YANKS

UK, 1979, 141 minutes, Colour.
Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Gere, William Devane, Lisa Eichhorn, Chick Vennera, Rachel Roberts, Tony Melody, Wendy Morgan.
Directed by John Schlesinger.

Director John Schlesinger has made many striking films - with a finely detailed presentation of place and atmosphere and a gallery of rounded characters, even in small roles. This comes together beautifully in this very pleasing and entertaining film. one sees and understands both Yanks and Brits/Poms in this story of England 1942-44 when over a million American soldiers were in Britain.

Richard Gere holds the film well as hero and is matched by the attractive Lisa Eichhorn. Vanessa Redgrave and Rachel Roberts are excellent in supporting roles. One gets to know and feel for the characters strongly and to feel that one has actually been there. Schlesinger made documentaries like Terminus in 1960, moved to slices of life as A Kind Of Loving, Billy Liar, Darling. He then went on to international success with Far From The Madding Crowd, Midnight Cowboy and Sunday Bloody Sunday. In the mid-'70s he made The Day Of The Locust and Marathon Man.

1. The work of John Schlesinger over several decades? Sensitivities, awareness of characters in their situations and society? His awards? The making of this film in the late '70s? In continuity with his other films? Reflecting the times? Nostalgia? The experiences of war in the '70s? A film of memories? Relevant for other times?

2. The information and tone about the caption of 1942-4? Audiences remembering the history of World War Two? Britain and its involvement and suffering? The coming of the Americans - as saviours? - even as nuisances? Nostalgia and memory? Critique of the past? The relationships between England and the United States? The changing of the world from the World War Two to post-World War Two via such experiences as in this film? The significance of war and its effect on people? The consequences for a different world? The title of the film and its focus on the Americans - as seen by the British? similarities and differences? Relationships? The Americans changing the perspectives of the British? Vice versa? Changing lives? Friendship, clashes, love?

3. Schlesinger's re-creation of the English town during the war? The meticulous attention to detail of the way of life? The people? The town, the surrounding countryside? The north of England? The importance of social structures and classes in England? Presence in the military? Traditions? Styles? English society and classes in the 1940s? The democratising of England and its-classes?

4. The point of view of the Americans? Their presuppositions about themselves and their leadership in the world, coming to the rescue of Europe? Their attitude towards the British? Memories of the origins of the United States and revolution? The mutual seeing of each other as foreigners? Seeing the British through American eyes? Vice versa? The Americans with their accent, free and easy style, open spaces and towns e.g. Arizona and their Point of view on England? England being pictured through their eyes?

5. The structure of the film: the Americans arriving and finishing with the Americans leaving? The effect on the occupying Americans? The effect on the British - for the war, for society, relationships, marriages, pregnancies etc.? The prospects for the future? The screenplay's parallelling the two groups and showing similarities, contrasts?

6. The importance of the colour photography, location photography? An authentic atmosphere? The designer's attention to detail: in look, design, decor, clothes? incidental detail e.g. at pubs, picture theatres, shops? Characters within this authentic framework? The atmosphere of the score giving atmosphere and memories of the times? Songs? The editing for the comparisons of the two groups considered?

7. The background of the British: in themselves, the old traditions, the quiet style of the British, the waiting for cups of tea, manners and the stress put on these? Suspicions, fears of the Yanks? The guarded welcome? The fears about the Americans - especially in terms of sexuality? Yet the young girls flirting, romance. comforting of the soldiers away from home? The comment on pregnancies at the end of the film? The British being saved - their lives transformed grief for the departing soldiers and their deaths. new lives because of marriage and family etc.?

8. The Yanks pictured as foreign, strange, hard to understand, their attitude towards women, towards one another - especially racism? Their affluence, loud style, gifts etc.?

9. The introduction with Matt and Danny arriving, the detail of their settling in, being welcomed by the British - and Helen's presence in this sequence? Their good humour? The kitchen work? Detail of the camp? The outings, the bus-ride, going to the pictures?

10. The presentation of the town: the talk about cups of tea at the beginning, the truck-loads of soldiers arriving, the streets of the town? streets of the town and the detail? The environment of the green hills around about? The ship on the canal etc.? The audience being made to feel at home in the town and knowing its detail?

11. The portrait of Jean's family: Geoff and his waking up, seeing the Yanks? Jean and Annie and their encounter? The shop and the ordinariness of its serving the customers? Matt's visit? The picture of home life and the meals? Geoff going to school? The father and his work, going to the Army Reserve? The mother's illness? The presence of Ken in memory and his being at the war? Jean's mother and her suspicions, being anti-Yank, puritanical? Her wanting Jean to marry Ken? The detail of home life and the easy interaction with one another? The inviting of Matt to the meal? His gifts? The father welcoming the drink? The mother saving the cake? Geoff and his friendship? Ken's arrival and the mother blaming Matt for the break-up and for Ken's death? Her illness, making the beds etc., her dying and the talk with Matt? The father's grief? Geoff and his grief - get boys rushing up to get things from the departing Yanks? A complex but warm picture of the family?

