THE BORDER

US, 1981 , 103 minutes, Colour.
Jack Nicholson, Valerie Perrine, Harvey Keitel, Warren Oates.
Directed by Tony Richardson.

The border of the film's title is that between El Paso and Mexico and the theme in the illegal migrants coming into the United States from Mexico. The setting is 1980. There had been many illegal migrants before (seen in such films as El Norte) and, of course, many since. The film focuses on the attitudes of two policemen on the border, Jack Nicholson as the congenial policeman sympathetic to the wetbacks and Harvey Keitel as a corrupt policeman.

The film was directed by Tony Richardson, the director of Look Back in Anger and The Entertainer as well as the Oscar winner for Tom Jones. Critics at the time said that the presentation of the issues was rather simplistic, a moral fable of good versus evil. However, with Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel as the policemen, there are excellent performances and it is a theme still worth considering.

1. An interesting and enjoyable film? A message thriller? The seriousness of its message? Importance and validity?

2. The border and the contrast between Mexico and Texas? The landscapes of the border, the Rio Grande, the differing lifestyles, societies? The Panavision colour photography? The editing to highlight the contrasts, the times when the two worlds merged? The atmospheric score? The song and its lyrics?

3. The significance of the title: the fact of the border, the symbolism of the border, two sides, separation, barrier, different worlds and the crossing of borders, permits to cross, dangers, each edge of the border on a contrasting world? The repercussions of the border? Illegal entry, need for border police? The breaking down of barriers and borders?

4. The introduction to the Mexican world: the opening baptism, the church, the poor lifestyle, language, devotion, superstition, faith, the church? The lack of material progress? A world of oppression? Human dignity? The impact of the earthquake and the collapse of the town? The quake killing, destroying, overthrowing the Mexican world? The sequences of the cleaning up of the rubble? The impact of the realism of the earthquake? The symbolism of the collapse of this world?

5. The border American towns and their factories? Cheap labour, illegal entries, false documents? The entrants with their hopes of the American Dream? Yet their hopeless situations, their being exploited? Charlie's work on the border? His initial mission? His interviewing the men? Taking scapegoats? The work of the border patrol, full time work, their methods, catching men, impounding them, returning them? The world of rackets? Drug-smuggling on the border? The illegal smuggling of Mexican babies into America? Expendable workers, the Mexicans as the dregs of American society?

6. The Rio Grande as border with its history? The shanty towns, the washing in the river, the stealing of American hubcaps? The squalor of the town? Miguel and his work on the border? The bar, sex, prostitution, the Americans coming over the border? The people involved in the rackets? The dirt, the need for its destruction but its indestructibility?

7. The need for escape, the groups and their preparations, going across the rivers, the hills? The continued roundups, impounding in the camps? The trucks? The repetitions and the Mexicans forever trying? The unreality of their hopes? The difficulties of language?

8. Jack Nicholson's presence and performance as Charlie? The strength of his performance? The ordinary man caught up in this world? Asking questions, challenge? Audience identification with him and his dilemmas? His work in California? His choosing the two for return to Mexico and his criteria? The ordinary day's work? His marriage, quality of his relationship for Marcy and his love for her? Her hopes? The caravan? El Paso and the house as the fulfilment of her dreams? Charlie's not wanting to go, her persuading him? His being able to be persuaded by her? The devices she used to persuade him? His work in El Paso. his establishing his suburban life? His reaction to Marcy? The encounter with the Mexican girl and his seeing life with new eyes? The temptation to corruption? His taking stances? His unwillingness to participate in murder? The rescue of the baby, his feeling good. growth in compassion? The impact of the experience on Charlie? Americans needing to see what was on their doorstep and taking stances, at least of compassion?

9. The message of the film: the people on the threshold of the United States, laws as regards illegal entrants, the way the laws were enforced, the need for the Americans to see more clearly, experience the squalor and understand and appreciate human dignity, the contrast of the lifestyles? The hope and optimism implied in the message despite its desperation?

