URGE TO KILL
US, 1988, 100 minutes, Colour.
Karl Malden, Paul Sorvino, Shirley Knight, Catherine Mary Stewart, Holly Hunter, Alex Mc Arthur, William Devane, Timothy Patrick Murphy.
Directed by Mike Robe.
Urge to Kill is a highly melodramatic telemovie - but interesting nonetheless. It focuses on a young man, violent in temperament, put in an institution for four years for the killing of his girlfriend. On his release, the father of the girl becomes obsessed with his presence and uses every means to have him certified. He uses his second daughter but gradually alienates her and she comes to the support of the young man.
The film is very well acted - most of the characters particularly well-drawn and interesting from the boy himself to Karl Malden's obsessed father, to his daughter, to the parents of the boy, played by Paul Sorvino and Shirley Knight. The film is a picture of a small American town, prejudice. it is also the story of justice and human rights and concern.
1. An interesting telemovie? Drama, melodrama? Characters and situations? Issues?
2. A drama for the audience at home? Realism? Audiences identifying with characters? Experiencing the situations and tensions? Judgments and emotional response? Insight?
3. A portrait of the town of Bannon? Authentic atmosphere, location photography: homes, hospitals, courts, the weir? The musical score and its strength, for moods?
4. The title and the emphasis on violence, psychological urge to violence? Psychological violence in society? Hospital treatment? Asylums? Law and pressures? Bo and his urge to violence? Tom and his ultimate urge?
5. The mood of the opening: the football match, the support, Bo and his success, Lisa and her support, Drew and his watching? Bo's anger after the match in the locker room? The hotel? His going to the weir, the anger with Lisa, Lisa’s falling and the transition to his waking? The puzzle about her death? His violent urges? What really happened? His obliterating what happened? His waking in the hospital - after four years of treatment?
6. Bo in himself, his family background, skill at sport, at home? His response to Lisa? The treatment, his return home? His reaction, his parents and their joy, his father's drinking, his mother's love? Tom and his hostility? Wyn and her enmity? Her father pressurising her to write the article? Delivering the concrete and his being bashed and hospitalised? Wyn's interview with him? His coming back home to remember, his experiences with Wyn and his being able to recall Lisa? His father's hostility? Listening to him, clashing with him? The support of his mother? His ultimately hitting his father? Wyn and her friendship, warnings? The committal proceedings, his being a victim? The court proceedings and their injustice? His being released, wanting the truth, taking Wyn to the airport, the re-enactment of what happened, his remembering? Lisa's pregnancy, his love for her? The confrontation with Tom? How expected was Tom's shooting him? The portrait of a character? Victim, responsibility?
7. Tom as a pillar of society, the bank, a loving father? His position in the town? Influence on the law? His anger at Bo's return? Lisa on a pedestal (the way he spoke of her, re-watching her films)? Wyn and his love for her, his comparing her with Lisa? Influencing the article? His reaction against her second article? Argument, his being hurt and taking the doctor hunting? Pressure on Wyn? The bribes and Wyn's leaving the house, confronting him? His vindictiveness in the court? His being exposed? His going to the weir, indicating that he knew that Lisa was pregnant, shooting Bo? His hold on his daughters? Obsess-ion and madness? Urge to kill?
8. Lisa as attractive, watching the football, at the weir, her pregnancy, the accident of her death? The arranged marriage? Her not wanting to offend her father? Victim of Bo and her father?
9. Wyn and the comparisons with Lisa? Her work on the paper, discussions with the editor? Her writing the article for her father? Her feeling that she had incited violence? Bo's mother and her discussion? The interview in the hospital, being fair? Changing her attitudes, discussions with her father, warning Bo, the hunt and the pressure? Arguments and leaving, the comparisons with Lisa? The discovery of the cheques, her going to the office and copying them, watching her father watch the films? Her dilemma in court? The dilemma between her father and Bo? Her exposing her father? Her going back to college, the re-enactment of the death? Her horror at the shooting of Bo? Her future?
10. Bo's parents: his father and his work, drinking, reputation in the town, clashes, denouncing his son, willing to commit him, taking the bribe? His mother and her love for her son, the welcome home, her illness, the visit to the paper, discussions with Wyn, the revelation about the bribes? Her grief in the court?
11. The editor and his running the paper, interest in Wyn, his concern about the town and the voicing of issues?
12. The police and their investigations? The young black friend of Bo, his friendship, marriage - and his advice and warning for Wyn?
13. Public opinion, the law, the judge, the lawyers, the slipshod case? The men working the concrete and their bashing Bo? Drew and his rivalry, his support of Bo in the court?
14. The final images of Tom and his being condemned, his insanity? Themes of the American family, paternal possessiveness, children breaking out, love and marriage, pregnancies?
