CALLAN

UK, 1974, 106 minutes, Colour.
Edward Woodward, Eric Porter, Carl Mohner, Catherine Schell, Peter Egan.
Directed by Don Sharp.

Callan was a very popular English television series and was important British entertainment in the mid '70s all over the world. As with many popular English television series, movie spin-offs were made. This is quite an effective full-length episode of Callan and stars Edward Woodward in the title role. It has a strong supporting cast and is directed by Don Sharp, noted for the great number of action adventure films including Hennessy, The Four Feathers and The 39 Steps. It is entertaining as a thriller for those not familiar with the television series.

1. How enjoyable a thriller was this? The nature of the thriller ingredients? The use of thriller conventions?

2. The film was a spin-off from television. Was this evident? Catering to television popularity? Television techniques or not? Better than its television origins?

3. The quality of the British locations and atmosphere? Audiences appreciating a thriller in the real world? The recognisable world? The down and-out atmosphere of the film?

4. How interesting a person was Callan? How did the screenplay focus on him? The quality of Edward Woodward's tight-lipped performance? His personal style, voice, accent? His personality as a killer, in the past, in the present? Could the audience have any sympathy for him? His ambition and goals to succeed in his job? The lack of relationships in his life? A loner, and a loser? The moral background of Callan's personality and work? His sense of duty, proving himself, his skills as an assassin? His sense of justice, twinges of conscience, nightmares? His relationship to Hunter, insubordination and criticism? Eluding pursuers etc.? The rivalry with Meares and his outwitting him? The relationship with Schneider and the girl, his involvement in the war games, his relentlessness in killing? Why is Callan so watchable? Is he in any way admirable?

5. Hunter's organisation and its impact on the audience? The ruthlessness, life and death, Hunter's playing God, his feelings and lack of feelings, his enjoying suffering e.g. the Greek's hallucinations, his control and use of people, his manipulating them? The symbolism of the files? What kind of personality did Hunter have?

6. How was Meares a younger Hunter? The cold success, yet over-reaching himself in jealousy, Callan's victim?

7. How interesting a person was Schneider? The initial impressions, his German background, the war, his nightmares? His relationship with Callan, the toys, the war games,, his relationship with the girl? The information about his deals? His conversations on the phone and his ruthlessness? Audience sympathy with him as he is terrorised by Callan? Audience response to his death? Why did he die? Did he deserve to die?

8. How did the girl add a human element to the film? As a human means for comparing other personalities in the film? Evaluating their behaviour? Her love, her fear,, her reaction at the end?

9. The portrayal of Callan at work? As a contrast with Hunter? With Meares? His use of Lonely, insulting him, his apologies to him? His skills?

10. What did the Greek and his friend add to the film as regards criminal background? What did Lonely add? The sequence in the hospital with the drugs?

11. How effective were the sequences of the terrorising of Schneider? How did the director make them exciting?

12. The device of the war games? Its role in the film and realism and symbol? The irony of the final battles?

13. Callan's shrewdness in switching plans? His apology to Lonely? His going into the red file?

14.What presuppositions of violence, murder, the law did the £1lm have? The values of humanity, integrity, justice?