Discussion Questions for:
Chariots of Fire

Daniel O'Connell

1.    In Chariots of Fire (1981) the two main characters are "outsiders" with regards to the English community; one was a Chinese born and raised Scotsman and the other was of Jewish descent. What does this say about the movie’s credentials as a "British nationalistic" film?

2.    Do you think that the producers of this film promote an unjustified bias towards England? Why or why not?

3.    The article by John Hill, "British Cinema as National Cinema," explains that Gregory’s Girl (1980) held more appeal to the European community. Also, he cites Gregory’s Girl as a "more reliable indicator of the way in which British film-making was developing." Do you think that this is a justified statement? How come? (we might hold off on this question until next week--JH)

4.    Hill claims that American-produced "British" films tend to follow the lines of a "heritage film". Also, it is foreign countries, especially America, that provide the most revenue for these movies. If they are films that should inspire a sense of nationalism in Britain why are they more popular elsewhere?

5.    In the movie Chariots of Fire what do you see as being a more significant triumph, Eric Liddell refusing to race on the Sabbath or his gold medal in the 400m?

6.    On the side, does anyone know whether or not this movie is a fictional or non-fictional account? (as the opening titles state, it is a "true story": but there is always some amount of fictionalization in a biographical picture such as C of F--JH)

Discussion Questions for:
Gregory's Girl

Serenity Blauvelt

1.    After class Wednesday's did you find it easy to see some of the techniques used in filmmaking? Give some examples.

2.    Sticking with the question of style, discuss some reasons why Gregory's Girl would appeal more to European/British audiences than  American audiences.

3.    Chariots of Fire was clearly nationalistic because of its "heritage film" qualities. However Gregory's Girl is also nationalistic; discuss how this so.

4.    Give some examples how Gregory's Girl deviates from the Hollywood format of filmmaking.

5.    Do you think Gregory's Girl or this style of film may have been influential in the films of American directors like John Hughes (16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, etc.) ? (we might also discuss the similarities and differences between Gregory's Girl and American "coming-of-age" comedies as well -- JH)

Discussion Questions for:
Money

Aimee Orduz

1.    How are John Self's excessive indulgences (sex, money, alcohol,etc.) a reflection of the time in which the novel was written?

2.    Given that Self grew up in America for much of his childhood, should his indulgent personality and desire for fast money, fast food, fast sex, etc., be seen as American traits?  Is Amis trying to comment on American excesses and vices by setting much of novel and most of Self's worst behavior in America?

3.    Is the character Martin Amis separate from the author or is he supposed to be a reflection of the author himself?  Does he represent a sort of voice of reason, looking in at Self from the outside and trying to make sense of his behavior?

4.    At one point the character Martin Amis says, "Names are awfully important"(p. 331).  How is naming the main character "Self" a reflection of this idea? Should we understand that to mean John Self is a part of all of ourselves?

5.    In class you said that under Thatcherism the rich got richer and no one cared about the poor--is Goodney a representation of this sort of aggressive individualism and is Self characterized by his lack of control over his financial affairs in this sense? (Meaning that someone else is always controlling the money and Self is really just along for the ride.)

Discussion Questions for:
The Ploughman's Lunch

Amy LaChance

1.    Compare "The Ploughman's Lunch" to "Chariots of Fire" and/or "Gregory's Girl" in terms of regional/global emphasis, past/present tense and linear/episodic structure.

2.    Role of Women: Would Mother or Daughter Barrington have dutifully obeyed their significant others as Liddell's sister and Abrahams' girlfriend did? (or are they more "modern" as the women in Gregory's Girl are? --JH)

3. "Chariots of Fire" seemed to be focused more on British unity, success and glory.  How is "Ploughman's Lunch" different in its national emphasis?

4. Anne Barrington said the trouble of man against tyranny was that of memory versus forgetting; it is the citizen's duty to remember: how is this sentiment relevant to the international themes in the film as well as in Penfield's personal life?

5. What is the significance of Penfield's meeting the women's group near the airport and his denial of them at the convention?

Discussion Questions for:
My Beautiful Laundrette

Kristen Morais

1.    When My Beautiful Laundrette was released in London in 1986, Pakistanis picketed the theatres that showed the film, saying that it was an unfair portrayal of their countrymen.  What elements of the film do you think they were referring to?

2.    In this semi-autobiographical screenplay, Hanif Kureishi attempts to show what two generations of Pakistani immigrants have accomplished in Thatcher's England.  How do you feel Thatcherism has affected the characters in their willingness to survive in London in 1986?

