CONVOY

US, 1978, 110 Minutes, Colour.
Kris Kristofferson, Ali Mc Graw, Ernest Borgnine, Burt Young, Cassie Yates, Seymour Cassell, Franklin Ajaye.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah.

C.B. radio rides again with the truckies, under the leadership of Kris Kristofferson's Rubber Duck (along with venal police intervention by Ernest Borgnine). What begins like a boisterous scuffle turns into a protest convoy (in the M*A*S*H* vein) plus some Smokey Banditry stunts. But this is a Sam Peckinpah film: with a humorously cynical seriousness (including a bar brawl spoof of his slow motion violence) political opportunism, official violence, the ordinary right to protest and social questions get their turn. Stylishly photographed with many memorable road images, Kristofferson languidly earnest in leadership and a frizzy-haired Ali Mc Graw along for the ride, the film is particularly American in theme and treatment, but interesting.

1. An entertaining and interesting comedy adventure? Social comment? The popularity of trucks and trucking films in the 70s? The world of the road, the machine? Images of contemporary America?

2. The importance of the conventions of the road genre - the trucks, the spirit of the drivers. C.B. radio and communications? The open spaces of the road? Fellowship, cafes, toughness and fights, anti-police? The attitude of the police and the rest of the world towards the truckies?

3. The characteristics of Sam Peckinpah's film? The focus on men of action, toughness, strength? His interest in the West and its myths and heroics? Causes? The similarities between the West of the 19th century and the 20th? The individual heroes, the semi-outlaws, the role of law and order, law enforcement? Corruption in the law and the oppression of the hero? The individual within this West? The political exploitation? The importance of Peckinpah's style, especially his slow motion techniques. stylising, making the audience wallow in it? How did he parody his style in the slow motion fight in the roadside cafe, in the final demolition of the police station? The original screenplay based on the popular Convoy song? The lyrics, the time, the hero and his nickname of 'Rubber Duck' and its symbol on his truck, the contrast with the law? The spirit of the song and the way that it was worked through the film? The importance of the musical score - the contemporary songs, the trucking songs, use of semi-classical music, especially as background for the scenes of truck motion in the landscapes of Arizona and New Mexico?

4. The contribution of colour photography, wide-screen, the Arizona and New Mexico locations, the various aspects of the road. desert, plains, hills, vegetation, rivers? How well did the film communicate the sense of motion? The authenticity of the atmosphere? The several sequences of the contrived collages of the trucks moving through the countryside - superimpositions, editing, a ballet of trucks to semi-classical music? A vision of the contemporary American world? The contrast with the finale and the build-up to the battle, troops. war and explosions and destruction?

5. The impact of the opening - and the return to this at the end? The visuals of the trucks. Rubber Duck and the confrontation with Melissa? The build-up to the confrontation with the police and the indication of police corruption as he went after Melissa?

6. Kris Kristofferson's style as Rubber Duck? His real name being Martin? Kris Kristofferson's presence - as a truck driver, as an independent, as a leader? His pride in his truck, the confrontation with Melissa and her prodding him, his posing for her photos? The irony of his being pulled up by the police and his reaction? The realities of speeding, fines? His shrewdness in setting the police on Melissa? The friendship with Pig Pen and the conversations? The conversation by C.B. radio, especially with Spider Mike and the others? The introduction of Dirty Lyle and his listening in and prying? His stopping the truckies, the fines? The emergence of Rubber Duck's leadership? His reputation, influence? The focussing of the conflict with the law between Rubber Duck and Lyle and their past history?

7. The importance of C.B. radio and its world, the jargon, a means of communication, everybody listening in? Lyle and his covering up of this? His indication to the F.B.I. agent in the helicopter about the world of C.B. radio?

8. Ernest Borgnine as Lyle - as villain, corrupt policeman, ageing, old bonds, making easy money? His antagonism towards Rubber Duck? His disregard of Pig Pen? His hostility towards Spider Mike? Lyle and his C.B. radio, his deceit, his taking of bribes and fines? His laying down that he was the law? His sense of right in his own justice? Antagonism, the fight in the bar, taking the young people's car? His relentless pursuit? The helicopter? The obsession? How much an initial sense of humour? How much an obsessive pursuit? His behaviour in the helicopter, for instance? His behaviour in the town of Truckers' Hell? The confrontation and his defeat? The fact that he could finally laugh in the face of defeat as indicating his attitudes? The brutality towards Spider mike as contrast with this?

9. The camaraderie of the truckies? The girl at the eating place and her bond with Rubber Duck? The people in the cafe and their attitudes towards one another? Widow Woman and her personality, presence? As illustrated in the eating, the discussion about Melissa and selling her clothes? The all-in fight in the Peckinpah style? The emphasis on the fight and everybody's participation? The camaraderie in the building up of the convoy, the C.B. radio for building up spirits, the heading for the border along the back roads, the number of people who joined the convoy? The camping grounds and the spirit that had risen?

