13 - “Interiors” (1978)

SCREENING QUESTIONS

PRE-SCREENING BACKGROUND QUESTIONS (CONTEXT EXPLORATION)

1. Briefly describe what your expectations for the film were?

   After seeing the trailer for Woody Allen’s 1978 feature film Interiors I expected a more mature, serious, and somber look at life’s loneliness – in short, a film that would be a departure from his earlier comedic work including 1969’s Take The Money and Run (a slapstick movie about a bumbling bank robber shot in a mockumentary style); 1971’s Bananas (another slapstick movie about a revolutionary uprising in a Latin American country); as well as 1975’s Love and Death (a parody of Russian novels by authors such as Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, with homages to the comic stylings of Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope, and the Marx Bros).

2. What did you already know about the film and from what source?

 I didn’t know a lot about Interiors going into it, aside from the fact that Diane Keaton and Sam Waterston were among the film’s stars. Keaton starred in over half a dozen Allen films dating back to her first appearance in Allen’s 1972 film, Play it Again, Sam, as well as appearances in 1975’s Love and Death, 1979’s Manhattan, 1987’s Radio Days, and her Academy Award winning performance in 1977’s Annie Hall. Before securing his role as ADA Jack McCoy in television’s Law & Order, Waterston had also been a frequent collaborator with Allen, appearing in 1987’s Hannah and Her Sisters, and 1987’s September.

07 - “The French Connection” (1971)

SCREENING QUESTIONS

PRE-SCREENING BACKGROUND QUESTIONS (CONTEXT EXPLORATION)

1. Briefly describe what your expectations for the film were?

   William Friedkin’s 1971 film The French Connection was one of the first special edition DVDs I ever bought in the early 2000s, alongside its sequel, The French Connection II. The special edition featured two discs packed with a plethora of bonus features including a feature length commentary by director Friedkin, scene specific commentaries by actors Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, as well as other behind-the-scenes features. A decade later, I would replace the DVD copies of both films with BluRay copies.

2. What did you already know about the film and from what source?

   My mom has always had a love of true crime stories, and I’m certain I first learned from her that The French Connection is based on a nonfiction book of the same name by Robin Moore, first published in 1969. Both the book and the film examine the true story of the largest drug bust in the history of the New York Police Department. 

   The Internet Movie Database notes how the 44th Annual Academy Awards saw The French Connection nominated across eight categories, winning in five (including best actor, best adapted screenplay, best director, best film editing, and best picture). Sometimes, the films that should win awards do not necessarily match up with the films that do win, but in the case of The French Connection, its nominations and wins are well deserved.

   Finally, the Wikipedia page for The French Connection notes how founder Alvin Copeland of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc, an American multinational fast-food chain of fried chicken restaurants, had named his chain after Hackman’s character from The French Connection, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. 20th Century Fox had released The French Connection a year prior to Copeland founding his chicken chain.

3. What did you know about the country and historical period/style of its origin?

Police Departments in America during the 1960s and 1970s, especially in New York were rife with corruption. In June 1969, a series of demonstrations against a New York Police Department (NYPD) police raid of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, which marked yet another crackdown on the local gay, lesbian, drag, and transgender community. The Stonewall riots highlighted how the legal system had been anti-homosexual.

 In the late 1960s, NYPD Detective Frank Serpico would bring credible allegations of corruption in the NYPD to police brass in a series of complaints that they ignored. As a result, Serpico took his complaints about the NYPD to the press, authoring a front-page article for the New York Times, elevating the issue to a national discussion on corruption at forces across America. In 1970, New York Mayor John Lindsay formed a commission led by New York City attorney Whitman Knapp, to examine allegations of corruption on the force by Serpico and another officer, Sergeant David Durk. The commission Knapp led became known as the Knapp Commission, and it would turn into a comprehensive, two-year probe which led to systemic changes that altered how the New York Police Department responded to allegations of corruption. Serpico’s complaints would also form the basis of the 1973 Sidney Lumet film Serpico starring Al Pacino.

 According to Tejvan Pettinger, writing for the Economics Help website, the early 1970s in America saw a brief period of strong economic growth: living standards were rising; property prices were also rising; and there was a growth in the use of consumer credit cards. This period of growth would not last however, as an extended period of stagflation would set in, where inflation and unemployment increased as economic output fell. New York City itself however, presented a much different story as reflected in the landscape shown in The French Connection.

By contrast, 1960s New York City saw a steady decline in both its economic and social conditions, which are now known to affect people’s mental health, leading to increased stress, pressures in relationships, as well as increased instances of violence in families. The city itself was in a steady state of decay, riddled with high rates of crime during the 1970s. Block after block of city streets saw buildings crumbling and left to rot, their windows boarded up and their seedy insides housing the homeless, many of whom were addicted to a wide variety of drugs. Some parts of the city saw buildings reduced to rubble, mirroring the kind of devastation that existed in Europe following World War II.

