THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE
US, 1996, 101 minutes, Colour.
Ron Rifkin, Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Hutton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lee Grant, Eric Bogosian, Elizabeth Franz, Jill Bellows, Roger Rees, Ronnie Graham.
Directed by Daniel Sullivan.
In Substance of Fire, Ron Rifkin gives a credible performance as a holocaust survivor, hidden in an attic with books as a child, who runs a prestige publishing firm in New York. A son he does not favour wants to publish a best-seller to keep the firm solvent. The son he loves is seriously ill. His daughter acts on a children's TV show. He cannot communicate with them and is ageing crustily and with mental troubles. This personal drama with his business background is based on a play and has a strong screenplay with very strong character interactions. It has been opened up as a very interesting film asking for emotional and intelligent response.
1. The impact of the film? The playwright adapting his stage piece for the screen? The strength of the dialogue, the characterisations? The opening out of the screenplay within the bookshop, the printing press, homes, parks? The musical score? (Overtones of American-style jazz with Central European melodies?)
2. The themes of the film, the Holocaust, the aftermath, Jews in the United States? The universal themes of the obsessive father, compensation, alienating his children, their responses, against him, supportive of him?
3. The portrait of Isaac: the little boy, hidden in the attic, surviving the war, seeing the books burnt, reaching out to the ashes as they rose, seeing his parents taken away to the concentration camp? His later reminiscing that he had no concentration camp number, as did his friend Louis? The transition to the present? His ageing, his marriage, the peaceful photo, the clashes with his wife? Memories of her buying books? His relationship with the company, the books that were published, downbeat, morbid? The architecture of the Holocaust? The history of Nazi experiments? His meticulous care in producing the books, going to the typesetters, the stitchers? His clashes with them, demands? His ignoring budgets? His love of books and their texture?
4. The running of the firm, Aaron and his being the manager, his desperate attempts to dialogue with his father? His father despising him? The arguments about the publication of the books, Aaron wanting to publish the bestseller, Isaac reading it, reading the homosexual sequence aloud, despising it? His continued alienation from his children, derogatory remarks? The visit from his daughter? His contempt for Martin and his lifestyle? The meeting, Sarah and her supporting her father, seeing his vindictiveness, changing her mind? His losing control of the company? Changing the brand name? His continuing to want to publish the history of the experiments? His friendship with Louis, their clashes, editing him? Louis' continual presence? The secretary, her desperation, his alienating her and her leaving? His refusing to see his children, hanging up on them? Their concern about his competence? The meeting, Martin offering to look after his father, moving in? His father's reaction? The maid, the woman from Social Services and his treating her like a buyer from Sotheby's? His language, humiliation of people? His finding out about the buying of his books, his wanting to do a harsher deal, Louis' demand that he follow it? Asking for it in the shop, discovering the truth? The confrontation with Martin? Martin's collapse, his going to the hospital, sitting with his son? The funeral, his not speaking and the aftermath, his going to walk in the park, Aaron and Sarah going with him, his remembering their childhood, acknowledging that it was Martin's place? Their sitting with him? The possibilities of some reconciliation?
5. Aaron, his father humiliating him? His decision to help his father rather than move away like Sarah and Martin? His talking with the Asian buyers, not persuading them to buy? Val and his agent, the clash with the agent? His relationship with Val, professionally, personally? The publishing of the book? His fights with his father, discussions with Martin and Sarah, getting them to read the manuscript? Calling the meeting, Sarah eventually siding with him? His changing the company, publishing Val's book, its being a success? Changing the office space, the personnel? His meeting with his brother and sister, the celebration of Martin's birthday? Their father not coming? His relationship with Val, Martin and Sarah's response to the gay relationship? Taking it for granted? Martin's death, the aftermath, sitting with Sarah and his father? The possibility of some kind of reconciliation?
6. Martin, his love of gardens, teaching people, the mystical touch? His illness, visits to the doctor? The flashback to his illness as a child? His exasperation, stress in his life? Visiting Sarah? Discussions with Aaron? Giving his shares to Aaron? Approving of the developments in the company? Their concern about their father, his volunteering to look after him? His own personal exhaustion, managing the household, discussions with his father, his idea for the buying of the books? His father accusing him of taking over? The maid, the social welfare woman? His collapse, his death?
7. Sarah, her work in television, her relationship with the director, at home, frustration in not being able to cook, with Martin at the bowling alley? Performances, with her co-star, his concern about her and offering advice? The break-up with the director? Her support of her father, seeing his vindictiveness, changing her mind about the shares? Her going to see her father and his ordering her out of the building? His hanging up on her? The birthday party, her agreement about the buying of the books? At the funeral, in the park afterwards?
8. Louis, the long friendship, the concentration camp, his years of research on Nazi experiments, Isaac and his being demanding, editing the manuscript? Their continually arguing? Louis around the place? The publication of the book, Louis' demand that Isaac sell it?
9. The secretary, her attentiveness, her concern for the children, her concern about the expensive budgets for the book, Isaac and his tearing up of the two-hundred-dollar book, his humiliating her, her packing and leaving, his talking about Hitler's sketch while she was going?
10. Val, young, precocious writer, with his agent? His relationship with Aaron? At the birthday party, in their room?
11. The world of publishing, New York City, the old companies, the quality of work, the need for diversifying, the need for bestsellers? Isaac's perception of the company? Aaron's perception?
12. A portrait of family relationships, the dominant father, obsessive and stubborn, perfectionist? His language, derogatory remarks about his children? Bringing consequences on himself? The exasperation of the children, his literally driving them away? The catalyst of Martin's death, the possibility of their coming together?
