THE BELL JAR

US, 1979, 110 minutes, Colour.
Marilyn Hassett, Julie Harris, Anne Jackson, Barbara Barrie, Robert Klein, Donna Mitchell.
Directed by Larry Peerce.

The Bell Jar is based on Sylvia Plath's well known novel, focusing on a sensitive young girl, a talented poet, preoccupied with her inner life and haunted by death. She is cautious in relationships and loses an opportunity to work in a New York ladies' magazine. She cracks and has to undergo shock treatment and therapy. A grim film in which Marilyn Hassett works hard as the lovely but tormented Esther. Her impersonation is rendered sadder by our knowledge of Sylvia Plath's own suicide. Julie Harris is Esther's bewildered mother and Anne Jackson her doctor. While the film skims a surface of breakdown and pressures, many audiences will probably strongly identify with it.

1. The impact of the work of Sylvia Plath? Her poetry, this novel and its reputation, her life and her suicide?

2. "To the person in Bell Jar, black and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream." The appropriateness of the metaphor of the bell jar? Breakdown, isolation, depression and madness? The scape from the bell jar by suicide? Themes of identity, fear, coping with life? Sylvia Plath's sensitivity as communicated in her characterisation and her poetry? How much despair, hope?

3. The adequacy of translating such a personalised psychological novel to the screen? The qualities of the screenplay and the dramatisation of a novel? Marilyn Hassett and her presence, style as Esther? Psychic disturbance and the psychological breakdown in society transferred to visuals?

4. The re-creation of the period: 1953 and the atmosphere of the '50s family life, college and study, sororities, Ladies' Day magazine and its influence, lifestyle? Massachusetts and its atmosphere, the contrast with New York? The mental asylums? The musical score and its atmosphere?

5. The characterisation of Esther, a girl of the early '50s? The impact of the opening with the focus on Esther in light and shadow, her subjective world, her invitation to the audience to observe and to share her life and experience? The theme of the bell jar and scientific observation? People and things in vacuums? Esther as poet, sensitive girl, the sequence of her award and her oddities of behaviour? Audience puzzle about her?

6. Esther and her relationship with Buddy, her love for him, the sequence together, his nakedness, her virginity and reserve? Her later talking about the episode to Joan? The possibility of marriage? The discussions about career and being a doctor's wife? Her later dependence on him ? and his failure to cow to New York to help her? Their later meeting at the asylum and his trying to reconcile? The effect of the experience of Buddy on her? The sketch of Buddy in the film ? the American young nun of the time, professional career, his talk about his work and training. his hopes. his expectations of the role of a woman in the house and Esther's inability to fulfil these?

7. Esther and Joan and their friendship from college days, their ability to talk together, share experiences, hopes? The significance of the dinner with Joan's father and his exuberance? Their discussion about the future, what they would be doing in ten years? The introduction of the them of death? The meting in New York and the outings, the discussion about the various ways of suicide? The importance of this for Joan's arrival at the asylum and her committing herself, the discussions with Esther, Esther's discovering her body hanging from the tree? Joan as the true image of Sylvia Plath in her own life? Esther as embodying Sylvia Plath but still dramatising the hopes for life and survival?

8. The themes of death and birth throughout the film? The discussions of this theme, Esther's birth, Buddy and his work? Esther's preoccupation with death? The death of her father, her discussions with her mother at the picnic and her mother trying to avoid these? How morbid was Esther's preoccupation.. how normal? The anticipation of ten years and Joan being dead? The discussions about suicide? Esther's preoccupation with death but her ability to scream and let out her tensions?

9. The portrait of Mrs. Greenwood, a nice woman, the picnic and her avoiding of the Issues and not meting Esther's needs in communication? Her love for her daughter? The home sequences, meals, outings? Her being disturbed by Esther's experiences? Her hopes for New York and Ladies' Day? Esther's return home, their lack of communication, Mrs. Greenwood's talking over Esther and covering her anxiety by talking? Esther's comments on her in her therapy ? hatred and love? The ineffectiveness of Mrs. Greenwood's visit to the asylum and her hurt in not being able to communicate with her daughter? The pathos of this breakdown in communication between mother and daughter?

10. The change of atmosphere from Massachusetts to New York_ the naivety of the girls, their excitement at arriving, the briefing by the editor? The picture of the girls and their stay? American glamour and ballyhoo ? of the Ladies' Journal type? The editor and her force of personality, strictness? Standards? Jaycee and her personality, standards? The lesbian interest in Esther and her reaction to it? Her support of her, the humiliation of her and her discussion about her work, failure? The irony of the photograph with the roses? The irony of the presentation of the journal and Esther's place within it?

11. Doreen and her coming from the South, her story about herself, allowing herself to be picked up with Esther? The encounter with Lenny ? his talk, drinking, dancing? His aggressive behaviour? Esther and her timidity? The importance of her phone call to Buddy and his failing to cone to her? The impact on her collapse?

12. Jaycee and her cruelty, the photo, tears? The dance, Marko and his aggressiveness, her taking off her clothes and the final scream? Symbols of her collapse?

13. The transition to the hospital the visual presentation of electric shock, her treatment? The effect on her no cure, the despair and the taking of the pills, crawling and hiding away? How credible was this collapse?

14. Dr Nolan, her personality, skills, change of treatment? The controlled electric shock treatment? Acknowledging the bell jar and trying to break out of it? Esther and her progress, possibility of the future and sanity?

15. Joan and her arrival, the contrast with Esther, their discussions, the lead-up to her hanging herself, Esther's discovery and the impact on her life? Her wondering at life?

16. Her mother and her visit, Esther expressing her hatred and her mother unable to understand this?

17. The film as a portrait of a 20th. century woman under pressure and not coping? The reality of madness, death?

18. How grim was the film ? giving insight, helping people understand, helping people to cope? An adequate dramatisation of a novel about interior life? The sad ironies of Sylvia Plath's own suicide?