TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING

US/West Germany, 1977, 146 Minutes, Colour.
Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Charles Burning, Melvyn Douglas, Paul Winfield, Joseph Cotten.
Directed by Robert Aldrich.

Twilight's Last Gleaming is taut nuclear threat/political thriller from tough (Dirty Dozen, Choirboys) director Robert Aldrich. Openly critical of official U.S. involvement in Vietnam (hypothesis: it was a callous display to Russia of American capacity to be ruthless). It was not popular in the U.S., although well reviewed internationally. General Burt Lancaster holds the President (Charles Durning) and his advisers to ransom in elaborate and idealist protest. General Richard Widmark portrays the tough militarist and Melvyn Douglas and Joseph Cotten are amongst the Presidential advisers. The star cast, effective split-screen technique make for suspense and a thriller which while frequently brutal and blunt, suggests valid questions.

1. The meaning of the title? From the American National Anthem but the irony of the emphasis on twilight? The credit sequence and the Statue of Liberty? The focus on America, patriotism, the ironies of American patriotism in the 70s? The focus on the future? The critique of America?

2. The importance of cinema techniques for the impact of the film: colour, the musical score, the location photography, the atmosphere of politics, the military, science and technology? The importance of the editing and the split-screen effects and audience response to the split-screen information and suspense?

3. The structure of the films the emphasis on Del and his mission, the President and his dilemma, McKenzie? and his counter-strategy? The editing in and the final meeting of all these strands? The effects of interest and suspense? Reflections on the themes of America, Vietnam, nuclear holocaust?

4. The importance of the date, America in the future? The near future? The atmosphere of nuclear warheads and their use for attack and defence? Russian targets? Political attitudes towards nuclear devices and their triggering? Military attitudes? Security and the precarious control over the warheads? Vietnam in the retrospect of 1981? Its effect on the American public in the 60s and the 70s? The participation of the politicians and the motivation and strategy? Discussion of the responsibility of the Vietnam war? Its aftermath? How plausible and probable were these theories and critiques?

5. Comment on the Vietnam hypothesis and its explanation? The motivations for involvement, the demonstration to Russia, the ruthless loss of lives? The critique of the document and its impact on the President and his advisors? The advisors and their participation? How much of a case did Del have for making this document public? The cynical ending as Guthrie, who had given his promise to reveal the truth, remains silent? Audience identification with the President who had changed and wanted the document made public? The effect on public morale of the release of such documents?

6. The impact of the Del episodes: the basic prison situation, the drama of the escape, taking over the identity of the officer? Del's background knowledge to the Installation? The scruple as regards violence, his shooting of Hoxey? The continual moving towards the control of the warheads and Del's effective strategy? His relying on his associates? The effect of this as action drama? The military implications with such control?

7. The portrait of the Centre, the various means of surveillance, security measures, potential danger? Del's tricking of the officers and the suspense especially about code words? The men in charge of security and their deafhs? The importance of the presence of Del's friend and his discussion with him?

8. The personality of Del: sane, mad? His war record, his critique of the war and the manslaughter charge engineered to bury him in prison? The clash with General Mc Kenzie? Were Del's motives good in doing what he did? Did they justify his actions and his dangerous threat?

9. The presentation of Del's companions: Powell and Augie Garvas? One black, one white? Their attitudes towards their mission, the money?

10. The contrast with General Mc Kenzie, his comments on listening to pleasant things during peace-time, his going to church and listening to the sermon and being taken out for the crisis situation? His skill as a military .man, in war and the past? His sense of duty, his burying of Del and the confrontation between the two men, especially over the phone? His lies, his anticipating Del's psychology and making a mistake and misjudging him, the President's reaction to this? His strategy in deceiving Del, getting the mission to put the atomic bomb outside their door, his presence and decision about the sniping? The presentation of the military and their attitudes - how much in touch, how much ruling the situations?

11. The build-up of Del's vigil, the continued surveillance, the suspense of getting the attack team parachuted down by helicopter, the bomb and its getting into the building? The irony of the man slipping with the grease on his boot?
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12. The portrait of David Stevena aa a person, as President? Ordinary man, background of the election,, a compromise choice? His entourage? His particular friends and their advice, especially from Michael O'Rourke? The importance of the conversations between these two as revealing the President, his pressures and decisions? The atmosphere of the White House and the guards watching television, his mention of his wife?

13. Steven's reaction to the situation, his hard line and yet his fear? His disowning responsibility for Vietnam and yet his having to face it? His trying to cope? The importance of the meetings and the tension as he received varying advice, was In contact with McKenzie? and Del? His decision to go, his doing this with dignity? His decision about the publication of the document, his death and the irony of Guthrie's refusal?

14. The portrait of the personnel advising him, especially Guthrie who seemed a good critic and a balanced man but yet who became as pragmatic as the others? The military, the political advisors, the diplomats? Their participation in American policy in the past? Their decisions and conspiring to make a sacrifice of the President? The irony of their continued watching In a group? Guthrle and his Isolated presence at the end?

15. The effect of the scare with the nuclear warhead going and the narrowness of the countdown?

16. The strength of the dialogue communicating the issues of politics, the elite and responsibility, the military, ordinary human kind as victims of these men?

17. What contributed to the suspense of the film?

18. Political insights?

19. What was the final reaction that the audience was left with?