3.    Stephen Frears uses two or three plots at one time, cross-cutting between plot lines to have each comment upon the other.  I am particularly referring to the ending sequence when Nasser tells Papa that London is a paradise compared to Bombay, then we see Salim being beaten by the English kids.  Can you think of any other times when Frears focuses on two or three lines of action to illustrate his point?

4.    The relationship that evolves between Omar and Johnny seems to take a back seat to the political drama that continues to progress.  Why do you think Frears does not focus more on the guys' relationship with each other as opposed to their relationships with family, etc.?

5.    Besides functioning as a chorus, what aspects do Johnny's neo-Nazi friends contribute to the film?

Nicole Roy

1.    What significance did having a British mistress have for the Pakistani men?

2.    What do the movie’s female characters (Rachel, Tania, Nasser’s wife, Omar’s dead mother) show us about women’s lives under Thatcherism?

3.    Do you think it would be easier for the second generation immigrants in the film to adjust today, in a post-Thatcherist England? 

4.    Given the issues (social, racial, and sexual) do you think the film would have had commercial success in the United States?

5.    What was the significance of naming the old dingy laundrette "Churchill’s Laundrette"?

James Duffy

1.    Point to some of the aesthetic differences between Beautiful Launderette, and Chariots of Fire. How do the directors use visual presentation to convey different messages regarding the context in which the film takes place?

2.    One of the major themes of this film is racism. How do American films that deal with this topic (Higher Learning, American History X, Fires in the Mirror) compare or contrast in style, aesthetic, and general form?

3.    How are we to comprehend the film’s portrayal of the effects of Thatcherism on the immigrant population of the UK?

4.    On of Nasser’s Pakistani friends is quoted as saying, " How could anyone call this little island of Europe home."  Should we read this as anti-British sentiment, or Pakistani nationalism?

5.    This film deals with a wide spectrum of social issues (adultery, homosexuality, drugs, racism, ext.). Should we read this as "realism", or an exaggeration that works to convey "real" circumstances?

Discussion Questions for:
Riff-Raff

Melissa Rudolph

1.    The film begins with the scurrying around of rats and ends with a similar scene. What does this say about the importance of the "rat race" in the film and the conditions which the characters live in as opposed to the conditions the rats live in and the way they are treated?

2.    How does Riff Raff compare to the other films we have watched concerning the working class?

3.    What does the film say about the role of government of that era on labor forces and what significance is this, especially with the men using fake names in order to avoid paying taxes?

4.    "Depressions are for the middle classes" is a direct quote from the film. What importance does this hold to the way the men are represented? Is it basically saying that the lower classes, which these men obviously are, are always in a depression?

Discussion Questions for:
Life Is Sweet

Jenna DeLuca

1.    How does Life Is Sweet portray qualities of "realistic" representation?

2.    The music throughout the film seems to remain the same, but at different speeds, is this the more effective than using different pieces?

3.    Nicola states, "All men are bastards" although her father is a good man and so is her boyfriend.  What gives her this view? Why does Mike Leigh make her act the way she does?

4.    The director Mike Leigh tends to use a great deal of close-up shots. What is his purpose in using them?

5.    What is the significance of some of the minor characters, such as the cook and Nicola’s boyfriend?

Jamie Soter

1.    The strongest feature of this film is its character development, even though at the outset, the film had no script. How did the strong element of character/character development make up for the lack of one main plot and instead, gelling together many subplots?

2.    How is the concept of Thatcherism addressed in this movie? Do these characters work to get ahead or to get by? Do they work their jobs for the monetary value or for some deeper goal or satisfaction?

3.    What kind of statement is Aubrey's character offering to the whole of the film? What is the point of Aubrey's opening night disaster? The name of his restaurant is "Regret Rien," (regret nothing): how does this shed light on his character?

4.    Realism - When Andy and Wendy are in bed talking, and gossiping about Aubrey, they are sharing a very real moment. The audience can relate to this intimate banter. What other slice of life and/or "REAL" moments did you notice in the film?

5.    Nicola expresses concern for Natalie when she mentions her plans to visit America. Natalie makes a joke about being "Yanked" from the plane, and when Nicola gets the joke, she calls Natalie a racist. What does this say about the characters and the view of America portrayed in the film?

6.    What is the reason for Nicola's bitterness - is she afraid of failure? Did she start out ahead of all the others and end up thinking that she was so much better, and then stopped trying? What do the two real traumatic moments/conversations for Nicola reveal (to us, and to herself)?