10. The details of Charlie's life: so much work to do, his becoming part of the border patrol, introduction to the personnel, his friendship with Cat and his being his partner as well as neighbour? The initial shootout and its effect on Charlie? Violence and death? The men that he was working with, honesty, the job, corruption? Red and his control of his men and his money deals? J.J. and the loathsome individuals involved in rackets? The dealing with situations and people? The various sequences of catching the entrants and returning them? The river, the desert? Deals? The encounter with the young woman and her brother stealing the hubcaps? His attraction to her, wanting to help her, the visit to the Mexican side, the deaths, Miguel? His discovery of more and more corruption? His willingness to go along with Cat but drawing the line about violent deaths and dead bodies planted? Drug plants? His final making of decisions to help the Senora and her brother? The death of the brother? The loss of the baby? Charlie's decision to clash with Cat? The fight out with him? The siege of Red and J.J.? His bringing Maria to his home? Asking Marcy to look after her? Getting the baby back for Maria? The end and Charlie's future?

11. Marcy as the ordinary American housewife? Living in the caravan, her dreams of the duplex home, El Paso as the fulfilment of dreams? Her love for Charlie? The quality of their relationship, love, sexuality? Her naivety? Her delight in her new house? Houseproud and spending the money on furniture (while leaving it in plastic)? Meals from packets, spending all day washing her hair, etc., watching TV? Her enjoyment of barbecues and parties? The buying of the water bed and the furniture? Her hair, her nails? The friendship with Savannah and Cat, memories of her past and her dance routine with Savannah? Her not understanding Charlie, the humiliation at the barbecue? Her fears, not wanting to lose him? His bringing Maria to the home and her inability to communicate with her while trying to be polite? The pathos of the ending and her fears that Charlie would not come back? A portrait of the American woman? Sympathy and satire? Her needing to see the realities of life on the border?

12. Savannah as Marcy's friend? First impression, relationship with Cat, with her son? Parties, wealth, the sexy type? Drinking? Values? The comment on the American lifestyle? Her son growing up in this atmosphere?

13. Cat and his work in the police, the ordinary suburban policeman, his friendliness? The work as partner and the involvement in the shoot-outs? His conscientiousness in his work? The gradual revelation of his cynical approach? Deals? His attitude towards the deaths in the desert? His sounding out Charlie for involvement in the deals? The smooth doubletalk? The plant of the dead man to compromise Charlie? Involvement with J.J. and the money deal to get Maria and her brother across the border? His motivations? The final confrontation to the death with Charlie? The sketch of the corrupt cop?

14. Red and the symbol of his name, the redneck police chief? Talk to his men, friendliness with Charlie, the rules, his rules? ills birthday party and his getting on with people? His work with J.J.? Charlie discovering the truth and confronting him? The final siege? The film's comment on the corruption of authority figures?

15. The police as good and bad men? The portrayal of the corrupt police, the tempted, the honest police? The style of police work in El Paso? Police difficulties, violent gun battles? The funeral and tribute to the dead police? The atmosphere of American tributes? The job to be done, handling of situations, common sense? Corruption and deals? The intervention of the honest police?

16. The El Paso lifestyle: homes, clothes, parties and barbecues, food, the plastic and advertising style, television? The fight at the barbecue? The television programmes shown and their effect? The contrast with the poor? The plastic lifestyle as gross and ugly?

17. Miguel as evil? Working on both sides of the Rio Grande? Maria and her being interned, the woman helping with her baby, handing it to Miguel, his farming out the babies for large sums? His taking Charlie round the squalid nightspots in Mexico? Maria present as prostitute? The finale, the phone call and his death?

18. Juan and the young boys on the Mexican side of the border, stealing the hubcaps, his sister giving them back, the border children and their smuggling drugs? The pathos of his death ? the return home to die?

19. Maria and her dignity in the squalor, returning the hubcaps to Charlie? Her courtesy? Her love for her baby? Her disgust at Charlie and what he stood for, spitting? Her being helped by Charlie? Being forced into prostitution? The build-up to the escape? Charlie watching the group coming across the border? Their being packed into the truck? The hard ride? Marcy and the non-communication? The returning of her baby and her joy?

20. The action sequences, especially of the Mexicans trying to cross the border? Running, trucks, cars, chases, shoot-outs? The action shootout of the film - violence American style?

21. The human values explored? Picture of society? The contrast between the United States and Mexico? Mexican squalor and dreams? American affluence and apathy? Ignorance and exploitation? Charlie as the ordinary man hero - with the suggestion of the saviour figure (Christ figure?)