10. The importance of the chase structure of the film? Audience involvement in a chase, taking sides? The number of people involved? The police and their pursuit, barriers, warnings? The helicopter? The importance of the border? The stylisation of the travelling along the road with the classical music, slow motion, collages of vistas of the roads? The importance of the stunt work? The presentation of men and women using their wits? Their motives?

11. The film's attitude towards the police? The State Police as persons, their work, duty? The mouthing of variety of attitudes? Antagonism towards truckies, enjoyment of their pursuit?

12. The significance of the convoy and the title's focus on it? The social significance of the convoy - pilgrimage, procession, crusade? The motives for people joining it? The processions through the towns, the people cheering? Folk heroes? The spectacle of crashes and the blocking of the roads? The 'get up and go'? The interviews for the media? The Governor taking an interest in the protest and his aide interviewing? The spectacular aspects of the convoy with the escapes, the helicopter clash, breaking through the road-block etc.?

13. Melissa as heroine? The fashion model in the southern states, her car driving, taking photos, the clash with Rubber Duck? Her anger? The policeman and the rendezvous and her breaking it? Her apprehensions about being with Rubber Duck, the danger of ten years' prison? Her changing of her attitudes, gradual involvement? The importance of the television and the protest? Her commitment, the camping grounds and her attitudes? Her support of Rubber Duck? Her grief at his death? And the humour of the happy ending for her? A symbol of the American woman in this kind of situation?

14. Martin Penwold as a person, individual? Name, Rubber Duck? How well defined was the character of Robber Duck? His background, love for his truck, an independent, his explanation of his wife and family? A convincing leader? What drew the men behind him? How did he influence them during the journey? The light shown on him by his experience with Violet in the truck, his going to the rescue of the men in the fight, making for the border? His political importance in the encounter with the Governor, his decisions on the night in Texas, his decision to go to rescue Spider-mike? The violent reaction and the smashing of the police station? His decision to go on even after he had been betrayed? His going towards death and audience response to this - martyr, witness? The ironies of the funeral speech about him and the making of him as a hero? The irony of the funeral cortege going wild and his survival, disguised, cheeky winking at the end and going off to live another day?

15. The personality of Pig Pen, way of speaking, job, comradeship in the truck driving, C.B. radio? Reaction to Dirty Lyle, devotion to Rubber Duck, supporting him during the journey, in the trip to Texas? Spider-mike, Negro, the journey, his leaving to go back to his pregnant wife, Lyle's hostility towards him as a negro, taking his money, pursuing him? Having him arrested, using him as bait? The brutality of the Texas prison? widow Woman and her role as a tough truck driver - a woman in Peckinpah's world? The old truck drivers, the men out for kicks, the build-up of the social grievances of the people? The Jesus Freaks and their grievances, attitude towards the convoy?

16. How was the fame of the convoy explained? Lyle and his contacts with the F.B.I. and their pursuit? The television people and the nature of their interviews and the use of the truth? The Governor and his interest? The abuses that the truckies were demonstrating against? The personality of the Governor, his consultations with his assistants, his public image, the consultation with Rubber Duck, the others coming in and interfering? His wanting to use the convoy for political purposes? His public speeches, the satire in his speech at the end and the upsetting of everything? The comment on government?

17. The effect of the convoy on Lyle? Its growing on him, his not being able to turn back, the helicopter and his impatience with the F.B.I. agent, his using Mike as bait, his arrival in Texas and his collusion with the Texas sheriff, his reaction to the violence and his disowning it? His waiting for the confrontation with Rubber Duck? His response to the convoy's bashing the prison? His declaration about the nature of law and his being the law? might was right? The finale with the military-like stance that he took, the cannons and the tanks? His final seeing Rubber Duck going off and his having to laugh? What tone did this give the ending?

18. How well did the screenplay move from convoy, comedy adventure to politics? The growth of the convoy and the bonds between the people, the camaraderie of the park and people eating and washing? The change then in the desperation of the rescue of Mike and the finale?

19. Rubber Duck's motivation in going to Texas, his standing alone, the images of the western as the trucks stood at the edge of the town belching smoke and ready for the charge, the violence of the bashing? The Peckinpah touch?

20. The device of the ice-cream truck delaying the others, Rubber Duck being lured into the ambush? His decision to go ahead, the implications of violence and death, the truck going off the bridge and audience response to this, sharing it with Melissa as she watched in the distance? The irony of his survival and the happiness of the ending?

21. Sam Peckinpah's fascination with the West, the myths, the way of life that it engenders in terms of masculinity, the place of women, toughness, law and order, violence and betrayal? The portrayal of violence, especially in the cafe, the finale of the bashing of the police station, the bridge warfare?

22. Social themes of the oppressed and their rights, politics and their use? Themes of America and the continuity of the present with the past and the heritage of the West?

23. The ironic ending and what the audience was left with? The importance of the collage and the reprisal of the scenes of the whole film? The significance of the old couple at the end and their kiss?