THE BIG FIX
US, 1978, 108 minutes, Colour.
Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Anspach, Bonnie Bedelia, John Lithgow.
Directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan.
The Big Fix may be too American in tone for non-U.S. taste but it will be of interest to those who wonder whatever happened to the 60's protest generation. Highlighting the settling of the 70s and the rush to empty complacency as well as politicking, the film looks nostalgically to the days of causes and protests. Using the private eye genre (comically - Richard Dreyfuss is the detective), the film gives us quite a good mystery (though needing constant attention to follow) as well as much observation about the non-involved, or self-involved, contemporary U.S. scene. Audience ability to move with Dreyfuss through apathy, laughter, tears and disgust is the gauge of the film's success.
1. The meaning of the title? Overtones? The United States, politics, murder? Richard Dreyfuss' appeal in the 70s? How well did they blend for interesting entertainment?
2. The film as a portrait of America in the late 70s? A resume of the political activity of the decade, corruption and exposure? Cover-ups? Political inactivity of those so active in the 60s? The move towards the Establishment? A dissatisfaction with the complacency of the 70s and a comparison with the 60s?
3. How convincing was the comparison with the 60s? In the character of Moses Wein himself, the background of his age and activism in the universities? Howard Eppis and the films of his activity, his plans, sabotage? The irony of his working in an advertising agency and being clean-cut? The film's evocation of the memories and enthusiasm of the 60s? The causes, the fighting for any kind of cause and the repercussions on people's enthusiasm? The bonds between the young people at the time? The human relationships, the memory of love? The trials, the demonstrations? A 70s retrospect view of the 60s?
4. The change of occupations for the demonstrators of the 60s: Moses as private eye? Howard Eppis and advertising, the people working for political campaigns? The film's judgement on this?
5. Moses as the focus of the film. for audience interest and identification? Richard Dreyfuss' energetic style, humorous personality, feelings? At thirty, his relationship with his wife and her appearances throughout the film. Separation, the young boys and his being fatherly? His wife and her taking up with psychology and human development movements of the 70s? Moses and his outings with the boys, their sharing in his private eye work, his talking with them? The risk to their lives in kidnap and being shot? Their participation in his solving the mystery? Seeing him at work as a private eye studying the birds? His relationship with the police? His being sought out by his former girlfriend and involved in the political campaign? His stances of indifference and the changes wrought on him throughout the film? His efficiency at his job, self-integrity and success?
6. Following his work as a private eye - the political campaign, tracking down the printers, moving into the world of the gamblers, visiting the demonstrators in jail and finding leads, moving amongst his friends and tracking them down. the father of the campaign assistant and his attitudes, his involvement with the Spanish-speaking group - Vazquez and company? How well did he combine the various threads with which he was involved?
7. The portrait of the Campaign Manager and his smoothness, Moses helping him, his ambiguity? The audience being suspicious of him? The irony of his relationship with his father and his role in the defence of the demonstrators?
8. The portrait of the girlfriend - her arrival at his front door, the humour? Her role in the campaign, getting Moses to help her? His grief at her death and the visual presentation of his finding her dead? The murder and what it meant to him? The reasons and her death being a by-product? The leads to Vazquez, to political assassinations and chases? The girl as a person, her role in the dramatics?
9. The comment on the revolutionaries of the past, Moses tracking down Howard Eppis and seeing the change in him, Eppis' account of himself and his work? The suddenness of the raid and its violence?
10. The assassins and their violence, torture? Moses' ability at luring them and capturing them and finding the truth?
11. The picture of Establishment politics, campaigns, candidates? Moses' friends and their devotion? The irony of the aide and the audience suspicious of him? The sequence of his link with the aide from the opposing party and his explanation of political espionage? The Establishment and their use of politics, names, bombings, conspiracies? The portrait of the well-to-do father and his revenge on his son - symbol of American politics and attitudes of the 70s?
12. The discovery of the truth, its effect on Moses? His observation of people and his children helping? A satisfying ending - and Moses' future?
13. The film as a reflection of America in the 70s - ideas, styles? The manners and talk of Americans? Nostalgia of the past? Insight into the American temperament and character?
