SILVER BEARS
UK, 1977, 113 Minutes, Colour.
Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan, Stephane Audran, David Warner.
Directed by Ivan Passer.
An unexceptional crime caper, but pleasantly entertaining, directed by Czech expatriate Ivan Passer whose films are often eccentrically offbeat. After a Las Vegas-Mafia? opening (with Martin Balsam) the scene is generally lovely Lugano (with trips to Iran) where Michael Caine has schemes afoot to own a bank (helped by a penniless but suave prince Louis Jourdan). Iranian silver schemes (with Stephane Audran and David Warner) the unscrupulous English Metal Exchange and a U.S. takeover (by Joss Ackland, his aide naive and enterprising, an ultimate victim, Tom Smothers and wife Cybill Shephard doing a daffy Goldie Hawn turn quite nicely) complicate things sufficiently to retain the interest with smiles.
1. The meaning of the title? Tone? The entertainment value of the film? The perennial appeal of crime capers, banks, money, romance?
2. The film's presentation of frauds, financial capers, the world of big business? A real world? Fantasy world? The audience dreams of being immersed in the world of high finance and details?
3. Colour, Las Vegas atmosphere and tone, the transition to Switzerland and the beauty of Lugano, the background of Iran? Panavision? The kind of fantasyland of financial dreams? The realism of San Francisco, London? A pleasant international financial dream?
4. The plausibility of the plot, its numerous complications, retaining audience interest, the audience enjoying the tricks and the twists? Audience sympathies and hopes for who would gain the money?
5. The introduction with the Fiore family: the humour of Joe Fiore inviting his colleagues in Las Vegas to bathe with him and discuss finance? His place in Las Vegas and the overtones of Mafia crooks? Money and its being laundered in Switzerland? Owning Swiss banks? His dedication to his work, his threats to various people including Albert, Doc Fletcher? Albert as his son and his being a petty thief? Doc Fletcher taking him in hand? Marvin and his role as masseur and transition to bank manager? The American flavour of the opening?
6. The character of Albert, his dopiness, a butt of the humour of the film? Marvin as humorous, his counterfeiting. Albert and Marvin on the town and gaining all the money? A humorous underlie to the serious themes? Albert and his decisions about the takeover of the bank?
7. The introduction to Doc Fletcher? Michael Caine's British style.. in America? Brains, relationship with Joe, the setting up of the bank? His acting as the tough financial man? The meeting with the prince and the strength of their friendship? His tough style, yet his loving the bank and building his ambitions on it? The humour of the small room. the hopes and pressures on the prince after fighting with him? The journey to Iran,, the hopes of the silver mine, the attraction of Shireen? The deals with Agha? The double deals with the loans? The growing bond with the prince, e.g. on the rocky flight home? The partyf the build-up of the bank, the buying of the house? The dream of wealth in Switzerland? Deals? The encounter with Luckman, seeing through him, the humour of the meeting with Debbie and the dancing, the seduction and getting the information? His wanting to tell her the truth but his backing out? The way that he coped with the crisis, the pressure on Joe and his visit to Las Vegas, the deal with cook, the pressure on Foreman, letting Donald go to jail? The deal with the Fidausis? The ending and the amoral tone of getting the money and the girl?
8. How interesting and attractive a character was Jan Fran As a prince with his background, pretensions, involvement in shady deals? His personality, loneliness, seeing him in his palace listening to music? His reaction to the pressure of Doc and his associates? His taking Doc to Iran and the deals with the Fidausis? His manner in running the bank, enjoying society life in Lugano, his manner and Italian temperament and breeding? His reaction to Luckman? His attraction towards Shireen and marrying her, an appropriate happy ending?
9. The presentation of the American banking man in Luckman? His relationship with Foreman, work in San Francisco, the presentation of the San Francisco banks and their European ambitions? His being in England and serious about his work? The introduction to Debbie, his reaction to her in the taxi, leaving her alone? His reaction to her saying that she was leaving while he was on the phone? Did he deserve to lose her? His pride, seriousness, smugness? Working with Cook? His deals with Doc? The finale and his slowness in realizing that he was to go to prison? The humour of the postcredits sequences and his being in prison writing his book? The satiric presentation of the American businessman?
10. The portrait of the financial world in Foreman and his absentmindedness, ambition, ruthlessness, being defeated by Cook? The presentation of the metal market in England, Cook and his associates and the scene with his associates at work on the floor of the market? Cook's holdings, lack of scruple, business acumen, dealing with Foreman, with Fletcher? The comment the film was making on the financial world?
11. Cybill Shepherd's style as Debbie? The comic style? The satire on the lonely American housewife? In England, in Switzerland, her phone calls, Lugano and the meeting with Doc, allowing herself to be seduced? The naive American abroad in Europe? Her comedy routines? The sense of betrayal when discovering that Doc had got the information from her?
12. The contrast with Iran, the Fidausis and their way of life, the characters of each, the revelation that Agha was an actor and the way that he had handled the situation, Shireen and her brains? The tin mines, the confrontations, the revelation by Shireen of the smuggling industry? The happy ending with the marriage?
13. The quality of the dialogue, wit, humour, droll atmosphere?
14. The contrast between Europe and America in styles and manner?
15. Light comedy, the values of the contemporary world presupposed, satirised, examined?
