VIGILANTE FORCE

US, 1975, 89 minutes, Colour.
Kris Kristofferson, Jan- Michael Vincent, Victoria Principal, Bernadette Peters.
Directed by George Armitage.

What seems another violent look at an American town with Jan Michael Vincent shooting his heroic way to order, turns out to be precisely this as an allegory of recent political corruption in the U.S. Kris Kristofferson plays a Vietnam veteran who is employed to police the riff-raff in the town of which he was once the bad boy. He starts cleaning up, but it is soon clear that he intends to clean up as much money and power as he murderously can in the name of law and order. It all looked far-fetched and unmotivated at first - but then one realised that it had all happened at the top.

1. The significance of the title, the emphasis of the title, reference to America? The total impact of the film as a thriller, as a social statement? Audience expectations from the title, social violence? Expectations fulfilled?

2. How could the film be seen as an allegory of the United States in the 70s? The background of Vietnam, the Nixon administration? The vigilante force of this film as paralleling in some way the external respectability and the inner corruption of the Nixon administration? The comment that America after Vietnam and Nixon got the kind of vigilantes and violence that it deserved? How just is this comment? Is this kind of violent allegory a necessary purging for Americans after their experience of corrupt administration? Involvement in war?

3. How well did the film present the small town, the location photography, the atmosphere of the town in its buildings, streets, details of way of life. people in administration? The cracks behind the facade of the town? The potential for corruption,, for violence? The ordinary people? The conventions of the Americana look at the small town? violence and heroics?

4. The background of the town and the way that it was created: the oil wealth, shops, people, the way of life, the potential for greatness, the potential for disaster?

5. The presentation of the administration: the Mayor and his interests,, the Banker, the Police Chief? The particular ways of administration that they represented? External respectability? The use of corruptive violence for surface cleaning up? Their being involved with the inner corruption? The extent of their greed, their downfall and their deaths? The Judgement that the film made on them?

6. How good did the plan seem on paper? How bad a plan was it: for oppression, the enslavement of the people, the exploitation.. exploiting people's weaknesses and needs? The money-making and success of the vigilante force?


7. The film's focus on Aaron: his Vietnamese background, his having been kicked out of the town as a trouble-maker, his inability to hold his job in Los Angeles? Insubordination and irresponsibility? His genial façade, his fascist attitudes? The fact that he was the kind of man sought out by a town administration. the way that he was welcomed? Aaron's use of the law and twisting authority for his own purposes? The solemnity of his being sworn in., the seeming happiness of all? The sudden eruption of violence., the gratuitous violence of his methods? His plan for enriching himself,, his friends? The build-up towards deaths, destroying the administration? Greed? The blackmailing hold over the administration? His clashes with Ben? His relationship with little Dee and her rebelling against him? Audience response to his decision that Linda had to die? Was he a credible character, a symbol of evil? The fact that Kris Kristofferson played the part?

8. The contrast with Ben: ordinary citizen, of the same family as Aaron, the different background, greater stability, the widower, the friendship with Linda? The fact that the town asked him in good faith to persuade his brother to come? The contrast in ways of livelihood, behaviour? The testing of Ben's loyalty? His disillusionment? His suffering through Linda's death? The contrast of good and evil in the two brothers? The violent heroism on the 4th of July? Did the film justify the violence of Ben's manoeuvres against his brother and his force? Was there any other way? The criticism of an America that provides for this kind of violent solving of problems?

9. Linda as heroine, her values in the town, her support of Ben, love for him, her educational work? The contrast with Aaron? Audience revulsion at her death? Her funeral as the occasion for violence?

10. The contribution of little Dee to the film: her brainlessness, humour, her mannerism of knowing everybody, the gangster's moll? Her involvement in Aaron's deals and way of life? Her revulsion and leaving him?

11. Comment on the personalities of Aaron's gang? Their background in Vietnam, their motivation, evil? Their violence?

12. The film presented much spectacular violence. Audience reaction to this, sharing in it, revulsion?

13. The irony of the 4th of July parade and the siege? The violence of the battle? The battle on the 4th of July between the good man and the evil man as a symbol of modern America?

14. How incisive the themes of the individual and society, politics and corruption?