BRONCO BILLY
US, 1980, 111 minutes, Colour.
Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Scatman Crothers, Sam Bottoms.
Directed by Clint Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood has made many boisterous westerns and comedies. However, when he directs films, he takes himself and themes more seriously. Here he successfully combined the knockabout with the western, the American themes with humour and made a most amiable picture of the American Dream: be what you want.
The credits song is about cowboys and clowns, the finale sentimental hero worship. The tatty Wild West show, the echoes of '30s screwball comedy with a runaway heiress (Sondra Locke again), a gallery of socially down-and-out 'characters' played by a group who appear often with Eastwood, an emphasis on nice behaviour, make this an easily pleasing, U.S. morale boosting entertainment.
1. The popularity of Clint Eastwood? His film persona, his interests, style, presence? His tough tradition e.g. the westerns? His possibility of sending himself up? His serious exploration of themes? His emergence through the '70s? Bronco Billy as opening the '80s?
2. Audience enjoyment of and knowledge of the western traditions? Heroes, the frontier, cowboys and Indians, cowboy skills? Confrontation of Indian and white man? Toughness, horses etc.? The serious heritage of the American dream? Its possibility of being satirised? How well did Bronco Billy take the myth seriously and yet spoof them? A sentimental presentation of the American Dream - cowboys in the late 20th. century?
3. The film's statements about the American Dream - people being what they want to be? Embodying the past traditions in the context of the present? The morale boosting of the American Dream as necessary around 1980?
4. The portrait of the United States - the credits sequences and the lyrical presentation of landscapes and towns? The range of American towns shown, the various states and their landscapes, on the road in America? The various institutions? An atmosphere of realism - with the sentimental touch?
5. Bronco Billy's show, the various items that were presented, the small audiences and the large audiences, the people paying, the institutions e.g. orphanages, mental institutions? The circus atmosphere and the tent, the razzamatazz and the announcing? (And the music played on a record?) The showbiz atmosphere of the show? Costs, hazards of fire? The importance of the touring show and its effect on the audiences? The help to get the show on the road ? with the American flag? Morale boosting?
6. Eastwood's style as Billy? His impact on people - the show itself, the showing of the recruiting of the girls and the knife-throwing act, with blood drawn? His attitude towards the rest of the team? His words to the audience - "little pards" and talk about prayers and study? The interviews with him? The bonds with the rest of the team - seeing them on the road, driving, arguments, working together? His concern for the rest of the team? The encounter with Antoinette, the initial seeing of her in her tatty dress, thinking her an ordinary girl, taking her along, arguments, her arrogance. his putting her out on the road? His changing his opinion of her throughout the film? His reaction to her hardness? Saving her from the assault? The dance, the outing, her drinking? Her seeming to bring bad luck? Training her for the act? Her performance and fear? The mellowing and the story of her life? her concealing the truth? The visit to the asylum? The bond between the two, the love? His reaction to the knowledge of the truth? His needing her and her return? The humorous interlude where Bronco Billy stopped the bank robbers? His encounter with the kids and giving them free tickets for the show?
7. Bronco Billy and the story of his life - telling Antoinette the truth, the shoe salesman, New Jersey, his reaction against city life, his dreams of the cowboy, his shooting his wife? Prison and the friendship with Lenny and Lefty and Doc? His starting the show, fulfilling his dreams? The friendship with Doc and Doc's story? Lefty and his place in the show? The chief and his wife? Taking up Leonard? The importance of Lenny getting drunk, being arrested, the discovery of his being a deserter (and the film's attitude towards the Vietnam war and deserters?) ? the encounter with the Sheriff, the Sheriff showing off? The bribe and getting Lenny back?
8. The build up to the fire? Billy's being away with the Sheriff? The bored audience? The generosity of the carnival people? The decision to ask the asylum inmates to make the tent? The build up to reopening?
9. Antoinette and the traditions of the spoilt American heiress running away? '30s comedy? The wedding and her attitude towards John, the licence, the wedding ceremony itself, her not allowing him to touch her? Her coldness and his reaction? John's stealing everything and disappearing? Her having the tatty dress, borrowing the dime? Bargaining with people especially Billy? Her participation in the show, her arrogance, bad luck? The dance and the assault? Her building up friendships with the group? The visit to the orphanage and her reaction? Her love for Billy and his reaction to her, changing her especially in the sequence in the asylum? The discovery of the truth, her reaction to John? Her return to New York and her former manner? Her taking the sleeping pills, having them only in her mouth? The phone call and her quick return?
10. The picture of the shady lawyer and his deals and outwitting John? Antoinette's stepmother and her gold-digging? Antoinette's reaction to her on her return? John and his deals and finishing up in the asylum, his climbing the building to see Antoinette? The truth?
11. The American tradition of the screwball comedy with the John and Antoinette sequences?
12. Bronco Billy and morale boosting, children, the ordinary townspeople, orphans and his telling his stories, Dr. Canterbury and his learning how to draw, the people in the institution making the tent?
13. The changes to each of the characters throughout the film? Their masks, their reality? The bond of the group and the show going on? The happy ending? The particularly American themes - the American heritage, dream, the show? The American dream and its fulfilment?
