UNDERSTANDING BLISS

Canada, 1990, 70 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Grant, Bryan Hennessy, Rosemary House.
Directed by William D. Mac Gillivray.

Understanding Bliss is a Canadian feature written and directed by William D. Mac Gillivray. Previous features included Stations and Life Classes. Understanding Bliss is more experimental than Life Classes. Shot on video, a short running time, it is a focus on two people, one involved in literature, the other in video and performing drama. They have a relationship, however, the demands of work and career interfere with the relationship, causing tension. Slow moving, focusing for long periods and intently on the central characters, using the text of Bliss, a short story by Katharine Mansfield, the film explores contemporary relationships and the break-up of relationships with a middle-aged couple.

1. The work of Mac Gillivray, people, intensity, relationships? Art and media? The Canadian background and perspective?

2. The city, the streets and buildings, hotels? Performance areas? The university? Interiors, hotel rooms, classrooms? The musical score?

3. Colour photography, the use of video? Editing and pacing? Time?

4. The title, the story by Katharine Mansfield? The voice-over? The story and the characters, their experience? The story as read by Elizabeth? Videoed and listened to? The parallel of her experience with that of the character in Bliss?

5. Elizabeth and the background of her life, her work, art, interest in Katharine Mansfield? Performance? Meeting with Peter, the relationship? Its intensity for her? Coming to Newfoundland to meet him? Her work, her speaking of the story - the chairperson, the small audience? The video? Her visit to Peter, the enthusiasm for his own performance, the students? The tension in the relationship? The past, the hotel room? Intimacy? His preoccupation with his art? Break-up?

6. Peter and his background, meeting Elizabeth, the affair? His enthusiasm with his students, the acting, the video? Performance? The clash of interests? The hotel room, his passing interest in her performance, the video?

7. Themes of intimacy, love and commitment? Personal agendas? Background and age? Cultures and art? Careers?

8. The overall effect for audiences of getting to know these characters, staying with them, forced to share their experience? Insights into men and women, relationships?