Page 109 - Metro
P. 109
PART
THE NFSA’S KODAK/ATLAB
CINEMA COLLECTION
40
The
Picture
Show
Man
ADRIAN DANKS
3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M -RKQ 3RZHU LV
a leisurely, episodic and picaresque portrait
RI WKH ORQJ IRUJRWWHQ GD\V RI WKH WUDYHOOLQJ
ĺOP H[KLELWRUV ZKR WUDYHUVHG WKH EDFNEORFNV
RI $XVWUDOLD LQ WKH V DQG HDUO\ V ,W
follows the activities of one such struggling
operation and its adventures and encounters
ZLWK WLJKW NQLW FRPPXQLWLHV WKH FKDOOHQJHV
RI Ļ\ E\ QLJKW ĺOP H[KLELWLRQ IHPDOH FRP
panionship, and the competitiveness of
D}EUDVK DQG RSSRUWXQLVWLF $PHULFDQ ULYDO
7KH ĺOP IRFXVHV RQ WKH LQWHUDFWLRQV EHWZHHQ
0DXULFH o3RSp 3\P -RKQ 0HLOORQ KLV VRQ /DUU\
(Harold Hopkins) and their newly hired pianist
)UHGGLH -RKQ (ZDUW DV ZHOO DV WKH YDULRXV FRO
ourful characters they encounter on their journeys
including a pair of eccentric but felonious illusion
ists, Fitzwilliam (Patrick Cargill) and Madame
&DYDOOL -HOHQD nLJRQ D VH[XDOO\ IUXVWUDWHG ZLGRZ
0UV}'XQFDQ -HDQLH 'U\QDQ D oVTXDWWHUpV GDXJK
WHUp /XF\ 6DOO\ &RQDEHUH DQG D GDQFH LQVWUXFWRU
0LVV /RFNKDUW -XG\ 0RUULV HQDPRXUHG ZLWK WKH
IDPHG ,VDGRUD 'XQFDQ 3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M is
RQH RI RQO\ D VPDOO QXPEHU RI $XVWUDOLDQ ĺOPV WKDW
GHDO GLUHFWO\ ZLWK DVSHFWV RI ORFDO DQG QDWLRQDO ĺOP
history, and which draw extensively on the archival
research undertaken by one of its key creative
SHUVRQQHO ZULWHU SURGXFHU -RDQ /RQJ 7KH ĺOPpV
reputation may have suffered in comparison to
the more audacious, ambitious, technically bril
liant and truly seminal -DVREQNMS 3KLOLS 1R\FH
a similarly cinema history–focused, but more
ĺOPLFDOO\ G\QDPLF RSXV UHOHDVHG WR PXFK IDQIDUH
the following year. 3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M does,
KRZHYHU GHVHUYH WR EH UH HYDOXDWHG LQ UHODWLRQ WR
WKH ZULWLQJ DQG UHZULWLQJ RI $XVWUDOLDpV ĺOP KLVWRU\
www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195 • 107