ENDLESS LOVE

US, 1981, 110 minutes, Colour.
Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Beatrice Straight, Jimmy Spader, Penelope Milford, Tom Cruise.
Directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

Publicity did a disservice to Zeffirelli's Endless Love, making it out to be far more sensational than it is. While many parents might be on edge for the first half hour or so, as two school-going teenagers, taught to be open and allowed to be permissive, become infatuated and go all the way - passionately and frequently. But the film continues: it is really the story of David, very well acted by Martin Hewitt, a likable but unbalanced young man whose sanity is threatened by years in an institution and who remains infatuated with the heroine played by Brooke Shields. The film has a great deal to say on the double values of the parent generation. The comparison between the forbidden but genuine infatuation and parents who are strict in preaching but lax in practice is highlighted. The treatment seems quite artificial, more like opera and melodrama at times than realism, and some audiences may be put off. However, Zeffirelli brings his Italian sensibility and his work in opera (as well as his work with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which this story resembles more than passingly) and presents us with a fable of modern confused morals.

1. The place of this film in the work of Franco Zeffirelli: his work with theatre, opera? His adaptation of classics - especially Shakespeare and presenting Shakespeare on the screen with great success? His Italian sensitivity? His work in English? His work in the United States? Gauging the response of the Americans?

2. The atmosphere: colour photography, the picture of the United States: Chicago and New York? The style of the film? The dramatic colours? The seasons? Echoing the experience, especially of David? The blend of reality and unreality? The mood of the love story, the presentation of the photogenic adolescents? The presentation of Brooke Shields and the way that she was photographed? The musical score, the theme song and its use during the film, the melody for crises, the final credits?

3. The focus of the title: the ironies of its meaning because of the plot? How endless would be the love of David and Jade? The question of what might have been, had not the parents intervened?

4. The view of adolescent love? The director's sympathy for the adolescents? His point of view on the parents? How much understanding did he bring? Audiences identifying with the adolescents, with the parents? The reality of adolescent passion? Freedom, permissiveness, standards of behaviour, moral issues, the consequences of behaviour?

5. The adult points of view, especially echoing those of the '60s? Theoretical Permissiveness? The underlying authoritarianism of most parents? Permissiveness for themselves but strictness with children? The need for parental understanding? Judgments and action? Parents and the inconsistencies of their standards of behaviour? Regrets and envy? How adequate the critique of false values of parents?

6. The point of the film in its starting with David and Jade in mid-love? David in the background of his family? The Jewish background, the left wing politics, legal arguments at home, visitors? David's father and his busyness but concern for his son, his glimpse of Jade on the bike and waving - and that memory echoing later? David's mother and her preoccupations? The fragile marriage? His relationship with Jade - and the incident in the Planetarium? The friendship with Keith? The dressing up for the dinner? David's easy relationship with Ann, with Hugh? The atmosphere of joy about the meal? The similarities with the party? The background of school., exams? The phone calls?

7. The contrast with David's and Jade's behaviour towards each other? Infatuation and love? The Planetarium, the meal and the furtive kisses, in the pantry etc.? The reaction of Keith? The party and David's focussing on Jade, her breaking away from her father? The elaborate rigmarole of leaving? The lovemaking by the fire? Their being seen by Ann - and the audience? David's being seen naked in Jade's room? The build-up to the breaking point with the family - especially with David's coming over at night after study and being seen leaving?

8. The quality of David's and Jade's love? Their feel for one another? The Planetarium and the stars' emblems during the film? Echoes of Romeo and Juliet as star-crossed lovers? David at the party, trying to do the right thing, bringing books to Ann, going on the shooting expedition with Hugh, offering to come and build the hut with Keith? The song of Endless Love sung during the party and Jade breaking from her father? The visualising of the love scenes? Tensions - study, the French phone call? The quality of communication and relationship between the two?

9. The Axelrods and their attitude towards David and Jade? Allowing it, tolerant? Ann and her allowing it, noting what was going on, coming down and watching on the staircase? Hugh and Keith and their reaction? Hugh and his permissiveness - trumpet, drugs, the sense of pushy enjoyment? Keith and his growing antagonism? The importance of the shooting expedition and audiences sensing the tension with David? Jade and her sleeping in class, taking the pills? The intensity of the family fight? The ban and David's hostility towards Hugh? trying to reason?

10. The build-up to David's obsession? Its credibility? His moods? His following Jade? The scene in the library and overhearing about the party? The sport and his hearing the story about the burning? Spying on the party, watching Jade's farewell - and her reticence in not kissing the guest? His motivation for starting the fire? Its getting out of hand? His trying to save Jade? Hugh's saving him?

11. The transition to the court: David and his standing in judgment, the justice of the judgment? His being institutionalised? Parents' grief? Hugh and his outbursts of anger - showing the kind of person he was, important for his death?

12. Audience response to the focus on institutions: the dormitories, the pills for the difficult patients? David's anguish? His appointments and not keeping them? Looking in the mirror and seeing Jade? The intensity of his letters - and their not being posted? His mother's visit and his pleas for her to take him out? His wondering about the marriage? The mother and father and their decision to take him out? His pointing out the depressed patient and his attacking him in the rain? His being in the institution for two years and fearing what would happen to him?

13. The relief at his return? Seeing his home again? His father's talk about the break-up of the marriage? The memories of first love? His new love - and the influence on David's subsequent behaviour? The question of what might have been had he stayed with his parole? If Hugh had not been killed?

14. His decision to visit New York? His finding Ann? Her response to him? The meal together? Reminiscence? Her telling him of watching on the stairs? Her advances and his declaration of love for Jade? His finding Jade's address? - What might have been had he not found her address?

15. The build-up to his going on the bus? The cross-editing of Hugh with Ingrid on the street and David's coming towards them? Hugh and his new life with Ingrid - and Ann's bitterness about it, irony? Hugh's anger and his impulsive coming to David? Death? The irony of David being present? Ingrid seeing him? His return to Ann and sharing her grief? The family's hostility? The build-up to Keith's getting Ingrid to identify him and the fight with Keith?

16. The glimpse of Jade, following her, giving Ann his letters and Jade's reading them? Jade's visit, the confrontation, the desperation of the break? Her staying? The authentic love between them - despite the two years and Jade's saying how she had kept away? The confrontation with Keith, the violence? His being taken away?

17. The adolescence of David despite his two years in the institution? Still being young, trying to cope? Jade and her greater poise? Freedom, love, obsession?

18. The film's comment on depression and obsession? David and the effect of his obsession acting it out in the burning of the house, the inability of the institution to help, his being a victim and returning to the prison?

19. The Axelrods and their break-up, the mother's concern for David, the father and his trying to recapture his youth? Audience judgment on their moral standards?

20. Jade's parents and their way of life, success in medicine and art? The break? Hugh's behaviour at the parties and get his strict code? His leaving Ann and taking up with Ingrid - and the ironic comments about Ingrid and astrology? The inherent violence in Hugh? Ann and her finding her new self? Keith as the new version of his father? The audience judging this family?

21. The exploration of contemporary moral standards and values? The film's stances?

22. The operatic and melodramatic style of the treatment? The echoes of Romeo and Juliet?