A SEPARATE PEACE
US, 1972, 104 minutes, Colour.
Parker Stevenson, John Heyl.
Directed by Larry Peerce.
A Separate Peace was made in 1972 and is in the nostalgia-about-days-of-youth vein - like Summer of 42 or our Time. It is set in a boys' school in the 40s, has the hazy glow and aura of the past, an idyll of happy days and friendship which masked underlying tensions soon to erupt into violence and a kind of hatred. The film tends to indulge its nostalgia and its sentiment at first and then solemnises the significance of the tensions at the end. Director Larry Peerce made the now-popular Window to the Sky in somewhat the same style. This is quite a pleasing film.
1. How enjoyable was this film? How interesting? Of what value in its insight into characters in their time?
2. Comment on the nostalgia quality of the film. Was this appropriate, overdone? The memory structure, the modern comments and the aura of the past? The nature of conscience of conscience and guilt and the past? The idealising of the past? The importance of the past and its relationship for the present as the main theme of the film?
3. The significance of the title? Its relationship to the theme of friendship and hatred? The background of the Second World War?
4. Comment on the use of colour for the atmosphere and theme of the film: the stark opening, the stark monocrome ending? The haze and the glow of the past? The beauty? The locations, the music, especially the piano accompaniment?
5. The theme of war and peace? The American background of involvement in the war and the way this was integrated with the personal theme of the film? Peace and friendship? Peace and love? The masking of tensions and hatred, of jealousy? Hatred as war? The strange moment of hatred and the consequences which last a lifetime?
6. The boy as centre of the film? His role as narrator? The irony of his memories? Was he remembering or trying to absolve himself of guilt? The nice American boy, clever, reserved? The quality of his friendship, admiration for his friend? The invitation to share and be daring? The masked jealousy? The vengeful nature? The moment of truth and violence? The consequences of fear? How did all this change him? His attempts to survive as if nothing had happened? His attempts to communicate the truth to his friend? The importance of the trial, his not telling the truth? The impact of all these events on his life, on his self knowledge? Was his life spoilt by all these events? In any way enriched? What insight into you.th and adolescence and its effect on a growing nun did the film offer?
7. The boy as alive, the quality of being alive, daring. enjoying life, leading, admiring friends and being admired? Sense of humourf vitality? Yet the victim of hatred? His unwillingness to face the truth after the accident? Admiration for his ability to cope? The loss of sport, the conducting of the winter Olympics? The importance of the trial and its impact on him? The realisation of the truth? His death and its meaning: did he deliberately die, fall down the stairs, or just not permit himself to live? A wasted life? Fruitful in what way?
8. The theme of reconciliation and peace? The effort that it takes. the deep desire for love and reconciliation in people? Reconciliation or else life meaning nothing?
9. The role of Lepper in the film: that he saw the truth, yet he was the outcast. yet involved in a war and running away from it? The ambiguity of his role amongst the boys. in the trial?
10. The presentation of the other boys? In comparison with the principal two? Their lack of daring? Their friendship and participation in the sportsf study. life of the school? Their seeking out of the truth? The nature of the trial?
11. Comment on the value of individual scenes as building up atmosphere for the film, their contribution: the tree and its symbolism. the jumping from the tree, the swimming, the sports, the scene with the headmaster and the pink shirt, the study sequences? The artificial nature of the trial? The final sequences in the hospital?
12. How valuable a film for understanding adolescent relationships was this?
