OVER THE EDGE
US, 1979, 95 minutes, Colour.
Michael Eric Kramer, Pamela Ludwig, Matt Dillon, Vincent Spano, Ellen Gere.
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan.
Over the Edge initially had a chequered history. It was made at the same time as the films about gangs, the higher profile The Warriors and The Wanderers. Executives feared that it might become part of this controversy about portrayed gangs on screen and release was held up for two years in the United States until it was screened on HBO. However, it did receive release in other countries around the world.
The film was praised critically as an incisive look at small towns in the United States, the efforts of the adults to bring industry and prosperity to the town and their neglect of their teenage children who, bored, began to indulge in theft and vandalism and the use of drugs. The film shows the confrontation, especially when one of the youngsters is shot, and the parents trying to face the children and listen to their problems. It is a much more sympathetic presentation of youngsters and their problems than the problems of the parents.
The film introduced the fifteen-year-old Matt Dillon who went on to a very successful career. Vincent Spano is also one of the young men who had a moderately successful career.
The film was directed by Jonathan Kaplan who began his career in the early 1970s with small-budget and slightly exploitative films like Night Call Nurses and Truck Turner. However, he also made a number of very efficient small-budget thrillers like White Line Fever and Terence Hill’s American film, Mister Billion. During the late 1980s he had much more success with cinema projects: Project X, Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning performance in The Accused, Immediate Family, Unlawful Entry and Love Field. However, most of his subsequent career was in television. It is interesting to compare the perceptions of teenage boredom and teenage gangs in the late 1970s with subsequent films of the 80s, 90s and the beginning of the 21st century.
1. Audience response to films about gangs, vandalism? The trend of the seventies to present gangs for insight, violent entertainment?
2. The age of the gang presented in the film? The working title of the Mouse Packs and its significance? The significance of 'over the edge'? for the children, for the parents, for society? Anger and resentment and gangs and vandalism? The allotting of blame?
3. The background of new Granada: the recognizable new suburb and city, the streets, new houses? The contrast of the poor recreation centre for the children? The school? The look of the town, its atmosphere and its seeming prosperity and yet boredom and idleness for the younger generation? The significance of the prologue about new towns and vandalism? A critique of American urban development of the seventies? The universal validity of the critique?
4. Audience response to vandalism, to the statistics given, to the visual presentation of vandalism? in the documentary for the school children, for the anarchical climax of the film? The feel of destruction? The credibility of the children's behaviour in the final destruction? The reasons for it, culpability?
5. How credible was the plot, the characters, the interactions? The material contrived for the drama of ninety minutes? Where did the screenplay's sympathies lie? The moralizing tone? The intended effect on younger audiences, middle-aged and parent generation audiences? On authorities?
6. The tone of the film, the introduction to Richie and Carl after the incident with the air gun, Doberman and his police brutality, prosperous parents and their way of life, ineffective response? The build-up of tensions and the repercussions? How did this ask audiences to identify with the film and its issues?
7. The portrait of Carl's parents and the parent generation? Their work, prosperity, moving to new Granada and hopes? Vrerry Cole and his official talk about prosperity, showing the film about vandalism to the school children, inviting the wealthy men from Texas? His speech at the end and Carl's father attacking him? The Council in New Granada, their building up themselves and opportunities while neglecting opportunities for the children? The lack of communication with the generations? The use of the police and police attitudes? Reaction and over-reaction? Concern and inability to communicate this? The inevitability of rejection? The significance of the parent meeting, the small group there, the speeches, their being locked in and witness to the 'over the edge' reaction? How can a parent generation identify with the parents in this film? Is the critique acceptable? Are the issues comprehensible? The moral point being made?
8. The crucial presence of Doberman for the plot development, for the dramatics, for the moralizing? The presentation of the police and their role in American society?
8. Doberman's behaviour, his harassment of the boys, his activities at the police station and the activities of the other police, taunting the boys, commenting on their background and their parents? The decision to close the recreation centre - especially when the Texan visitors came? The round-up of the adolescents at the centre, his arresting Claude for drugs? His antagonistic attitude and the credibility of his chasing Richie and Carl? The confrontation with the gun and his killing Richie? His defence, his presence at the parents' meeting, his explanation of his action? His growing fanaticism at the meeting? The ugliness of his pursuit and death? Audience feeling that his death was justified or not? The comment the film was making on the antagonism of the police?
9. Carl as hero: an adolescent, his family background, his father's work, his mother's worrying about him, his age, scholastic ability? his being friends with Richie? His occupying his time, presence at the recreation centre, the party, his friendship with the girl, his jealousy of her? The antagonism towards the police especially after the initial incident, the interrogation, his father's coming to get him? His wandering around? Richie and himself with the girls, the finding of the gun, the exhilaration of the shooting? The clashes at home especially over the visit of the Texans? His accusations towards his father about not providing facilities for the young? The going off with Richie and the reason for it? His shock at the death after the exhilaration of the chase? His staying away and hiding, his reliance on the girl and her support of him, the night together? His return home, his listening in on the phone and blaming his parents? His communication with John and his non-verbal communication? His attendance of the meeting, participation in the explosive ending? His going to the reform school at the end? what future?
10. Richie and what he stood for? Tough, oppressed, lack of chances and opportunities, sullen attitudes, friendship with Carl? The townspeople looking down on him, Doberman's attack? His surliness? The initial interrogation, school, the incidents with the gun and the shooting, the taking of the car, the confrontation with the gun and the suddenness of his death and the repercussions for the town?
11. Claude as a type, young but involved with drugs, modern language, self-satisfied, his needs? Contrast with Johnand his disability, silences, the other boys, especially the thug type who caused the incident at the beginning, who threatened with the gun, who bonded his friendship, who caused Doberman's death?
12. The portrait of the girls, their place in this town development, the burgling of the gun, the shooting, presence at the parties and kissing? Protecting Carl, the night together? Their presence at the blow-up and their being disgusted with the excess of violence?
13. The portrait of children and their breaking out, going over the edge? Emotional needs, recreational needs, incentives and initiatives? Adults and the obligations to provide? The adolescents being thwarted and the repercussions? The blame for this? The over-reaction at the end and responsibility for this?
14. The presentation of the adults - how fairly? The oppressive police, the businessmen especially Cole and his lecture to the students with the film about vandalism, his welcoming the Texans? The Texans and their critique of the town especially seeing Doberman and the uproar with the adolescents? Garlls parents? The sympathetic teacher trying to keep their centre open? The meeting, Carl's speech, Doberman's speech and his going berserk? Carl's father and his questions? The being locked in, the teacher communicating with John and getting the police?
15. The visual violence and activity of the climax? Mayhem, Doberman's death? The aftermath and the adolescents going away to reform? how credible?
16. How satisfying a message film for Americans, non-Americans? Stating the case, an emotional presentation of the case? Overstatement? An apportioning of blame?
