SPLIT IMAGE

US, 1983, 108 minutes, Colour.
Michael O'Keefe, Karen Allen, Peter Fonda, James Woods, Elizabeth Ashley, Brian Dennehy, Pamela Ludwig. Michael Sacks.
Directed by Ted Kotcheff.

Split Image is a strong and emotional film. It is based on a story by Scott Spencer (Endless Love). It was directed by Ted Kotcheff (Wake In Fright, First Blood). It has a rousing score by Bill Conti. Its cast is excellent.

What makes it important is that it concerns religious cults and their effect on American youth. The message is universal. These people are faith-stealers rather than faith-healers.

The film focuses on a talented young man from an affluent family, shows how the sect and its idealism plays on his disillusionment with his family and values (or lack of them) and lures him into a brainwashing and a belonging to a cult. Peter Fonda is quietly sinister as the leader of the cult. However, it is James Woods as the debriefer who steals the film, a memorable performance of a person with self-seeking as well as helping others. The film has a great deal to say about American society and the hold of the cults in the '70s and '80s.

Ticket to Heaven dealt with a 30-year-old teacher and resembles this film strongly. A telemovie with Kristy McNicoll?, Blinded By the Light, also deals with the issues. Split Image probably has the most impact of these three films.

1. Strong impact? Topical theme? Americana? Cults? Affluence, families, values? Interesting, enjoyable film?

2. The use of Panavision, American locations, affluence? Families, schools? The world of the cult: Homeland? The use of effects for sport? For the indoctrination and brainwashing scenes? To highlight relationships and power in the cult? The special effects for the debriefing and Danny's consciousness? Pace? The communication of violence and a strong physical sense? The score?

3. The title and themes of duality: light and darkness, good and evil? in all? in particular circumstances? The use of the film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the comments about the duality of nature? The conscious and unconscious? The range of values, needs? Human susceptibilities? Brainwashing and debriefing? The credibility of the plot and characters? The family situations, the encounters, contemporary youth and their needs? Religion and lack of religion? Sincerity? The power of the cult? The life of the cult, the raising of funds and the commercialism? The credibility of the debriefing? Audiences identifying with characters and situations?

4. Danny as the focus of the film? Michael O'Keefe's presence and style? Audiences identifying with him? The credits and his determination with his gymnastics? Performance and winning? The match and his success? The comradeship with his peers at school? Life at home, his jokes? The devotion of his parents? filming him, jokes at home, clashes? The encounter with Rebecca? Going out with her, watching Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the talk about the film and its themes? His detachment? Infatuation with Rebecca? Chasing the kidnappers and discovering what was happening? Agreeing to go with Rebecca? His being away from home? The bus and the atmosphere of the cultists on the wag? The arrival? The friendship with Aaron? The build-up to meeting Neil Kirklander? The dining room sequence? The enthusiastic language? The early rise, his not being allowed to be alone, the singing of songs, activity, the lack of protein in the food? The tour? The realisation that he was staying with a cult? The resistance, the alleged masturbation and people watching him? The activities, his gradually being caught up in them, confessing? Running away and the cliff sequence? His being saved? The song, being part? The building work and the chanting? His joining in? Watching the others and their gradually being involved? The ritual of being received, the burning of the clothes? The cutting of the hair? The dependence on Neil? Going out to work, raising money? Talking with Rebecca? Talking with Rebecca but her explanations of herself as Amp? The effect on his relationship with her, their going to Neil? The possibility of separation? His name Joshua? Why was he susceptible to the brainwashing and the influence? The effect on him? His sincere belief in Death-In-Life?

5. The visit of the parents, his rejecting and hurting them? His being taken by them, his anger in the van, the violence? Pleading and cajoling? His hatred? His being locked in the room? The effect of the encounter with Pratt? The process of debriefing? His blocking out Pratt? Having visions of Neil? The visual styles of camera-work to indicate his consciousness? The possibility of escape? Rebecca coming? His being worn down? The ordeal, his father being bashed and his breaking down?

6. His coming out of his experience? His apology? His being reunited with his parents? overhearing the conversation about Pratt and the television? His mother's resentment and demands about her life? His father and the anger? Back to the world, television? His brother? His having to re-assess his values? The visit from the group? Rebecca and going with her? Resisting Nell? The slap? Running away with Amy and going free? His future?

7. Amp and her charm, her techniques in recruiting Danny, her name of Rebecca, the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde show, the trip, life at Homeland, her being caught up, her past? Her link with Danny? Working with him? Temptation, going to Neil, torn between faith and lack of faith? Her visit? The final confrontation? Going free?

8. The portrait of Danny's parents, their memories of their younger daps, the father being a rocker, the mother and her work and glamour, their wealth? His brother and his materialistic hopes? Selfishness? The grief about their son? The demands when they went to Homeland, throwing their weight around, the arrest and the humiliation? The father weeping as he watched the film? The kidnapping of their son? The experience of the debriefing? The father being humiliated and slapped? The part-reconciliation, the split image in the good parents?

9. Neil Kirklander and his leading the cult, his being held as a saviour-figure, his words e.g. in the dining room? His hold over people, the entry ceremonies? A manipulator? Piety and control? His devices for keeping people under control, especially, for example Gabriel? His hold over Rebecca and Danny? His coming to get Danny back? The final confrontation in the street? The film's critique of the leader of the cult and his hold over people?

10. Pratt, his background, his successes? His arrival, selling his ideas to the family? Their being persuaded? The father going on the chase, the kidnapping of Danny? His techniques for the debriefing, violent, mocking, attacking? Telling truth? Attacking Kirklander? His own background, personality and style - his talking to the family afterwards, the possibility of going on television? Danny's reaction?

11. The sketch of the people in the community: Gabriel, in charge, work, supervision? Yet Neil not having full confidence in him? Deborah, her final visit to Danny and trying to lure him back? The other members of the community, their experiences, transformations? Going on mission?

12. The film's focus on a religious phenomenon of the 20th century, cults, the background of people involved, leadership, spiritual hopes, transformation - and people being brainwashed and lost in the cult, losing their freedom?