SONG FOR MARION
UK, 2013, 93 minutes, Colour.
Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Arterton, Chris Eccleston, Anne Reid.
Directed by Paul Andrew Williams.
Song for Marion can be highly recommended for older audiences who will identify with the characters and their experiences. The generation of children of the older audience’s may benefit a great deal from seeing the film.
You have to hand it to Vanessa Redgrave. She has had an extraordinary career for almost fifty years. And she has played a wide range of characters in all kinds of films. Which is an introduction to saying that she gives a wonderful performance here as the Marion of the title. Marion has terminal cancer, only a few months to live. Vanessa Redgrave convinces us completely that she is a woman with this cancer and with only a short time before dying. She is a good wife to her husband, Arthur (Terence Stamp). She is a good mother to her son, Jimmy (Christopher Eccleston). She is also a very friendly woman, and enjoys the company of the choir of fellow old age pensioners. The choir title is The OAPZ, the Z for some pizzazz!
You also have to hand it to Terence Stamp. He has also had a strong career for over fifty years. His portrayal of Arthur, a grumpy old man with a gloomy outlook, harsh expectations of his son with whom he has never got on, yet loving and devoted to his wife, caring for her in her final months, is one of his best performances, also completely convincing.
The first part of the film shows his antagonism towards the choir and his worry about Marion belonging to it. He is even rude to the choir when they come outside the house to serenade Mariion when she is too unwell to come to practice. However, the culmination of Marion’s being with the choir is a solo at an audition for a local competition. It is held outside, a crowd of people from the town coming to hear, joining in the rollicking performance of some rock and roll songs. But the high point is Vanessa Redgrave’s rendition of the song, True Colours.
Marion is sorely missed by Arthur, Jimmy and the choir after her death. We miss her as well. But the film is very much Arthur’s film and how he copes with Marion’s death and absence.
The catalyst for his change is the conductor of the choir, a young teacher, Elizabeth, played attractively by Gemma Arterton. (It is a pleasure to see her in this engaging performance after her humourless and cold portrayal of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel: Vampire Hunters.) She leads the choir, respects the elderly and is caring with each of them. She introduces them to a range of songs that they would not normally sing, and with some raunchy lyrics: Love Shack, Let’s Talk About Sex. And they perform them with verve.
While we do expect Arthur to come to terms with the choir, watching him do so is part of the pleasure of the second part of the film. He comes tentatively to the group, gradually allows himself to be influenced by them and by Elizabeth, for whom he sings. He also becomes a kind of sounding board for Elizabeth and her own life. As part of the climax, Arthur also gets his solo song, Goodnight my Darling.
All the time, beside the main themes, is the relationship between father and son, quite harsh on Arthur’s side and saddening for Jimmy.
While there is the expected happy ending, it is presented in a rather British way, sentiment, yes, but not overstated and a dramatic device that brings the film quietly to a satisfying end.
In recent times, older audiences have had the pleasure of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, elite singers in a home for retired musicians in Quartet as well as the string quartet and Beethoven in Performance. They were very enjoyable but Song for Marion has the advantage that it portrays ordinary people with whom most audiences can identified as well as popular songs.
1. A film about old people? For older audiences? For the middle-age generation?
2. The British style, understated, sentiment, humour, serious?
3. The cast, Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp and their achievements?
4. The music, the pop and popular songs, the touch of the raunchy? The realism? The choir, the individuals? The quality of the singing, performance?
5. The title, Marion and her presence in the choir? Her love of singing, companionship? Arthur and his being against her presence in the choir? Anti-choir, rude to them? Marion and her solo, True Colours? Arthur and his change, discovering some joy, some verve? The finale and his song?
6. Arthur’s story: a grumpy man, gloomy outlook, Marion as the love of his life? His work, retirement? Alienation from Jimmy, demands on him, always criticizing, his expectations? His love for his granddaughter, spoiling her, the gifts, the visit at school? Marion and her illness, his care for her, medication, her hair and the beanie, putting her to bed? His dislike of Elizabeth and the group? Taking Marion to the choir, begrudging the effort and time? Some joy with his friends of the pub? At the hospital, nursing her, Jimmy and his visit? His standing outside the hall and listening to the choir, continually smoking? The boys playing and sending them off? The group coming to the house, his rudeness to them, Marion demanding an apology? His blunt giving it? Her collapse, the pathos of her death? The funeral? The aftermath at the house? Meeting Elizabeth, the lifts, singing for her, demanding Jimmy be at the outdoor audition? His presence of the audition and response to True Colours? his going to the choir, joining in, practising with the choir, the rhythms, the songs, his being more at home, the group friendly? The build-up to the competition? His pulling out? His going onstage, Jennifer encouraging him, singing for Marion, the standing ovation? Elizabeth and her confiding in him? The final phone message, thanking Jimmy for the lift, a reconciliation and transformation? The message that it was never too late?
7. Marion, Vanessa Redgrave’s performance? Her age, the illness and its effect on her, physically? The credibility of her portraying the last months? Her life, love for Arthur, love for Jimmy, Jimmy and his visits, her granddaughter? Enjoying the singing, the group, the friendship with Elizabeth, the touch of daring with the songs? Her reaction to Arthur’s disdain? Jimmy driving her? Arthur’s not wanting to cooperate, her refusal to speak to him? At home, weak, the serenading of the group, demanding Arthur’s apology? The competition, singing True Colours? Collapse, Arthur and Jimmy at the hospital, her gentle dying, her realistic remarks?
8. Elizabeth, her age, experience, teaching the children, her breakup, her being upset, talking things over with Arthur? Her friendship with the old group, conducting, the songs and the difficulties, enjoying music, the solos? Timothy and his collapse? Her interactions with each of the choir? The competition, the performance, the boy from school and the victim, the men with their wigs, the rock and roll costumes? Performance, the judge and his enjoying it, people joining in and applauding? The build-up to the competition, the group being eliminated, being stirred up, going in, standing on the stage, the compares allowing them to sing? The performance, Arthur, returning home in the bus, third place?
9. Jimmy, the difficulties in being Arthur’s son? Love for his mother? His work, trying to fulfill his father’s expectations? Arthur’s demands about giving his mother a lift, expectations? At the hospital, his mother is dying, his grief, his father not wanting to see him again, his being hurt, trying to explain to his father the tension, at the cemetery? Going to the competition? The tender scenes between him and his daughter? With Jennifer, in the hall, listening to his father? Giving him a lift home?
10. Jennifer, her age, love for her father, grandparents, checking, visiting, cooking, the touch of swearing? At the performances? Shouting for her grandfather to sing?
11. The members of the choir, the women, the men and their age, auditions for rock and roll, responding to the songs, to Elizabeth?
12. Performances, ordinary people, the common touch? Their achievement and enjoyment? Activities and bonding? And audience sympathy with them?
