BUTLEY

US, 1973, 130 minutes, Colour.
Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy, Richard O'Callaghan, Susan Engel, Michael Byrne.
Directed by Harold Pinter.

Butley was a surprise. When an audience participates in verbal and emotional lashings like those portrayed in this film (the Virginia Woolf variety), it usually expects a final relief, a catharsis of insight and emotional release as the protagonists move towards some understanding. Not so here. The fighting remains at the level of smart, petty (and frequently funny) bitchiness. No catharsis; just the pessimistic realisation that the characters are hurt, but will continue to behave like this in the next phase of their lives. Alan Bates as Butley brings a fussily-mannered style to the role which irritates and then makes one realise that he is playing the role perfectly.

1. How important is the concept of the American Film Theatre; the presentation of successful plays to wide audiences? The validity of the play, its emphasis on its words, etc.?

2. How good a play is Butley? The quality of the dialogue, the breadth and depth of the characterisations, the sharpness of the situations, the nature of the conflicts, stylised presentation of human interactions?

3. How successful was this film as a film adaptation of a play? While keeping the main qualities of the play? What features were most striking? What were the particular features of adaptation from stage to screen?

4. How important was the quality of the acting for this film's impact? The centrality of Alan Bates, his style, his living the character of Butley?

5. How important was the film's central focus on Butley; that he was to be liked to disliked, that he was a character and also a caricature, that he had depths of feeling and conflict, that he had surface cynicism and superficiality, that he was human being in his eccentricities, faults, cruelty, needs? which sequences best illustrated Butley as this complex human being?

6. The importance of the beginning and the end? The revelation of Butley as he shaved, his room, home, person, style? The fact that he was left alone at the end? Butley as an alone person?

7. What kind of a man did the film show Butley to be? The importance of his relationship with Keystone, the fighting, possessiveness, the bitchiness? The contrast with Butley's relationship with his wife? Butley as thinking he was superior yet not knowing all that was going on around him? As a catty person, pressurising, dramatising everything, and yet violently defeated? Was Butley in any way a tragic figure or merely pathetic?

8. The presentation of Butley as husband? His marriage as an interlude in his relationship with Keystone? His disregard of his child? The quality of his relationship with Ann? Did he love her at all? What was revealed in their encounter in his room? What kind of person was Ann? Why had she married Butley?

9. The quality of the relationship between Butley and Keystone? The homosexuality? Was there any love between the two? Had there been? The atmosphere of their encounter as the end of the affair? Had both merely used each other? or had there been something more? Why did the break-up take this particular tone? Did Keystone want to hurt Butley? Butley hurting Keystone?

10. The drama of the encounter with Butley and Reg? Butley's disadvantage in not knowing what was going on, yet his superior assumptions over Reg? His spurning of Reg before Reg appears? The impact of the truth on him? The hurt?

11. What dramatic impact did the sequences between Butley and Edna have? The background of Butley's academic career? His style in his work? As a university type but going to seed and lazy? Moving in a world of unreality? Did Edna live in a world of unreality? Would Butley become like Edna?

12. The dramatic finale of the encounter between Butley and Gardiner? Gardiner being used in Butley's conflicts? The possibility of a new beginning? Butley not being able to be bothered? Why?

13. How pathetic was the picture of Butley as an academic gone to seed? His bitchiness with Edna, his not doing any work, avoiding tutorials, the way he spoke to James on the phone, the girl with her essay on 'A winter's Tale', his continued non-achievement? The possibility of a study of T.S. Eliot? His quoting of Eliot cynically? Was this in any way the effect of the academic world, or was Butley as a person mainly to blame?

14. The presentation of Butley as arrogant, unfeeling, defensive? Especially the encounter with the girl at the tutorials?

15. Did the film give any insight into Keystone? Or was he merely a foil for Butley? His average abilities, being favoured by Butley, his rise in the department, his ambitions for promotion, moving into a new room? How mediocre a person was Keystone?

16. what kind of person was Reg? The balanced presentation of a homosexual character? The relationship between Keystone and Reg?

17. The insight into Edna? As a single academic woman, older, in fear of the students, yet dominating? The old maid and Butley's possibility of becoming an old maid?

18. The importance of Ann as a person? How well was she explored?

19. The student and her essay and her tutorials? As a portrayal of a typical, keen university student? Was her essay bad? Did the audience agree with Butley in his assessment of her or not?

20. Gardiner and his potential as a student? The play on his emotions and ambitions by Butley's whims?

21. What had been achieved by the end of the film? The film worked on the superficial and smart level of wit, bitchiness. Did it achieve any depth below this surface? Did audiences respond to a deeper surface?