STRANGE INTERLUDE

UK, 1990, 190 minutes, Colour.
Glenda Jackson, Jose Ferrer, David Dukes, Ken Howard, Edward Petherbridge, Rosemary Harris, Kenneth Branagh.
Directed by Herbert Wise.

Strange Interlude was adapted for the screen at the beginning of the sound era and starred Clark Gable and Norma Shearer. Strange Interlude is a Eugene O'Neill play, a long drama focusing on a few characters but tracing their intense interactions over several decades.

This film is a television adaptation of a stage production. It retains O'Neill's complete text, confines itself to the interiors until the ending, when it moves out onto a river and into the air with a small plane.

Directed by Herbert Wise (many television productions including Inspector Morse telemovies), the film has a particularly strong cast led by Glenda Jackson as Nina. Jose Ferrer is her father the professor, Edward Petherbridge is their good friend Charlie, David Dukes is Dr Darrell and Ken Howard is Sam. In the supporting cast are Rosemary Harris as Sam's mother and Kenneth Branagh as Glenda Jackson's son.

The film uses the device of having the actors speak their lines to one another but then speak their interior thoughts to the audience. Given the pace of the film, the close-ups of the characters, the skills of the cast, this device is dramatically very effective.

The film is very long, as is O'Neill's play, and requires a great deal of attention. The film is a mirror of the United States in the '20s, the gung-ho sense of destiny combined with underlying insecurities, inhibitions and inability to relate. The film is also critical of the elevation of science and philosophy over emotions. For its time, the play was daring by including an abortion in the plot. This is a very effective presentation of O'Neill's play - and, perhaps, an introduction to O'Neill's work.

1. The impact of the film? Length and intensity? Eugene O'Neill's drama, theatre background, the previous film version? The reputation of the play?

2. The importance of the stagecraft, the interior scenes, the lengthy span of time, the dialogue amongst the characters, the articulation of inner thoughts and feelings? How convincingly were these portrayed? The quality of drama and its credibility? The strength of the cast?

3. The use of the interiors, the professor's room, Sam's home, the exteriors in the final scene, the boat race, the river and the plane? The musical score?

4. The length, the long journey of the characters? Adapted for television, the use of close-ups? The use of O'Neill's text and television interpretation of the text?

5. The professor, his age and experience, marriage, living with his books, yet no development in his profession and study? Charlie and their friendship? His concern about Nina? The death of Gordon and the experience of World War One? His still living later in Nina's imagination so many decades after? The comparison of his inner view of himself by his own interior thinking, with people's impressions of him and the interactions?

6 Charlie as a chorus for the whole play? A character in himself, his skill at writing novels, his verbal skills - pedantic? Self-preoccupied? An `old maid'? Fussy, his visits to the professor and his comments and critique of him? Attracted to Nina, idolising her? Angry with the memories of Gordon? His preoccupation with his mother? Intimations of homosexuality or not? Friendship with the professor, comforting Nina on his death? His reaction to Nina at work, her relationship with the soldiers? The clash with Dr Darrell, interactions with him, jealousy? The discussions about his mother's health - and Darrell being proven right? His liking Sam, observing the relationship with Nina, the question of the child, his guessing the truth, having the secrets? His petty attitudes yet depth of love for Nina? Interpreting Darrell and Nina's behaviour over 20 years? Darrell's return from Europe and his suspicions? His mother's death and his living with his sister? The passing of time, his fondness for young Gordon? Sam's death, guessing the truth, his offering to marry Nina? Some comfort in his old age? His inner assessment of himself - compared with the interactions with other characters?

7. Nina and her love for Gordon, the experience of his death? Becoming emotionally unhinged? Breakdown? Her relationship with her father, his death? Gordon's ghost haunting her, like a demon needing to be exorcised? Her leaving home, going to work for the soldiers, her comments about the sexual liaisons and her wanting to comfort and heal them? The encounter with Sam, Gordon's friend? Sorry for him? His seeming normality? Working with Dr Darrell, the discussions, scientific background? The decision to marry? The desire to be pregnant? The impact of Sam's mother and her friendship, antagonism, revealing the truth about the madness, warning Nina? The decision to have the abortion and its aftermath? The pressure on her life? Wanting a child, the motivation? The decision to ask Darrell to be the father, appealing to science and experiment? The birth of the child, her possessiveness? Loving Darrell, alienated from Sam? Yet Sam changing? The possibilities of revealing the truth to Sam? Darrell's leaving and going to Europe? His return and her desperation? His resisting her? Charlie's observations? Her inner torment, her grown up son, her resentment of his fiancee, putting the same kind of pressure on her as her mother-in-law did? Feigning disinterest in the race? Comfortable with Darrell? Antagonistic towards Sam? The emotion of the race, the aftermath, Sam's death? Her discussions with her son - the revelation of the truth? His not perceiving it? The reconciliation with her son? Darrell leaving? Her accepting of Charlie's offer of marriage?

8. Sam, a good man, friend of Gordon, ingenuous? The marriage, lacking confidence in himself, the hope for the child? His relationship with his mother? Not knowing the family history? The improvement in work, success? Growing love for Nina, her coolness towards him? His friendship with Darrell? The truth hidden from him? His son grown up, his enthusiasm about the race, his approval of his fiancee? Puzzle about Nina and her reaction? The suddenness of his seizure and death?

9. Darrell as a competent doctor, skills, research? His work, observations of Nina? The attraction towards her? The invitation to be the father of her child? The talk about a scientific experiment? His going along with Nina - these events off screen, the way that Nina and Darrell talked about them? Love for her, having to leave? The possibility of telling the truth to Sam - but his avoiding it and going to Europe? His return, wanting to know whether Nina still loved him? The clashes with Charlie, helping him with his mother? Suspicions of Charlie? The family friend after 20 years? Watching the race? Charlie observing the truth - Sam's death and the possibility of his claiming him for his son? The revelation - and young Gordon's misunderstanding of it? His allowing this to be? Leaving?

10. The portrait of Sam's mother, the story of her marriage, the discovery of the insanity, her pressure on Nina? Sweet, yet firm and manipulative?
11. The fiancee, her love for Gordon, enjoying the race, her bewilderment at Nina's talk and behaviour? Her being reassured by Darrell and Charlie?

12. Young Gordon, being the son of the dead Gordon - expert at sports, racing? Sam's love for him? His love for Sam? His disdain for Darrell - and the discovery of the truth about his mother and Darrell? His resentment, his father's death? His change of heart, hearing the truth but not hearing it? His approving of the marriage? His flight and waving from the plane?

13. A portrait of America in the '20s, close-ups on characters, externals, internals? Dysfunctional family and communication and relationships?

14. The explanation of the title, Nina's reflection on her life, her marriage to Sam - a strange interlude?