7.    "Life is Sweet" is a very food oriented film. Andy works in a kitchen, Wendy helps Aubrey at the opening of his restaurant, and Nicola is anorexic. It is in one of these food related settings that Andy breaks his leg. When he comments about the incident later, he says, "An ordinary spoon…I never noticed it before." Apply his comment to life in general and what is he saying? Is it always the little things that we don't notice (or take for granted), that come back to haunt us in the end? If so, what does this mean for the characters in "Life is Sweet"?

Discussion Questions for:
The Buddha of Suburbia

Tina Monteleone

1.    The title of Kureishi's book is The Buddha of Suburbia. If Karim's father, Haroon, represents the guru of suburban life, what, if anything, does this symbolize?

2.    Anwar attempts to starve himself in order to force Jamila to marry Changez. Even after she agrees to this, Anwar seems to slowly waste away. In comparison to Omar's father in "My Beautiful Laundrette", does the reality of the immigrant experience seem to be slowly killing both characters?

3.    As "Money" is a satire of the film industry, could "The Buddha of Suburbia" also be a criticsm of theatre and high society? If so, what are the common themes typical of the characters in each of the novels?

4.     In addition to many other issues, "The Buddha of Suburbia" reflects the racism and class struggles which pervade modern society. Is Karim's success based on the fact that the characters he plays confirm cultural stereotypes?

5.     Changez states that "the reason there is this bad racialism is because [immigrants] are so dirty, so rough-looking, so bad mannered...To be accepted they must take up all the English ways and forget their dirty villages!"(210). Is it true in the novel that the characters must assimilate and forget their roots in order to succeed?

Discussion Questions for
Drowning by Numbers

Elise Fetta

1.     Why does Greenaway parallel the ideas of games and play with the lives of the characters?

2.     What is the significance of Smut's use of red and yellow hues in reference to death?

3.     In the first scene of the film, the "jump roping girl" makes the statement "Once you've counted one hundred, all of the other hundred are the
same." How does this statement set the tone for events to come?

4.     In Walsh's article, he makes reference to Greenaway making a symbolic point focusing on the game Dead Man's Catch in which "gender struggle is formalized." What is Greenaway's purpose of singling out males as the "inferior" gender?

5.     What is the significance of Greenaway naming his three lead female characters Cissie?

Discussion Questions for
Orlando

Marie Rosa

1.    Why does leaving the country bring about such and enormous change in Orlando? What was absent in Britain that was present in Islam?

2.    Why was it necessary for Orlando to continually address the audience? Was this another form of his/her disassociation with his/her surroundings?

3.    Why do you think Orlando lived for so long, and was it important to have the scene with the Queen, about never fading, and deteriorating, etc? What was the importance of him/her remaining true to his/her promise to the Queen?

4.    What did Orlando find as a woman that went unsatisfied or undiscovered as a man?

5.    Why do you think that a woman was chosen to play Orlando? Would it have worked if Orlando had been played by a man?

6.    What purpose did the scene of "Lady" Orlando v. the three poets serve? Was the Lord Orlando any less "lost" as the poets accused the lady of being?

7.    Why is it that foreigners always seemed to lead Orlando closer to happiness then his/her fellow English men/women did?

8.    Why is it that every time Orlando loses a lover it starts to rain? What did this show about Orlando's apparent control over his/her environment? He/She could change so much and yet seemed totally adrift until the end.

9.    What was the significance of Orlando's eye color? What had changed in her at the end that would result in her sudden contentment?

Meghan Brown

1.    What can you say about the time periods and the subjects they entail (i.e. 1610= love, 1650= poetry, 1700= politics, 1750= society, 1850= sex and lastly 'birth')? Is there any significance to their order? What was the purpose of Potter's structure and the extended lapse of time that 'Orlando' encompasses?

2.    At times the film seems to have a great appeal towards nature/mysticism (i.e. when Orlando lies in the field and claims that she is "nature's bride"
& the angel at the end of the film). How does this element figure in with the realistic issue of gender discrimination?

3.    'Orlando' seems to present a negative outlook on England and English society. What values are Sally Potter trying to implement or breakdown
within the film? Is she successful?

4.    Near the end of the film Billy Zane appears playing the part of an American. His part is brief, yet it seems as though Potter is making a
statement here about American character/society. How does her American representation compare to what is being said about England in the film?

