SCORPIO

US, 1972, 114 minutes, Colour.
Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Paul Scofield, John Colicos, Gayle Hunnicut, J.D. Cannon.
Directed by Michael Winner.

Director Michael Winner is better than usual with a complex spy (CIA mainly) adventure. It is excellent action entertainment that shows the world of today's espionage as government directed (and then disowned) and is set in the
world of airports, suburbs, offices, rather than that of gimmick gadgetry. Winner also has effective stars in Burt Lancaster's ageing agent who plays with audience sympathy as well as with that of hired killer Scorpio, Alain Delon; Paul Scofield portrays a Russian agent with his usual skill. Films like this are satisfying for fans (and this has many twists at the end), but also raise very topical moral issues of spying, privacy, truth, power, greed.

1. The significance of the title; as a code name,, the scorpion as explained in the film, the personality of Jean?

2. was the structure of the film interesting; the initial assassination and the credit sequences. the elaboration of Cross's life, his flight and its resolution? How was the film well-paced? What made it so livelyf even though it was a long film? Was it good action adventure? Why? How did the use of European and American locations help the authenticity and atmosphere of the film?

3. Why is this kind of film always successful entertainment?

4. What insight into the world of spying, the C.I.A., and its ruthlessness did the film give? What was your attitude towards spying and spies, and the implications of this way of life after seeing the film? How de-humanising is this type of work? Why?

5. How did the initial assassination give a tonef pace and atmosphere to the film? The use of newsreel material and the film itself? Did you understand the implications of this assassination for America's political purposes? How disgusting is this? (Is this genuine?)

6. What kind of a person was Jean? Did the film explain his personality,, why he was a killer? What was the significance of his love for cats,, and his closing himself into rooms" How greedy was he? How much a born loser? Any insight into the relationship with his sister and her friend? Did he have genuine human feelings? His relationship to Cross - his liking Cross, his wanting to have his job, his pursuit of Cross. his killing of Cross? Did the film then give an insight into the mind of an assassin-spy?

7. How central to the film was Cross? What kind of a person was he in himself? (Too much typical Burt Lancaster?) Was he a good agent? What values did he stand for? As a double agent? His role in killings? His hoarding up of money? His seeming loyalty and yet his ruthlessness? His relationship to Jean? Did he like him or was he merely protecting himself? His relationship with his wife? How well established was this in the filmf and how important was it - when he returned from France, in trying to get his wife out. her death. and his return for revenge? How important was his ageing to Cross? Why did he decide to run? why was he such a friend to Zharkov? The importance of his being on the run? His friends in Austria? His friends in America? Why did he command such loyalty? The inevitability of his death? After killing McCloud?,, did he want to die? Did the portrayal of Cross give insight into this kind of spy and personality?

8. Why was Zharkov introduced into the film? How did he compare with Cross? Zharkov was a success. What kind of person was he in himself? His own explanation of his ideologies? His devotion to his work and his skill in it? His capacity for survival over proud underlings? His capacity for friendship with Cross? His letting Cross go? How admirable a person was Zharkov? (How did his eluding of his CIA followers endear him to the audience? Why?)

9. Mc Cloud; what values did he stand for? Why was he so ruthless? He was considered a professional. Was that a compliment? Why was he after Cross? How proud was he? Were you suprised at his death? Did you feel sorry for him? Why?

10. His assistant; how much an image of Mc Cloud was he? Why was he shrewder than McCloud? Why did he play his hunches? Did he use Cross's revenge to further his own ambition? Why? Did you have any admiration for him?

11. Did the film give an interesting picture of the CIA? Did it seem authentic? Their styles of following people? The risk of violence and death? The arranging of deaths and robberies? The possibilities of cover-ups? International manoeuvring? Such incidents as the robbery in Cross's house and the death of his wife? What impression of spying does this give?

12. Cross's wife - what kind of a person was she? Her sharing in Cross's plans? Did the film make it clear that he really loved her and wanted her to escape with him? Audience sympathy at her death?

13. Jean's girlfriend; was she a conventional heroine? Were you surprised when she was a double agent? How did this change your attitude towards her?

14. were you surprised that Cross had accumulated so much money? Why? How important for the film was his escape to Europe? How well planned? How interesting that Jean could follow exactly what Cross would do? The impact of his arrival in Vienna and the method used to get him to Zharkov? Cross's friendship with Max? How important was this? What human feeling did it add to the film - especially in Max's death?

15. The chase in Vienna - how exciting? Was it too spectacular for the film, especially in the building? Mitchell and his bungling, his two henchmen, (especially the one who sweated).

16. Zharkov's friendship with Cross in Vienna, how was this communicated in the film, when they got drunk together, Zhakov's manoeuvring for his escape, the photographs of the official at the station?

17. Cross's return to America; was his revenge justified? The style of his murdering of McCloud---? clever but could it be approved in any way? Why?

18. Was his death inevitable?

19. How did Jean feel as he shot Cross? Any regrets? His shooting of his girlfriend? Did this add to his motives for killing Cross?

20. Did you expect that Jean would be killed? His playing with the cat? How did this shooting sum up the film?

21. What values were explored in this film; law, justice, privacy, national security, de-humanization, ruthlessness, truth and falsehood? Was it a satisfying exploration of these values in a satisfying action film?