SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY

UK, 1971, 108 minutes, Colour.
Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft, Maurice Denham, Vivian Pickles, Tony Britton.
Directed by John Schlesinger.

Sunday Bloody Sunday is John Schlesinger's film immediately following Midnight Cowboy (Oscars, 1969). This time Schlesinger observes an English urban world and gives it the same attention as he did the U.S. environment in Midnight Cowboy. In this English world of usual and unusual characters he portrays some of the incidents in their lives over a period of ten days. The three characters are an ageing doctor, Daniel Hirsh, professionally successful, Jewish, a homosexual bachelor; Alex, a divorcee; and Bob, a young artist who is emotionally involved with both. All three need love, try to grasp it when it offers, use each other and hope to gain some happiness if they can. They are presented as typical contemporary men and women who grapple with their lives and who are best understood in looking at the small and seemingly insignificant details of what they do day by day. To this extent the film is rather low-key, but it is beautifully and subtly moving.

The film, the director. Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson all received British Academy Awards for 1971. The actors are excellent and give what might be their best performances. Murray Head (who sang Judas in the original album of Jesus Christ Superstar) seems less subtle than the two stars, but he effectively presents a character who allows himself to be loved and used as it suits him. A distinguished British cast supplies supporting roles. This is a serious and moving film, written by critic Penelope Gilliat.

1. What were the overtones of the title?

2. How effective was the structure of the film - the diary style technique? How much importance did it give to the days themselves and the incidents that happened on those days? What mood and pace did the structure give? How adequate were these incidents in giving us an insight into the personalities of Bob, Daniel and Alex?

3. How was the telephone used symbolically and dramatically in the film? What observations and reflections on twentieth century intercommunication did the film make?
4. Most of the incidents pictured in the film were very ordinary and low-key, yet alive. How did Schlesinger make these daily happenings appear so vital and real - e.g. the walks in the park with the children, Alex's meal with her parents, Daniel's consultation with patients? How did they contribute to the authenticity of the portrayals of the principal characters, to the reality of the quality of modern life?

5. How much was made in image and sound of the contemporary London setting? How vividly was this done? Did the film effectively make the characters personalities of their environment? How?

6. What were the principal themes of the film? How important were love and loneliness?

7. Daniel - what kind of man was he, professionally, emotionally? What were the qualities which emerged most notably from Peter Finch's performance? Was he a lonely man? How balanced was his assessment of himself? How well was the theme of homosexuality treated? Did the film give insight rather than evoke curiosity? Why did Daniel love Bob? Was he surprised and disappointed when Bob finally decided to go to America? How important was Daniel being Jewish? What contribution did the Jewish rite and celebration have? What did they reveal about Daniel himself?

8. Alex - what kind of woman was she - personally, professionally? Why had her marriage failed? What qualities emerged from Glenda Jackson's portrayal of Alex? What was her relationship to her parents? Did she understand them? How had their marriage affected her outlook? What of her affair with the man looking for work? Why did she love Bob? How intensely did she love him? What did she expect from him? Was she surprised and disappointed when he decided to go to America?

9. Bob - what kind of a man was he personally, professionally? Why had he entered into affairs with both Alex and Daniel? How bizarre was this? How normal is this capacity for multiple and bisexual affection and erotic love? Did he love Alex and Daniel? Was he tormented at all by the demands made on him by either of them or by his situation? How self-centered was he and how ambitious? (Was he a good artist?) Why did he decide to go to America? What future did he have? Did he regret leaving Alex or Daniel? Why?

10. What did the sequence with Alex's parents contribute to the theme of the film and to understanding of Alex? How 'typical' were their attitudes and behaviour?

11. What did the sequences with the family contribute to the film - family love, organisation and disorganisation, children and upbringing, the accident and the worry?

12. What contribution did the musical score make?

13. Would the film have been better in black and white? How effectively was colour used? What did it contribute?

14. Did the film take moral stands? Why? How accurate a picture of urban, civilised, contemporary living was the film?

15. How effective was Daniel's final address to the audience? How did his personal appeal move you? Did you agree with him about love, partial fulfilment, happiness? Why?

16. Critics praised this as "a film in a decade". Do you agree?