5.    Orlando's character changes throughout the film. Do you think she is a content individual by the end of the movie?

Discussion Questions for
The Crying Game

Melissa Zullo

1.     Everyone I talk to about his movie says they will never watch it again because of the scene where Dil shows his "true identity". This is all they
seem to remember about the entire film. This film obviously has more to say than that one scene. So,  why do you think the director chose to add a
transvestite to the plot, and do it in such a "memorable" way? Does this add or take away from what the point of the film is?

2.     What does Fergus and Dil's strange relationship say about nationalistic ties?

3.     Jody was a cricket player, and after he dies we see Fergus' dreams of him pitching a ball. We also see a few scenes of a cricket game and see Fergus try to imitate the actions of the players. What connection, if any, does the game of cricket have to the crying game?

4.     I would consider Jody (Jude?--JH) to be the villain of the film. Do you think the director consciously chose a woman to fill this role to make yet another statement on gender roles?

Discussion Questions for
Trainspotting

Jamie Carra

1.    A director's stylistic approach determines how the audience interprets the film, thus, despite what the characters say in the film to glorify heroin (i.e. it's better than an orgasm) how then does Danny Boyle's stylistic approach in the movie convey a different message?

2.    How should the viewer interpret Mark's satirical commentary in the opening and closing of the film? What is Boyle intending to say about suburban life?

3.    Undoubtedly the director wants to bring to light the seriousness of heroin addiction. But how does the director draw the viewers attention to
domestic and socially acceptable addictions (i.e. smoking, drinking, and gambling). What message does Boyle want to convey to the viewer? (Tie this in with the responses from question 4)

4.    How is the role of the parent depicted throughout this film? Is Boyle linking the decay of morals among young adults to the decay of the family?

5.    Considering 'The Great Outdoor' scene with Tommy, Mark, Spud and Sick Boy, is Boyle seeking to draw a parallel between the health of a nation and the health of its citizens?

6.    What is the significance of the title? How does it relate to Mark's childhood bedroom wallpaper and the two other scenes that feature trains? (Can also discuss who is trainspotting)

Claudia Cabral
Mandy O'Connor

1.    Do you think that the images of realism and surrealism allowed the audience to grasp what an addict's life is like?

2.    How important is Ewan McGregor's narration for the story?

4.    What is symbolic of the scene when he is sucked into the toilet after his drugs?

5.    What does the title mean? How does it relate to the plot of the story?

6.    Why does the character Ewan McGregor put down his Scottish nationality?

7.    While the majority of the characters are heroin junkies, each one represents a different aspect of this particular culture. Considering each
character, do you think that their representation of this subculture is accurate, or romanticized?

Discussion Questions for
The Full Monty

Chris Koeppel

1.     What does Gaz mean when he says that "In a few years, men won't exist except in a zoo or something. I mean, we're not needed no more, are we?  Obsolete. Dinosaurs. Yesterday's news."?

2.    In reference to the judging area, the first stripping applicant says that "This is no place for kids." What does this say about what kind of father Gaz is?"

3.    Self-esteem seems to be a recurring theme in _The Full Monty_. Explain how the characters grapple with this issue.

4.     _The Full Monty_ is probably the most "Hollywood" of all the films we have viewed this semester. Why do you think director Peter Cattaneo chose this approach?

5.    _The Full Monty_ takes place about 7 years after _Riff-Raff_. How has the situation changed for the working class in this time (if at all)?

Mary Nelson

1.    Does anyone have a problem with all of the shady dealings Gaz exposes his son Nathan to?  Nathan complains about never doing anything with his father and then he promises to do better things with him only to involve him in his stripping scheme.

2.    The director uses two long long shots when panning the landscape of Sheffield, in these shots there are two large cone shaped buildings.  Because of the way the director shoots these scenes, I wonder what the significance of those buildings are?

3.    Is the director using a cross gender theme to reflect the desperation and degradation men feel when they lose their jobs or about a bigger political issue about decaying cities and economies? 

4.    This appears to be a comical Hollywoodish film about England's decaying industrial cities and the difficulty the men have coping.  But the only
gritty emotional scene depicting this anguish is the scene between Gerald and Gaz  after he and Dave have wrecked his job interview. 

5.    Does the scene at dawn, just before the event, when the camera takes a wide angled shot of two smoke stacks or something like them with the sun rising between them mean anything.  A division of worlds maybe?  This same scene was shot early in the film, but the sky was hazy.  Just wondering?

6.    Is Dave's obsession with food and his fat only a feminine issue?  Is fat an issue with both sexes?  What is the director focusing on?

7.    Is the gender crossing that is taking place causing Dave to become effeminate? 

8.    Finally, the music in the film seems to help with some of the lame dialogue.  Is this a Hollywood trick?