06 - “Panic in Needle Park” (1971)

1. Briefly describe what your expectations for the film were?

   My primary expectation in seeking out and watching The Panic in Needle Park lay rooted in the chance to see some early powerhouse performances by actors Al Pacino and Kitty Win (The Panic in Needle Park marked Pacino’s first leading role in a motion picture).

2. What did you already know about the film and from what source?

   The Panic in Needle Park was a film where I did not know much about it prior to watching it. I knew it tackled a story about individuals who were addicted to heroin in the early 1970s, as based on a novel by James Mills. The novel was adapted into a screenplay by couple Joan Didion and John Gregory Dune, Didion being known and familiar to me based on her creative nonfiction collections, Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968), and The Year of Magical Thinking (2005).

02 - “The World, The Flesh, and the Devil” (1959)

SCREENING QUESTIONS

PRE-SCREENING BACKGROUND QUESTIONS (CONTEXT EXPLORATION)

1.  Briefly describe what your expectations for the film were?

   Having never seen writer-director Ranald MacDougall’s 1959 film, THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL, my expectations for the film were rooted in seeing how a film about a post-apocalyptic world would explore the possible sense of loneliness and depression that could emerge for individuals facing those circumstances in a city devoid of humanity.

2. What did you already know about the film and from what source?

Thanks to the short time I attended a private Christian Academy during my high school days, I was broadly familiar with the phrase that forms this film’s title, THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL. Specifically, the phrase is grounded in Christian theology and is used to describe the three main sources of temptation and opposition to a righteous life. Chris Northcott, writing in a July 2023 entry for his blog on Christian Faith, Formation, and Practice called “The World, the Flesh, and the Devil’ and Christian Discipleship in Modern Society” describes ‘the World’ as representing the influence of global culture and worldly influences, values, and temptations that can lead people away from God (Northcott). In short, Northcott describes how this references the wider Western culture, alongside its assumptions, customs, goals, social habits, and taboos that are contrary to God’s kingdom (Northcott). Secondly, Northcott explains how ‘the Flesh’ represents the sinful desires and inclinations within human nature. He notes how our contemporary Western culture fails to look inward and resists the idea that there is ever anything wrong with human nature (Northcott). Third, ‘the Devil’ symbolizes the evil influence of Satan and his forces, actively working to tempt and deceive people. For Northcott, ‘the Devil’ represents Western contemporary opposition to the Spirit’s work in the world and in our lives (Northcott). Finally, Northcott calls on his Christian readers not to abandon these ideas and to remember the importance of considering what the tenants of ‘the World, the Flesh, and the Devil’ represents, when he notes how how : “The basic activities of Christian faith and formation include our confession of faith, reading of Scripture, prayer, sung worship, church gathering, acts of charity. (As such) It is worth considering how the World, the Flesh, the Devil undermine your participation and faithfulness in these things.” In short, it is the abandonment of these ideas that have led Christians to move towards blindly upholding the ideal that human nature is infallible and even superior to that of everything that is around mankind, including God. An abandonment of humility, if you will.

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Works Cited

• Northcott, Chris. “‘The World, the Flesh, and the Devil’ and Christian Discipleship in Modern Society.” CHRIS NORTHCOTT’s BLOG ON CHRISTIAN FAITH, FORMATION, & PRACTICE, 31 Jul 2023.

01 - “Rear Window” (1954)

PRE-SCREENING BACKGROUND QUESTIONS (CONTEXT EXPLORATION)

1. Briefly describe what your expectations for the film were?

   I’ve seen Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 mystery thriller Rear Window countless times, both at home and fortunately on the big screen. Alongside Hitchcock’s 1958 film Vertigo, It’s one of my favourite films, and for my latest screening of Rear Window I was curious as to how the film’s characters in the confines of their small New York City apartments (as voyeuristically observed from the apartment of the film’s protagonist) reflected on the the emptiness, isolation, and loneliness people feel.

2. What did you already know about the film and from what source?

   From watching the opening credits it’s revealed that Hitchcock’s film Rear Window is an adaptation of a short story written by American novelist and short story writer Cornell Woolrich. Literary agent, writer, editor, and general book, film/TV, and pop culture enthusiast Jacklyn Saferstein-Hansen of Renaissance Literary & Talent notes in her introduction to the 2022 collection Woolrich stories published by Villa Romana Books how Woolrich’s 1942 novella was originally published by the pulp magazine Dime Detective under the title It Had to be Murder (Saferstein-Hansen 9). Saferstein-Hansen also explains how the name Rear Window was ultimately chosen when the story was published in the 1944 fiction collection titled After-Dinner Story, and this was the name that stuck for that and all future publications of Woolrich’s tale (9).

