RAG TALE
US, 2005, 123 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Malcolm Mc Dowall, Rupert Graves, Kerry Fox, Ian Hart, Simon Callow, Lucy Davis, Sarah Stockbridge, Bill Patterson, John Sessions, David Hayman.
Directed by Mary Mc Guckian.
No, not the clothing industry. This is a satirical take on those daily rags, the tabloids.
A word of warning. Just as cinemas often have to indicate outside that a film may have strobe and flashing light effects which can have a damaging effect on some audience’s sensibility, those showing Rag Tale may need to warn viewers that they are in for two hours of a visually rocky ride that may be upsetting and unbalancing. Rag Tale has been filmed digitally and edited in an almost breakneck pace, short takes and all angles, offering a literally over-busy impact of life in the editorial offices of the tabloid.
The archetypal newspaper play and film has been The Front Page, filmed many times since the early 1930s. Wisecracking journalists kept up swift patter, trying to outsmart each other, get a breaking story, get tangled in their emotions. The dialogue in Rag Tale is the same, British style. This means that the dialogue is fast and at all angles as are the visuals. Rag Tale is the visual equivalent of the verbal Front Page.
The whole piece is disconcerting. But it is often telling in its merciless caricatures of editors, owners, the hacks around the office and the conniving secretarial staff. It is also disconcerting as it wades in poking fun at institutions, political leaders and the cynical attitudes prevailing against governments. The Royal Family are frequent targets which some may agree with but others think unfair. Prince Charles and Camilla – and the sale of Buckingham Palace – are recurring themes.
Director Mary Mc Guckian (Irish) has made Words on the Window Pane and The Bridge at San Luis Rey. She intends to make more films like Rag Tale, attacking other institutions. She encouraged the cast to improvise during this film which means they are intense and involved in their performances.
Rupert Graves has a strong role as the philandering, unscrupulous editor, Jennifer Jason Leigh as his lover, then rival. Malcolm Mc Dowell is the proprietor, making us wonder which media tycoon he is meant to be! The rest of the cast is very strong and includes Ian Hart, Bill Paterson, Kerry Fox and Simon Callow.
It is not the last word on tabloids. Rather, it is a bit like a tabloid feature itself: quick, smart, topical, shallow, aggressive and, above all, illustrating publishers’ double standards for public and private morality.
1. The film as topical, 2004 and the Bush election? Too anchored in British politics and the royal family? Its impact in its time? Later?
2. The London settings, the vistas of the city, the offices, homes? The musical score, the songs?
3. The significance of the camera style, fluid, fast, digital photography? The disorienting aspects? The visuals of work at a paper, angles, distorted perspective, illustrating the lives of the journalists? The effect on the audience? Difficult to watch? The style as an exercise in filming, editing? Communication?
4. The references to the Bush election, the jokes, the images of President Bush and the election? The reactions in the UK?
5. The references to UK, to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, to the Beckhams, to Kevin Spacey? The effect of these references?
6. The attitude towards the royal family: to the queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, the emphasis on Camilla? The speech by M.J. about Princess Diana, the pros and cons, the criticism of Diana? Eddie and his policy against the royal family? The headline with the bulldozing of Buckingham Palace? The popular response? Public ownership of the palace, the public not having access? Speculation in turning it into a shopping centre etc?
7. Morton, his ownership of the paper, the anti-royal stance of the paper, his own pro-royal stances? His advice to Prince Charles? The access to St James Palace? Planning the party with the guests, the aspects of royalty? The headlines and the pro-monarchy stances, against the monarchy? M.J. and her speech about watching the wedding of Charles and Diana? The issues of knighthood – Morton and his wanting to be a knight, the tantalising aspect of Lady Morton?
8. The Rag, the title of the paper, the title of the film? The reality of the British tabloids, their aimes, moneymaking, the readers and their responses, interests, intelligence? Advertisements, exotic specials? Photos? Boring headlines? Gossip? The processes for the preparation of the front pages, the various authorities and the possibilities of banning headlines?
9. The opening, Eddie and M.J. arriving at work, the affection, the revelation of the affair? Richard’s phone call to Eddie, his demands that he take it, his wanting Eddie to repeat that having an affair with the chairman’s wife is not part of his job description? Eddie and his age, experience, editing of the paper, his tabloid mentality? His relationship with the staff? His anti-royal attitudes? The phone calls to his wife, the background of his marriage, divorce, the children? His decision to break with M.J., his hard attitude, her emotional response, the fact that Debs and everybody in the office was listening in? The emails and the judgments? His going out for lunch, taking Felix and the others? The clash with M.J., especially about the monarchy, his not making himself available for her phone calls? The night out, drinking with the crass fashion and gossip editor?
10. Morph, photographer, addict? Felix and his visit, the plan, the bartering about the money, the gift of the drugs? Morph and his visit to M.J., sharing the drugs? His paying a visit to their home, looking at the photos, photographing the photos and later altering them? The plan to discredit Morton and M.J? Supplying the drugs, listening to her, her reaction to the story about her marriage? Being present at her death and photographing it? The photos to be used?
11. Debs, the office girls, listening in, taking sides, likes and dislikes, holding up phone calls? The clash with M.J?
12. Fat Boy, his gossip column, his having the contacts, getting the information? The other journalists, the photojournalist and his examining Morph’s photos?
13. Lloyd and Felix, their experience, as journalists, for tabloids? Their discussion about serious issues? Loyalty to Eddie? Yet in fear for their jobs? Not wanting M.J. to take over? The banging of the desks when Eddie was sacked and M.J. taking over? The sacking of Eddie, their support? Felix and his intrigues, going to Morph, using the stories? The conspiracy against Morton? After M.J’s suicide, the discussions – and their practically believing the story they concocted? At the end, still in place and loyal to Eddie?
14. Eddie and his wife, their talking on the phone, the divorce, the children, his minding the children? The photos and Morph’s changing them? The idea that Morton had married his daughter? The wife and her volunteering to send the front page set-up from the rival paper? Their drinking, agreeing to the plan? Waiting in the morning, the email in which Eddie was sacked? M.J. and her moving to the editor’s chair? Eddie and his message to send the front page? Morton’s reactions and fear? Eddie and his plan to step in as saviour? The change of plan with M.J’s suicide?
15. Eddie and his survival, M.J. and her attitudes, the American, in England? Her drug taking, her ambitions to be editor-in-chief, the preparation for the party, her continued chatter during the party, crass, her having to apologise to Richard? Taking the drugs, seeing the headline, her reaction, her death? The rapidity with which she moved to kill herself? Richard and his being quiet? The staff – and Eddie telling them they had a paper to run and whom they planned to get that week?
16. The vistas of London, a space for the audience to have a breather from the disorienting style of the photography? The crowds of people in London?
17. The film and its screenplay, originating with the director, the collaborating with the staff, the improvising and its effect? The cynical attitude towards the tabloids – deserved or not? Characters and caricatures?
