BITTERSWEET LOVE
US, 1976, 92 minutes, Colour.
Lana Turner, Robert Lansing, Celeste Holm, Robert Alda, Scott Hylands, Meredith Baxter.
Directed by David Miller.
Bittersweet Love is a brief and melodramatic romance film that is easy to dismiss, but is not at all bad. On the contrary. It reminds us of those old moral cases of theology where marriage impediments were studied with all kinds of imagined complications added in to test a student's application. Here the problem, while far-fetched in the circumstances, is made quite real (helped by the sympathetic acting of Scott Hylands and Meredith Baxter) and rightly makes an audience wonder how they would have acted in a similar situation. Questions of conscience, upbringing, taboo, feelings of guilt and the impulse to make innocent people share guilt all arise.
1. The significance and tone of the title? A romance film, a problem film?
2. The soap-opera style of the characters, the situations and themes? Did the film transcend the conventions of the soap opera? The significance and seriousness of the problem explored?
3. The Los Angeles background and the main characters within this? The contrast with Michael's home and the Canada sequences? The portrayal of homes, wealth? The contrast with the apartments? The world of the young, the world of the old?
4. The atmosphere of the first half hour and audience involvement and joy? Michael as a character, the humour of his first encounter with Patricia and the fountain? His work and his ability? An ordinary kind of man and likeable? Patricia as an attractive character, her friends? Her role as a schoolteacher? Interest in both characters? How real did they seem? The significance of the party sequence. the fountain, the visit home, the beginning of an affair? The quality of their love for each other?
5. The authenticity of their love, the announcing of the pregnancy, the build-up of hopes, the discussion about the marriage? The optimism for the future?
6. How well did the film intimate the darker side of things with reference to Clare and Ben. their wealth, their self-centredness? The communication with Patricia? The visualizing of Clare and Ben on their trips?
7. The portrayal of Howard and Marian Lewis as an ordinary couple, attractive in themselves, their bond with Michael,, their welcoming of Patricia, their knowledge of the pregnancy? The happy atmosphere of the wedding? The meeting of the families, the visit to Clare and Ben, playing tennis etc.?
8. How did the film effect the change of tone with Clare's looking at the photos, the ominous nature of the way the film was moving? Clare and her realization, the importance of the phone call to Howard, the impact on him? Clare and her memories, Howard's lack of memory? Marian and her puzzle? Her supporting Howard?
9. Audience understanding of the issue, audience understanding of technical incest, psychological incest and the difference? What moral issues were raised? The psychological conflict in each of the main characters? what would have been the best thing to do? Not tell the young couple, tell them? Clare and her fears about the baby being defective? Her guilt and memories of the past? Howard and the decision confronting him to tell Michael? Should they have been told? Should they just have been left in ignorance to pursue a happy life?
10. The facts about incest, laws, fears, old taboos? How true a case of incest was this?
11. Did the discussion between Howard and Clare sufficiently raise all the issues both moral and social for an understanding of their decisions? For Clare's fear and her guilt?
12. The way in which Howard told Michael of the truth and the effect on both?
13. The difference in the way that Patricia was told? The patience and understanding of her father in so far as she was not his child? His love for her? The pros and cons of the way in which she was told?
14. How credible was the effect on Patricia of this knowledge? Her lack of belief, her sharing in the fears and guilt? Her fear because of her pregnancy? The harming of her relationship with Michael? A real trauma and the seeming lack of being able to be healed? Was there a solution? The alternatives of separation, divorce? The importance of the baby being sound? Marian's visit, Michael and his wanting to help? The solution offered in the film took the line that incest was horrible and a taboo and therefore there was a very melodramatic situation. Was Michael right in going away and hoping to come back and the marriage then be healed?
15. What is the value of this kind of film, a combination of soap opera and social situation? Is this a way in which an ordinary audience can understand some of the complexities of moral problems and of life? What is the effect of this kind of film?
