SERGEANT RUTLEDGE

US, 1960, 111 minutes, Colour.
Jeffrey Hunter, Constance Towers, Woody Strode, Billie Burke.
Directed by John Ford.

1. Did the title give the proper focus of attention for the film? The significance of the songy Captain Buffalo. during the credits and the explanation of the song at the end and its reference to Sergeant Rutledge?

2. Comment on the effectiveness of the structure of the film. Did the flashbacks fit into the court structure of the film? Did they come at appropriate dramatic points?

3. Was the film chiefly a courtroom drama or a western? Why?

4. How interesting was the film as a court drama? Was there sufficient conflict in the case? A hero whose life was at stake and drew our sympathy? Verbal dramatics appropriate to court sequences?

5. How good a western was the film? the court sequence and the questions involved enhance the impact of the typical western material? Indian chases? The behaviour of Sergeant Rutledge, the behaviour of Cantrell etc? How did the western story add to the dramatic impact of the court sequence?

6. What kind of person was Sergeant Rutledge in himself? Was he too upright a character? Was he too much a black figure and symbol in the film? Where was audience sympathy for him?

7. What did the film have to contribute on race relationships? The relationship of white and black and prejudices? The relationship of whites and Indians? Indian Reservations and white pursuits? The black in relation to Indians? Indians seeing blacks as black white men?

8. Comment on the attack on the lynching attitude of white Americans in the west - the men in the court, Rutledge's fear of telling the truth because as a black he was doomed automatically? The women in the court?

9. What picture of western society did the film give, especially in the opening sequences at the court? the men, the women chattering, eager for a trial, their reaction at being sent out? The picture of the town, the people, the shop, the murdered family and their relationship with people, the Army?

10. Was Cantrell a sympathetic figure? hero for the film? How did he embody Army values? How did he illustrate the life of an Army on an outpost in the west? The train ride, his relationship to Mary, to Rutledge, his involvement in the chasing of the Apaches, the decisions he had to make about Rutledge during the chase? Cantrell’s living by the book? Why did he take on Rutledge’s case? How well did he handle the court scenes and his opposition?

11. The contribution of Mary to the film? As a heroine? Her relationship to Sergeant Rutledge and the revelation of the truth? The gradual build-up of her story and audience sympathy for her, identifying with her view of Rutledge? Her contribution in the court?

12. Fosgate: and his running of the court? was it fair? Was he prejudiced? (The humour of his drinking tlwaterll, his attitude towards his wife?)

13. The Prosecutor, Shaddick: was he fair in his working on the case? How prejudiced was he? Where was this most dramatically felt?

14. The character of Mrs. Foagate - representing society in the west? The foolishness of the absent-minded woman ? White prejudices in ordinary people?

15. Was the denouement too melodramatic? Did Cantrell have the right as he did to produce a confession? Did the real identity of the murderer contribute to the meaning of the film or not?

16. How American was the film? What feelings of patriotism and self understanding would the film have aroused in Americans? Why?

17. Did the film descend to sentimentality at any time? The opportunities were there - in attitude towards Rutledge, towards blacks, the hero and Mary and their romance? Or did the film successfully avoid this? Did the film help in the understanding of human nature and behaviour.