12. Jean as heroine? Attractive, ordinary? Friendship with Annie? The cigarettes at the pictures? The Yanks and foreigners? Her refusing to out with Matt? His coming to the shop and her being embarrassed? Her decision to go to the pictures with him - and the brawl in the foyer? The variety of outings e.g. in the hills and the talk about Ken? Her falling in love with Matt? Her not knowing what to do? Decisions, the kiss? Her wariness with Matt? The boxing bout? The New Year's Eve celebrations and her dancing with the negroes and attacking Matt and Danny because of their racist attitudes? memories, the visit to the camp and the explanation of the kitchen, the meal and Matt's bringing the cake? Her talking to her mother? Ken's visit and the engagement party? The ambiguity of her farewelling him at the station? The situation becoming more complex: her going out with Matt, receiving the news of Ken's death, her mother's reaction? Her decision to go with Matt to the hotel, the train-ride, the sexual encounter and Matt's holding back, her not understanding this, fear that she was not liked, her grief? The sullen relationship between the two? The wedding of Annie and Danny and her wariness? Her mother's death? Her waiting and the gift of the cake from Matt as he left? Her hurrying to the station after the funeral service? Meeting Annie? The desperate need to see Matt? The final seeing him? Lisa Eichhorn presence, beauty? Audiences identifying with her and understanding her? A British girl of her age, experience? Dreams? The talk about Arizona and the motels - the possibility of her marrying an American and her life being changed? Her being willing to take a risk sexually and the repercussions of Matt's refusal? The basis for a future?

13. Richard Gere's presence and charm as Matt? Typical American -with gentleness? His arrival, work in the kitchen? His story and the photos of his family, the motel, the cafe etc.? Going out, his gaffes with Jean? Going to the shop? Enjoying Jean's company? His reaction to her refusal - and trying to dance with the woman at the restaurant, being thrown out, the chamber-pot being poured over him and his being up before the officer? His sensitivity? Sharing in the life of the town? The pictures and the brawl, the New Year's Eve tension and his being shown up by the girls for his racist attitudes? The death of Jean's mother and her final words to him? In the light of the meal and its repercussions on him? Jean's going away with him and his decision not to consummate their sexual encounter? The reasons given? His honour? His not realising the repercussions for Jean? The wedding? His sending the cake and finally seeing Jean at the end? The future for the two?


14. The parallel with Annie and Danny? The initial bus-ride, Danny's cheekiness, Annie's being on the lookout? The boxing match and his winning, the New Year's Eve party and Annie siding with Jean? Their marriage? A more simple relationship than that between Jean and Matt?

15. The story of Helen and John and its contrast with Matt and Jean and the similarities? Helen and her welcoming the soldiers? Marriage, wealth? Her home, servants, her children? The friendship with John? At home, working in the garden, the mid? The importance of the problem of her son at school and his being bullied (and the visualising of these incidents)? His return home, his leaving school? The background of music in the town, the orchestra? John as an officer and his presence, sharing the comfort? Interest in Helen and her work? The visits,' the cups of tea etc.? Piano playing - and John's playing and Helen's delight? Her sending him home rather than his staying the night? The New Year's Eve family reunion and his phone call? The impulsiveness of his flying Helen to Ireland - and the humour of her gambling, the chocolate etc. in Ireland? The affection between the two? Helen's story and her love for her husband - his photo, letters etc.? The focus on the delivering of the letters? John and his loneliness and the breaking up of his marriage? The trip to the hotel - the fashionable hotel, the focus on the soldiers leaving, the women and their stockings? Helen's feeling cheap and their return? The night together in the home and its effect on each? John's leaving - and the farewell before the orchestra performance? The return of the husband and the presence at Jean's mother's funeral? John as a character - an honourable man, an officer, gentleman, lonely? His love for Helen, his respect for her? The interconnecting of the stories with Helen welcoming the soldiers, John reprimanding Matt and Danny after the episode of the brawl, their presence at the engagement between Ken and Jean? The funeral?

16. Themes of love, affairs, respect? Brides and their American husbands? The ironic comment about the pregnancies in the town at the station sequence?

17. Seeing the Yanks as invaders: the numbers, the cinema . the boxing, the New Year's Eve, prejudices? The training for the invasion of Normandy? The finishing of the training in the camp, packing up and leaving? The long sequence of the trucks going to the station? The farewells?

18. The film's contrast between domesticity and the war training? The contrasts of emotions? The film as a celebration of feeling and understanding?