BIG WEDNESDAY

US, 1978, 119 minutes, Colour.
Jan- Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey, Patti DArbanville, Lee Purcell.
Directed by John Milius.

Writer-director John Milius (Dillinger, Judge Roy Bean, Wind and the Lion, Apocalypse Now) has tried to create cinema myths for America and here daringly takes the surfer of the 60s and 70s as his hero symbol. By showing three friends in selected and significant periods: raucous and adolescent 1962; the conscription phase of 1965; the Vietnam aftermath of 1968 along with its flower counter culture and the more settled adult 1974, he retraces contemporary U.S. history and then has these men face a huge Pacific swell and its challenging waves and test the mystique of the hero surfer alone with his strength, balance and skill and powerfully moving nature. Some magnificent photography, an orchestrated score and strong with U.S. pride and sentiment.

1. The appeal of the film? To the audiences of the 70s especially the youth audience, the surf enthusiasts? The appeal to the adult generation?

2. The contribution of colour photography, wide screen? The importance of the surfing footage and its beauty, excitement, challenge? The Californian and Mexican locations? How well did the film provide a visual and motion atmosphere for its themes?

3. The musical score: the contemporary songs, the orchestrated score and its sense of importance, its background to the waves and the surfing, for the climax when the three men faced the challenge of the big swell?

4. The importance of the structure: the selection of the various years, the moving through the four seasons and the order in which they were presented with the culmination in Spring, the picturing of the sea at the various years, the various seasons with its moods, movements? The climax with Big Wednesday and the title presented on the screen?

5. The importance of the time period covered: twelve years, a period of youthful adolescence and high spirits, the background to the Vietnam was and conscription, the aftermath of the war and the beginnings of the flower movements, the more settled period of the 70s?

6. The film's build-up to Big Wednesday itself? As an ideal, goal, achievement, challenge? A symbol for the whole film and its themes?

7. The narrative devices? The memories of the speaker? The focusing on the points of the memories? The selection? The memories of youth, enjoyment, irresponsible years? The transition to the Vietnam war, youth getting older, the separating and parting of ways? The aftermath and early adulthood, the experience of death and growing older? The transition to middle age, responsibility, a purpose in life?

8. The mystique of surfing? How well did the film communicate it by look, movement, identification? The nature and challenge of surfing, the union of man with water and nature moving? The experience of the waves, their crashing, the pull of the surf, the pounding of the water. the risk and danger? A rugged and individualistic sport? Techniques, skill, fitness? Exhilaration and enjoyment? The surfers becoming youth heroes? The cult of surfing and the surfers? The surfers' community, way of life? The development of the mystique during the 60s? How good were the surfing sequences in this film? The borrowings from surfing films? The panoramas of the beach, of the surfers at work? The documentary of the late 60s on the surfers? The build-up to Big Wednesday, the tide, the moving ocean, the climax? The surfboards and the making of these for the heroes?

9. The visual presentation of water in its beauty, seasons, different weathers, moods? The challenge of water, the dangers?

10. The film as a piece of Americana? The United States setting - could the setting be elsewhere in the world? California? The ethos of the American way of life, youth growing up in America? America and its responsibilities, heroes, symbols and myths? The surfers as mythic heroes? The build-up of the three surfers as heroes? Why were they selected? Their being influenced by their American environment and crises? The build-up to their achievement? Heroes?

11. The three heroes and their introduction, the variety in character, types? Strength, brains, brawn? The bonds between the three? The group to which they belonged? The surfer community and society?

12. Themes of friendship, the nature of the bonds between the three despite their clashes? The strength of the friendship through the years? Their seeing each other, not seeing each other and yet sharing the bonds? This coming together on Big Wednesday? Matt's danger and the others attempting to save him? The sequences of the early surfing, capacities, the rough seas, Matt as hero?

13. The hero-worship of the teenagers on the beach? The bravado of the times, their behaviour in the cafe and the fights, the parties and the smashing up of the house, the intruders, the brawling attitudes in Mexico, driving and on the road? The later attitudes towards this, especially Matt's apologising to Jack's mother? The high spirits of youth?

14. The focus on Matt as hero, his skills, presence? His drinking and sense of inferiority? His weak character? His love for Peggy and their liaison over the years, her pregnancy, the birth of Melissa? The contrast with Leroy and his brawn and brashness, inventiveness? Jack as the typical American, good-looking, pleasant, upright? His good manners? His scenes with his mother and the way that she brought him up? His hosting the party but his trying to behave well? The attraction towards Sally, falling in love with her? His grief at her marriage when he returned from the war?

15. The contrast with Bear and the ageing surfer, his work, his skill in making the boards, his shop? The build-up to his marriage and their sharing in it? His drinking and failing? Matt meting him later and his advising him to play the hero for the teenagers? His becoming a down-and-outer in his middle age? His awareness of the Big Wednesday swell and his sunning the friends? A picture of the has-been surfer, what might have been?

16. The film's attention to detail, the way of life in the community, the cafe, Sally coming from the East, the long party sequence and the fights, the trip to Mexico and the hazards?

17. Jack's story and his growing up, his becoming a lifeguard and respectable, the clash with Matt and throwing him off the beach and punching him, the reconciliation with the drink at the wedding? The bonds of friendship despite everything? His reaction to the accident that Matt caused? The bonds with Leroy over the years? His place in the group?

18. The importance of the Vietnam war, the recruiting and the signing up? The film's presentation of the recruitment centres, the examination of those signing up? The genuine commitment of so many? Jack and his fitting into this American patriot picture? The contrast with the others and their trying to get out - Matt and his lameness, and the tests for this? Leroy and his proving his madness? The others pretending they were sick, crippled, homosexuals? The contrast in spirit and patriotism in the young men of 1965?

19. The importance of the farewell to Jack, the party, the couples, the bonds of friendship and love, the long farewells and embraces? American sentiment?

20. The contrast with 1968 and the aftermath of the war? The greater disillusionment? The hippie movement, flower people, the movements from the East and influences of India in meditation, meals? Matt at work and settling down, his marrying Peggy, Melissa growing up, their going to see the film and the memories of the past and the new heroes? Leroy and his plans?

21. Jack's return and his experience of the war, their joy in seeing him again, Peggy and Melissa at the beach? The visit to the cemetery and the feeling of the three about their dead friends? The funeral and Matt's sympathy?

22. How well did the film pervade the atmosphere with change, age, growing responsibility? Matt and early middle age, his work, wearing glasses? Jack and his business? Leroy and his plans? The contrast with Bear and his being down and out?

23. The film's dramatics with the introduction of Big Wednesday, the swell, the long attention to sequences of the ocean? The significance of the Wednesday? The observers gathering? Matt and his seeking Jack and talking to his mother? The surfers going out with their boards? The build-up to exhilaration? The three friends meeting and going out? The long sequences of the achievement and yet the danger for Matt and his being rescued? The youth on the beach with his surfboard and his admiration?

24. The techniques of the western climax with the focus on the three heroes, their marching together, the swelling music? The presentation of visual mythic heroes?

25. Big Wednesday as an entertaining film geared for youth? As a modern attempt to visualise the American spirit and its heroes?