TOM JONES
UK, 1963, 126 minutes, Colour.
Albert Finney, Susannah York, Hugh Griffith, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, Diane Cilento, Joyce Redman, David Tomlinson, George Devine, David Warner, Rachel Kempson, Jack Mc Gowran, Peter Bull, Julian Glover, Lynn Redgrave, narrated by Michael Mc Liammoir.
Directed by Tony Richardson,
Tom Jones has become a favourite film, very popular with most audiences. John Osborne's screenplay caught the spirit and the principal characters and situations of Henry Fielding's classic novel of 1749 in a remarkable way and Tony Richardson succeeded in using a wide range of cinema techniques to keep the film moving at a rapid pace - silent film techniques, narrator, racy music, cleverly comical editing, characters speaking to the audience, and so on. From this point of view, the film is certainly worth seeing.
Tom Jones is the story of the average man, a man caught up in accidents of birth and upbringing, a man moulded by his times and the society in which he lived, a good man with faults, but whose faults are those of wlldness rather than malice. Albert Finney is a perfect Tom Jones and is complemented well by an expert English cast, including Susannah York's lively interpretation of Sophia. Flnney was nominated for an Oscar, as were Hugh Griffith, Edith Evans, Diane Cilento and Joyce Redman, although all missed out. However the film itself and Richardson won the awards.
As a visualisation of eighteenth century England, country and city, Its manners, characters and beliefs, you could hardly beat Tom Jones.
1. This film won the Oscar for the Best Film of 1963. Audiences all over the world hope enjoyed it very much. Why do you think it has been popular?
2. How interesting technically is the film - the use of the lightly ironical commentary, the stylised silent film opening and credits, the dissolves, the actors addressing the audience? How do these techniques affect the mood of the film?
3. How good a picture of eighteenth century life did the film give: country life, aristocracy and farmers, the hunt, the army, travelling, morals, landon life, Hogarthian London, Vauxhall Gardens, the nobility, Tyburn? Within the length of two hours, this picture is built up. How has the screenplay communicated such a vivid picture?
4. Tom is the hero, yet he has many faults, makes many mistakes. How does the commentator tell us that he is still a hero? He says his faults were those of wildness, not malice. Is Tom a typical ordinary hero of any century?
5. Sophia could have been a romantic and sentimental heroine, yet she is vigorous and attractive. What does the screenplay make her do to appear ae a strong heroine?
6. Comment an the portrayal of the following characters, their humanity or their failings and how they typified some eighteenth century characteristics (and twentieth century characteristics):
- Squire Allworthy, his love for Torn, his justice, his seeking the truth,
- Bridget Allworthy as a genteel lady (and revealed as Tom's mother),
- Blifil, self-righteous prig, deceitful and cunning hypocrite,
- Thwackum and Square, learning and religion on a superficial and hypocritical level,
- the servile steward who betrayed the letter to Bliful,
- George Seagrim and his wife, hard, plain farmers, the poaching,
- Molly, the promiscuous country girl (and the epic fight at the Church),
- Honour, Sophia's maid.
7. What did you think of the Westerns? Did you enjoy Hugh Griffith's portrayal of Squire Western? Why? Was he a typical country squire of the times? Where did he get his code of behaviour? What did his attitudes towards poachers, the clergy, his farm, his dogs, his sister, his daughter reveal about him? Why did he vary in his attitudes towards Tom? How much of a snob was he?
8. Why was the hunt scene included? Why was it technically so impressive? What did it say about eighteenth century attitudes? How disgusting was it?
9. What did Miss Western stand for? How much of a snob was she? How hypocritical were her moral standards?
10. Comment on the idyllic sequence of Tom's recovery at the Westerns. How did it build up the relationship between Tom and Sophia with romantic interludes, colour, music and humour -e.g. the rowing, the riding?
11. Why was Tom ousted from the Allworthy household? How was Tom shown to be a typical victim of society's hypocrisy?
12. Why is the eating scene between Tom and Mrs. Waters so famous? Why was it technically so successful? What did it reveal about Tom and Mrs Waters? About passion, appetite and lust?
13. Did you. like Mrs Waters? Why?
14. What impression of the army did you get from the Upton Inn sequence? What kind of man was Southerton? How did he contrast with Tom – in the jokes about Sophia, in the treatment of Mrs Waters, in the fight, in courage?
15. Why was Partridge a sad figure? Did you enjoy his highwayman performance?
16. What did the Fitzpatricks add to the film?
17. What impression of London did you get as Tom and Partridge walked th streets? What do you think of that poor London? How did it contrast with the elegant London, and the masques at Vauxhall Gardens?
18. What kind of women waa Lady Bellaston? Was she meant to represent typical aristocracy? Why did Tom fall wider her power? How did she humiliate Tom by buying his clothes for him? How did she use Tom? Can you understand how Tom, who loved Sophia, could play up to Lady Bellaston?
19. What was being satirised in Lord Fellamar - in his jaded appearance, ineptitude, courting of Sophia and his violence towards her?
20. How was Tom a victim of circumstances and society in London and in being put into prison? How effective were the scenes in London and at Newgate and the hanging sequence?
21. What picture of eighteenth century Londoners did this part of the film give?
22. Was the happy ending right? Was justice done and seen to be done?
23. If you have read the novel, how does the film compare? did it capture the spirit of the book, the characters, the panorama of English society, the comedy of human nature?
