the bar, meeting the pimp, going to visit her on a job, watching from the cupboard? Her dressing up, the help of the prostitute, picking up Nick, the humour of acting it out - and then its becoming serious? Her success in the movie, the sequence being filmed? Watching the movie with Nick and her husband? A future? Success?
6.The drama teacher, his personality, skills, pleasant, demands, power of observation, his attack on Tony for exploiting Anna, Anna wanting to give up - and then getting the audition? His support?
7.Tony, actor, hopes, relationship with Deni, with Anna, performance, seduction?
8.The contrast with Nick, relationship with the teacher, pleasant, respect, outings, imitating the animals, sense of humour, jealousy, the bike ride, his help, allowing himself to be picked up, his breaking Anna out of the performance?
9.Deni, slob, relationship with Tony, not giving Anna the information about the call, her weeping, ambitions, the embrace?
10.The range of acting: the issues, violence, sexuality and sensuality, emotions, intensity?
11.Auditions and interviews, the film, Monique and her friendship, as the reporter, Anna as the prostitute? Watching the performance on screen?
12.Anna with her husband at the screening?
13.The story of an ambition, portrait of a person? Realism? The importance of acting, its contribution to art, to audiences' understanding?
