BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY

US, 1973, 98 minutes, Colour.
Robert de Niro, Vincent Gardenia, Ann Wedgworth.
Directed by John Hancock.

Bang the Drum Slowly is a line from a traditional American song, 'Streets of Laredo', referring to the funeral of a young cowboy, a fitting title for a story about a dying baseball player, average, slow-witted, pleasant and the supportive friendship of the star member of the club. Nicely balancing pathos, sentiment and the realities of illness and death, the film has warmth, humanity and good humour. Robert De Niro (in pre-Godfather days) shows the promise of his continuing fulfilment as the dying player. Michael Moriarty is his friend and Vincent Gardenia (in an Oscar-nominated role) is excellent as the coach. Particularly American but a recommended portrait of friendship for all audiences.

1. An enjoyable and entertaining film? A humane story? Its quality as a story of friendship, sports film, film about clubs and professional sport? A film about death? The blending of these themes?

2. The focus of the title, the importance of the song 'The Streets of Laredo', attention to the lyrics of the song and the way that it was sung (especially with Bruce listening and knowing he was to die)? The cowboy of the song as being a symbol for Bruce and his American status, as regards his death at a young age? The plaintive melody of the song and its tradition? Its being used in the score? The significance of mourning for the death of a person like Bruce ? and the club doing it while he was alive but his being quickly forgotten at his death and afterwards?

3. The appeal of the film for an American audience? The attention to baseball, its ethos, competitiveness, training, competitions and championships? A film employing the American traditions? Using American sentiment?

4. How interesting was the presentation of baseball and the action sequences? The picture of the team and its training, its lack of cohesion, its wins and its losses? The background of the owners and the discussions about money, the training sequences? Dutch as coach and his hard-headedness., pep talks and preaching? The atmosphere of contracts, motivation? Welding the team into a group? Friendships? The atmosphere of the locker room? The growing cohesion of the group, especially with the knowledge of Bruce's death ? and the irony of nobody going to his funeral?

5. The importance of the sequences with the owners and their discussions of money, competitive needs, contracts? Arthur and his conditions for his contract? Dutch and his say, tantrums? The finance and business side of American sport?

6. The picture of Bruce and Arthur as friends? The basis of their friendship, the bonds? Were they close or not? How much was pity from Arthur's side? Good nature? The consequences of the friendship and its extent? The repercussions in terms of Bruce's illness, Arthur's help with the visits to the doctor, the joy in Bruce's success, Arthur's conditions for his contract, morale-boosting, care of his financial difficulties, warding off the greedy woman, sorrow and anxiety about his illness, mourning him?

7. How well did the film focus on Bruce? the use of the song? The quality of Robert De Niro's performance as a simple ballplayer? His ordinariness, home life and his father's visit to the match. his moderate talent, his place in the team, training? The visit to Minnesota and the tests? The nature of his illness and his facing it? His slowness, people calling him dumb, his chewing tobacco and spitting, his place in the team? His love for the girl and his wanting her to marry him? His not realising she was after his money? His reliance on Arthur, his dependence on him as regards finance, medical help? The quality of his play as the season went on? His turns and the doctor having to come? The group learning about his illness and their support, friendship? The exhilaration of his success in the matches? His quietly going home? The information about his death and his funeral? The ordinary man hoping for some kind of personal greatness and achieving it? A meaning in death?

8. The contrasting portrait of Arthur? The significance of his commentary, the information and the tone, the quality of his relationship with Bruce? The irony of his names? His insurance work, his writing, his gambling and having Bruce on the team? Friendship, helping Bruce, the stories he made up about him to save face? His hard line with the contract? His own play and skills? Informing some of the team and its repercussions? Getting the doctor? Fending off the woman trying to marry Bruce? His hard-headedness in the face of her threats? His sharing Bruce's joy at good play? His seeing him off, his regret about not sending him the information during the break? His going to the funeral ? and his wry comments on nobody else being there?

9. Vincent Gardenia's portrait of Dutch? His Oscar nomination for this role? Hard-headed, discussion of finance, deals with other teams? His manner of talking, his image? Toughness? The relentlessness of his investigation and the stories told him by Arthur? The humour of his pep talks and the imagery he used and his being translated into Spanish? His reaction when he knew about Bruce's illness? A caricature yet human portrait of this kind of coach?

10. The portrait of the members of the team - individuals, play, clashes, attitudes towards Bruce and his being dumb, the information and their talking to one another, the effect of cohesion as they worked together? The party? The irony that it took sadness and death to weld them together? Its temporary effect?

11. The portrait of the gold-digger, her friendship with Bruce, pressurising him about his will, the antagonism towards Arthur?

12. The picture of the season, the team? The detail of the locker room, the tours, the hotels, the card games, the party, the worries?

13. The film as a portrait of genuine friendship? A portrait of the need for achievement? A film about death?