SPRING AND PORT WINE

UK, 1970, 101 minutes, Colour.
James Mason, Susan George, Diana Coupland, Rodney Bewes, Hannah Gordon, Adrienne Posta, Keith Buckley, Frank Windsor, Bernard Bresslaw, Arthur Lowe, Marjorie Rhodes.
Directed by Peter Hammond.

Spring and Port Wine is a look at middle-class or working-class families in Lancashire. The setting is Bolton. James Mason portrays the father of the family with Diana Coupland as his wife. Susan George and Rodney Bewes are among their children.

The film is intended as a down-to-earth look at real life, family relationships, the workplace, tensions.

The film was written by Bill Norton, who came to fame with his screenplay for Alfie. He also wrote the screenplay for The Family Way as well as a sequel to Alfie, Alfie Darling. The film was directed by Peter Hammond who had a thirty-year career in television with only a few feature films, principally Spring and Port Wine.

In retrospect, the film is certainly of its time. However, it also is an opportunity to have a glimpse of what family and working life was like in northern England in the 1950s and 60s.

1. The meaning of the title and its reference? The explanation in the film?

2. The fact that the film was based on a play, Bill Naughton's reputation. his recreation of provincial English towns? The atmosphere, the themE of the provincial town and its effect on people?

3. The realism and the portrayal of character, town, situations? Did the film strive for realism? The blend of realism and optimism within an ugly world? The sentiment and the danger of sentimentality? How rugged and realistic was the realism?

4. The importance of the locations and the colour photography, the skyline of Bolton, the aerial shots, the atmosphere of Lancashire and industry? The music and contemporary tone?

5. The credits, the introduction and expectations? Fulfilled?

6. The initial portrayal of the Crompton family and audiences entering into the family and identifying with it from experience: Mother and her trying to do the accounts, the neighbour and her television not and the loan, Rate and his dominating the household on his arrival, the children and work,, school? The bonds between parents and children? The comparison with the family next door? A neat and tidy house and the importance of appearances, the family eating and singing together, doing things as Rate willed? The appearances of a good and nice family? The reality? How did the screenplay point the irony of appearances and reality?

7. The initial attention given to Mother: Her simplicity, her place in the household, love for her children, respect for her husband, love for him? The importance of money and her being hold to account by her husband? Her kind heartedness after the insults of the neighbour? Her being nice to everyone and to Dad? Her wisdom throughout the film and her support of her children, for example with Hilda and the herring, with Arthur? Florence? Wilt and his crimes? Her being overcome by this at the climax, especially about the coat, her fear and her not knowing what to do in facing the anger of her husband? Her going to the a canal and contemplating death?

8. The portrayal of Florence as the older daughter, saying words of support, yet her love for Arthur and her fear of disobeying her father? Her learning defiance? The bond between herself and Arthur, their searching out the flat, the romanticism of them making love? The choices and her mother giving her approval for her to leave home?

9. The comparison with Hilda and seeing her initially at work, at the party? Her reading of fiction, her embodying all the attitudes of the late adolescent girl and popular magazines? Her pregnancy, her not eating the herring and the confrontation with her father? Her defiance and stubbornness? Her becoming desperate? Her willingness to give in when the herring disappeared? Her decision to go away, the comparison with the family next door and their slovenliness? Borrowing the money? Wanting to go to London? Her support of her mother? The eventual acceptance? A credible portrayal of this young girl?

10. Harry as the older brother and his capacity for laughing yet his fear of his father, for instance the smoking? His defying his father but only so far? His supporting the household, his giving of money? The confrontations and the effect on him and his decision with Wilt to leave home?

11. The portrayal of Wilt an the young boy, his joking, his boyishness? His attitudes within this family? Jokes? His understanding at his brother and sisters? The importance of his giving the herring to the cat and the confrontation with his father? The importance of the tainting fit? His decision to leave home and its importance to him even though he and Harry had no practical plans?

12. The build-up to Dad and his expectations? His various mannerisms and his explanation of his own background and his reacting against it? Turning off the television, his criticisms of popular fiction, his needing of silence, his not wanting smoking, his reference for the Bible, his distinction between fact and truth, his remembering the old days, his pride in his family and building things up, his supervision of money? Family song? The importance of the confrontation over the herring? The visualising of this in the collage of meals and the various contracts of meals with the herring? His walks in the countryside, his love for the Messiah, his buying himself a good coat? The confrontation with Arthur? The build-up of tension? The oath for Wilt telling the truth and people reacting against him? The hard side of his character and his bullying? A credible father?

13. The importance of Arthur as someone coming from outside? The sequence of the advice given about marriage, his paying court, his feeling alien within the family circle and Rate's pride against him? His love for Florence, their making love, preparations for the house? The confrontation and straight talk to Rate and its effect?

14. The comparison with the neighbours and their harshness? Yet their accepting Hilda for the night? The importance of the egg? The neighbour's wife helping with pawning back the coat?

15. The symbolism of the coat precipitating the crisis? The build-up of suspense with the sons urging Dad to wear the coat and Mother wanting to conceal the truth?

16. The pathos of her going to the canal and her desperation? The importance of Rate finding her? Their communication at the canal credible, a basin for the future?

17. The resolution seemed very pat. Was it too easy? The revelation of the benign side of Rate - too quickly? The fact that he knew what was going on all the time and yet dominated with his own attitudes?

18. How much insight into human nature and families from this story? Audience identification and realism? Optimism? A modern fable in a modern setting for understanding?