A TASTE OF HONEY

UK, 1961, 100 minutes, Black and white.
Dora Bryan, Robert Stephens, Rita Tushingham, Murray Melvin, Paul Danquah.
Directed by Tony Richardson.

A Taste of Honey was one of the major plays of the so-called kitchen-sink British drama which took London by storm from the mid-50s. The play was written by Sheila Delaney and set in Salford, near Manchester. The film recreates the atmosphere of the period and uses Salford locations to great effect in the black and white photography.

The film raised a number of themes. The focus at first is on family, where a promiscuous mother has detrimental effect on her immature young daughter. When the mother marries, she turns out the daughter. The daughter becomes very friendly with a gay social worker and they have a flat together. During a one-night stand, with a black man, the young girl becomes pregnant. The homosexual friend then becomes her saviour, her partner, preparing everything for the birth.

The film was directed by Tony Richardson who had directed a number of the film versions of these plays from the late 50s: Look Back in Anger, The Entertainer, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance? Runner. After that he won the Oscar for directing Tom Jones and moved to direct internationally with a variety of films, some specialist like The Sailor From Gibraltar and Mademoiselle, some big-budget films like The Charge of the Light Brigade. During the 70s and 80s he had a mixed career with film and television films, especially in the United States.

The film won many awards, especially BAFTA, with Dora Bryan winning best actress. The film also was screened in the Cannes film festival with Murray Melvin and Rita Tushingham winning the best actor and actress awards. Rita Tushingham also won a number of awards, including a Golden Globe, for most promising newcomer.

Rita Tushingham was to appear in a number of British films during the 60s, capitalising on her waif-like and slender appearance: The Leather Boys, Girl With Green Eyes, The Knack, Smashing Time. Murray Melvin was to continue as a character actor in many British films.

The film has a deep sense of humanity and compassion.

1. The meaning of the title, its irony, indication of themes?

2. The quality of the black and. white photography, the atmosphere of the nineteen-sixties, the emphasis on realism? How effective?

3. The film was based on a play. Was this at all evident?

4. How much emphasis was there in realism in the treatment? How much were the characters and their situations symbolic of modern life?

5. The film's focus on Jo: her North English background, a modern young girl in modern society. her relationship with her mother, the effect of her mother on her? The background of a sleazy life, their escaping from lodgings? The essence of her loneliness? How credible was she as a typical young girl, her needs, the inability of people to help her? How much compassion did the characterization evoke?

6. How credible was the relationship between Jo and Jimmy? The nature of their friendship, Jo as a schoolgirl, reacting to her mother and Peter, the sexual fulfilment, the problem of the baby? Jo's revulsion at having the baby? The providential friendship of Geoffrey? Her growing through this friendhsip and confronting her baby a bit more realistically?

7. How credible was the portrayal of Helen? Insight into a "good-time girl" grown into middle-age? Her love for Jo, her possessiveness? The slatternly nature of their home? Her lack of responsibility? Her singing, emphasis on her beauty, having a good time? The nature of her relationship with Peter? The trip to Blackpool and sending Jo away? Coming back to Jo when it suited her? of her taking over? The possessiveness and harshness

8. What was left between Jo and Helen at the end? for the future? What were the prospects?

9. The portrayal of men? Especially Peter and the types that Helen picked up with? Their capacity for relationship? The style of their lives, the quality of their lives? The bars, Blackpool etc.?

10. The contrast of Jimmy? The race question? Love without responsibility?

11. Geoffrey and his wistfulness? A note of optimism? The treatment of homosexuality? Geoffrey and his capacity for being hurt? Helen's cruelty at the end? Jo's searching for him? Her not following up the search? The future for Geoffrey and his loneliness?

12. How pessimistic was the film? How bleak and bitter? Were there any hopeful signs? An insight into English life? Into human beings and their plight?