3. What did you know about the country and historical period/style of its origin?

   Hitchcock’s feature film adaptation of Rear Window was released in August 1854, whereas Cornell Woolrich’s novella upon which the film was based came out over a decade earlier in 1942.

   Saferstein-Hansen described how Woolrich was “…how a master of the crime and suspense genres deals with the psychology of murder from a variety of different perspectives” (8). She continues, explaining how many of his stories took ”…place during the Great Depression…” noting how, “…as Woolrich surely witnessed, the economic struggles of that era only exacerbated people’s worst impulses” (9). Wikipedia notes that the “Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and business failures around the world. The economic contagion began in 1929 in the United States, the largest economy in the world, with the devastating Wall Street stock market crash of October 1929 often considered the beginning of the Depression” (“Great Depression”). The article also describes how the Great Depression had an impact on Global economics, where “Among the countries with the most unemployed were the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Germany” (“Great Depression”).

   The kind of prolonged economic downturn Saferstein-Hansen described as influencing Woolrich had a profound impact on individuals, families, and communities - especially in the area of mental health and wellness. Writing for The Times of India in June 2023, Nisha Jha, in her article “When the Wallet Hits the Mind: The Connection Between Economic Instability and Mental Health” describes how: “The Great Depression in the 1930s and the global economic downturn of the late 2000s, known as the Global Recession, both had significant adverse effects on individuals’ mental health. During the Great Depression, widespread unemployment and poverty led to anxiety, depression, and feelings of shame. The Global Recession saw a rise in anxiety, depression, and suicide rates as people grappled with financial hardships and uncertainty. Unemployment, financial strain, and disrupted family dynamics took a toll on mental well-being. Limited access to mental health services exacerbated the challenges faced by individuals during both crises.“

   The early 1940s was a time dominated by the impact of World War 2, which was raging at the time Woolrich’s novella was first published in 1942. The United States had abandoned its status as a neutral country and entered the war following attacks on American and British territories in Asia and the Pacific, including Pearl Harbour in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. By shifting into a war economy, new wartime production led to an era of full employment as well as a strong period of consumer confidence which grew following the end of the war. The website for the United Stares District Court of California notes how opportunities were also afforded to those who served as soldiers on the battlefield, including college education (“The 1940s”).

4. Did you know anything about the director?

   I still remember the feel of the thin, tight pile of the grey carpet I sat cross-legged on in the portable classroom me and my classmates were in for our grade ten English class. My head was arched upwards, my eyes fixated on the large, boxy television screen that was playing the 1948 Alfred Hitchcock film Rope. I had always loved watching movies, but I credit Stan Engstrom’s high school English and Drama classes for introducing me to the idea that great films really were produced before I was born, and to technical concepts about filmmaking such as mis-en-scene, as well as auteur theory. Later, in the same course we would watch the Hitchcock masterpiece Psycho, which was the first feature film I ever wrote an academic paper about (I don’t remember what I examined, only that I enthusiastically wrote the piece, scoring an A+ grade on the finished work).

   I remember staying up late for several weeks to pour over every page of two film history books I found in my high school’s library. The first was by author Donald Spoto breaking down and analyzing the entire Hitchcock filmography, called The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of His Motion Pictures. I loved the touch of memoir Spoto slid into his book, which for me raised each essay above that of bland, boring criticism and into the realm of fascinatingly interesting personal reflection. In short, his personal style grounded the essays in his book. Here was a man sharing with the world his deep passion for the work of one of his favourite artists, Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock, an artist who was quickly becoming a favourite of mine as well. Spoto taught me about story structure, themes, metaphors, mis-en-scene, and the importance of the careful planning that goes into creating any work of art. I even remember later applying what I learned about storyboarding into the planning later did for a grade eleven video art course. The second book I drank up at this impressionable age was the classic by French New Wave film director and critic François Truffaut, which documented a week long discussion of film between himself and the Master of Suspense, aptly called Hitchcock-Truffaut. It was the only in-depth interview Hitchcock ever granted anyone, and it revealed the deep knowledge and love for filmmaking that Hitchcock had.

   The work of British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock reaches back to the silent, black & white era of early filmmaking. His experience making silent films helped shape his strong ability for visual storytelling that utilized compelling visual sequences, revelations about character through action, as well as a carefully crafted mid-en-scene. Rear Window was Hitchcock’s 45th directorial effort, his 34th utilizing sound, and his fourth shot in colour.

5. 5. What was the most important feature of the film you were looking for?

   The most important feature of Rear Window that I am looking forward to was ultimately related to how Hitchcock explored how isolation and loneliness impacted the film’s characters.

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SCREENING QUESTIONS (CONTENT)

Using Chapter 3 of Corrigan’s Short Guide to Writing About Film as a guide, describe and outline: