THE LIGHTSHIP
US, 1985, 89 minutes, Colour.
Klaus Maria Brandauer, Robert Duvall, William Forsyth, Arliss Howard, Michael Lyndon, Tom Bower.
Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski.
The Lightship is a brief crime drama. It focuses on the captain of a light ship off the American coast, his crew, his alienation from his young son (Michael Lyndon, son of the director, Jerzy Skolimowski). A group of thieves escaping from a bank robbery experience breakdown and board the light ship, holding the captain and the crew to ransom. The drama is in the conflict between the two groups, especially the verbal conflict. The captain is disliked by his crew because of alleged cowardice during World War Two. The head of the thieves is an eccentric, aristocratic-sounding gentleman. The captain is Klaus Maria Brandauer. Robert Duvall is the thief.
The film sounds as if it came originally from a play because there is so much talk and psychological interaction. There is a violent climax at the end.
The film is not particularly gripping, more an exercise in this kind of psychological drama.
1.The impact of the film? Crime drama? Psychological drama?
2.The action of the film on the ship itself, the interiors, at sea? The impact of the confined space? Musical score?
3.The focus on the drama between the captain and the head of the criminals? Their personalities, backgrounds, leadership of their men? The complication of the relationship between father and son? Caspary and his comments on his own father?
4.The ship, its duty? A light ship of the American coast? Rescuing the criminals? Being held hostage by them?
5.The portrait of the captain, his World War Two record, his explanation to his son about what happened? The clash with Coop, the friendship with Nate? The other members of the crew? His son being put aboard, their clashes? His commanding his son on the boat? Caspary and the others coming aboard, his reaction, assessing the situation, advocating quiet? The men and their plot, his son involved? The verbal interactions with Caspary, discussion about father-son relationships? The build-up to the climax, the violence of his death?
6.Caspary, the gentlemanly tones, psychopath? His hat and his coat? His relationship with the men? The takeover, his manner of speaking, the quiet menace? The threat of violence? His telling the son to obey his father? The build-up to the confrontation, his being taken, tied up, freed? The confrontation between him and the captain, the captain’s son?
7.The crew, Coop and his antagonism towards the captain, their clashes? Cowardice? The plan to get rid of the criminals? The other members of the crew, Nate, Gene and his killing the blackbird? Nate and his violent reaction? The plan, involving Alex, the failure of the plot? The violence, deaths?
8.The gang, their personalities, Gene and his limitations, Eddie and his simplicity? How to handle the situation? The interaction with the crew, the violence, deaths?
9.Alex, being put on board, the clashes with his father, his voice-over, his comments on his father, his own reaction to the violence, his having to act violently? His comment on how he was like his father? His father’s death?
10.The overall impact of the film, a satisfying combination of action and psychology – or not?
