VARIETY

US, 1983, 97 minutes, Colour.
Sandy Mc Leod, Will Patton, Luis Guzman.
Directed by Bette Gordon.

Variety is a small-budget American production made in conjunction with West German television and Channel 4 in England. Written by Kathy Acker and based on a story by director Gordon, the film has a feminine interest and feminist concerns. The film echoes the contemporary situation with unemployment, focuses on the underground life of New York and becomes fascinated with Broadway, 42nd Street, pornography, wheeler-dealing in markets and money.

However, the focus is on the heroine Christine and her reaction to the porno theatre and its patrons, her obsessions and the influence on her life, her interest in a well-dressed patron who turns out to be involved in the money deals.

The film is geared in its style and photography to the non-commercial audience - most especially in the conclusion which leaves the audience to supply the ending. It is of interest for non-commercial audiences - and for theorists of modern trends.

1. Impact? Audience? Expectations? Style? Small budget?

2. The capturing of the atmosphere of New York city: buildings, streets, Broadway, the Variety Theatre, its interiors, the markets, Yankee Stadium? Contemporary? The underworld of New York? The style of colour photography, lighting? Emphasis on darkness and sleaziness?

3. Style and pace: close-ups, groups, natural talk recorded. techniques of cars following others. people shadowing people? Phone calls? The insertion of the visuals and verbals of the pornographic films? Musical score?

4. '80s unemployment situation, the anxiety about jobs? Christine and the opening conversation in the baths, her wanting to get a job, talk, desperation? Life in the city, the job in the theatre, the effect of the job?

5. Her background: Michigan and her past, the teaching qualification, her mother and her phone calls? Her friends in the bar. the hookers and their discussions, the talk about their clients and their experiences? Her visits to the baths for exercise? A woman in New York and her friends?

6. Her relationship to Mark? His scoop about illegal money deals, his information to her? Their infrequent meetings, phone calls? The point of telling the pornographic stories to him - his refusal to listen, his playing the game and listening to the longer stories at the end? Audiences identifying with him,, with Christine? The impact on the audience of these stories? Men, women?

7. The Variety Cinema - in itself, its programmes, advertisements, the fact of pornographic cinemas in Broadway, the sex shops and their clients, wares, Christine's visits? Christine's reaction to the theatre, the ticket box? Jose and his taking the tickets, relieving Christine,, sweeping the floor? The film clips - visuals, sounds? Christine's reaction in the box, selling the tickets. the people she met. smoking in the foyer and listening? Her disdain? Yet preoccupation, curiosity? The change in her - her clothes, looking at herself in the mirror. sexual preoccupation? Telling her stories to Mark? The final decision to encounter Louis?

8. Louis and the well-dressed businessman, patron, the Coca Cola that she spilt, giving her the coffee? Conversation? Taking her out in his chauffeured car, the Yankee Stadium? Her following him, discovering his deals and the pawn shops, the fish markets? The audience knowing about the rackets and the money to be made in the markets? Information from Mark? Her final phone call and threats - her future going to meet him?

9. The portrait of Christine - her background, her presence in New York, her hopes, article-writing, swims and exercises, her phone-answering service and the range of calls? The weak relationship with Mark? Her work and its effect? Following Louis? The long shadowing sequences? What did she learn, how did she change?

10. The film evoking and symbolising contemporary New York and its life? The quality of life? Style and uncertainty? The uncertainty of the future in the ambiguous ending?

11. The film's study of masculine and feminine roles? Exploitation? Submission, voyeurism? The meaning of pornography? The psychological overtones - the psycho-analytic styles and concerns of the film?