Page 112 - Metro

(YHUVRQ ZDV LQVWUXPHQWDO LQ JHWWLQJ WKH ĺOP LQFOXGHG RQ WKH 86 PRUH KHURLF DQG HDVLO\ LGHQWLĺDEOH VWUXJJOHV RI LQGLYLGXDO ĺOPPDN
1DWLRQDO %RDUG RI 5HYLHZpV WRS WHQ (QJOLVK ODQJXDJH PRYLHV RI HUV DJDLQVW WKH EURDGHU LQGXVWU\ t ZKLFK FKDUDFWHULVHV VHOI UHĻH[LYH
ZKHUH LW VDW DORQJVLGH WKH QRZ LFRQLF OLNHV RI Star Wars art movies such as the remarkable 8@BJDSX 8@BJ 'DYH -RQHV
*HRUJH /XFDV MMHD '@KK (Woody Allen), )TKH@ )UHG =LQQHPDQQ 1974) and the more conventional -DVREQNMS, 'TMS MFDKR (Alec
and '@QK@M "NTMSX 42 %DUEDUD .RSSOH (YHUVRQpV RYHU Morgan, 2006) and /@QDQ R 6@Q $OLVWHU *ULHUVRQ t KHOSV
ZKHOPLQJO\ SRVLWLYH UHVSRQVH KLJKOLJKWV WKH ROG WLPH\ DQG OHLVXUHO\ relegate, if unfairly, 3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M to the realm of bucolic
DVSHFWV RI WKH ĺOP TXDOLWLHV WKDW DOLJQ LW ZLWK RWKHU QRVWDOJLF FR QRVWDOJLD DV ZHOO DV WKH VRPHZKDW QRQGHVFULSW PDLQVWUHDP RI WKH
medic and ‘revisionist’ westerns of the period such as 'D@QSR NE SGD RYHUO\ DUW GLUHFWHG o$)& JHQUHp 20
West +RZDUG =LHII DQG -HBJDKNCDNM (Peter Bogdanovich,
D ĺOP VHW LQ WKH HDUO\ WZHQWLHWK FHQWXU\ WKDW VKDUHV 3GD )N@M +NMF @MC SGD ?@QQHU@K NE VNLDM R kKLL@JHMF
/HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M’s affection for the nascent days of the movies.
%XW KH DOVR GHPRQVWUDWHG D VXUSULVLQJ NQRZOHGJH RI /RQJpV FDUHHU 3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M LV SUREDEO\ QRZ PRVW QRWDEOH IRU WKH VLJQLĺ
XS XQWLO WKDW SRLQW DV ZHOO DV WKH ĺOPpV SODFH ZLWKLQ YDULRXV ORFDO cant involvement of one of the key Australian female screenwriters
contexts, seeing it as RI WKH V DQG V -RDQ /RQJ ,W LV DOVR RQH RI WKH IHZ ĺOPV
to be produced by a woman in the early stages of the Australian
21
@ KNFHB@K NTSBNLD NE GDQ D@QKHDQ @MC DWDLOK@QX CNBTLDMS@QHDR NM ĺOP UHYLYDO It follows the previous year’s "@CCHD – likewise writ
SGD GHRSNQX NE SGD TRSQ@KH@M kKL (M HS NMD kMCR SGD R@LD @BBTQ@BX WHQ E\ /RQJ EXW SURGXFHG E\ $QWKRQ\ %XFNOH\ t DQ LPSRUWDQW
@MC KNUHMF @SSDMSHNM SN CDS@HK ATS HS HR MNS GD@UHKX TMCDQKHMDC @MC precursor to ,X !QHKKH@MS "@QDDQ (1979), a major breakthrough at
SGD kKL HR kQRS @MC ENQDLNRS @ QNKKHBJHMF BG@QLHMF NESDM UDQX ETMMX the end of the decade that was produced (Margaret Fink), directed
@MC RNLDSHLDR DWSQDLDKX LNUHMF @BBNTMS NE SGD NKC TRSQ@KH@M *LOOLDQ $UPVWURQJ DQG ZULWWHQ (OHDQRU :LWFRPEH EDVHG RQ 0LOHV
RGNVLDM VGN AQNTFGS LNUHDR SN SGD ATRG @MC NTSA@BJ BNTMSQX )UDQNOLQpV QRYHO E\ ZRPHQ /RQJ ZDV DOVR DQ LPSRUWDQW ORQJ WHUP
HM SGD RHKDMS C@XR (S HR DUDQXSGHMF SG@S 1LFNHORGHRQ RGNTKC G@UD advocate for the greater involvement of women in the Australian
ADDM @MC V@RM S 12 ĺOP LQGXVWU\ FRQWULEXWLQJ WR YDULRXV JRYHUQPHQW UHSRUWV DQG
ZRPHQ FHQWUHG LQLWLDWLYHV IURP WKH ODWH V RQZDUGV DV ZHOO
'HVSLWH WKH LPSOLFDWLRQV RI WKHVH JORZLQJ VHQWLPHQWV 3GD /HBSTQD as writing several articles on the history of women’s involvement
2GNV ,@M received a decidedly staggered and uneven international in Australian cinema and the parlous state of the contemporary
UHOHDVH RYHU WKH QH[W IRXU WR ĺYH \HDUV 7KLV industry in this regard. +HU ĺOPV DUH RIWHQ
22
can be traced across occasional reviews of centred on female experience and follow
The film has largely receded
WKH ĺOP WKDW DSSHDUHG LQ 3GD -DV 8NQJ 3HLDR from critical attention since WKH HSLVRGLF RIWHQ UHSHWLWLYH SDWWHUQV RI
in late 1980, in Britain’s ,NMSGKX %HKL !TKKDSHM her characters’ quotidian existences. Of
in early 1982 and as a result of its screening its Australian release in 1977 course, 3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M is something

on BBC TV in 1979. It was also sold to a … The Picture Show Man is of an exception here – even if it does give
UDQJH RI RWKHU WHUULWRULHV LQFOXGLQJ *HUPDQ\ routinely seen as an affectionate, VLJQLĺFDQW VSDFH WR LWV PLQRU IHPDOH FKDU
,WDO\ %HOJLXP 'HQPDUN 1RUZD\ 1HZ episodic, leisurely and relatively acters – because of its sporadic structure
=HDODQG ,FHODQG DQG VHYHQ /DWLQ $PHULFDQ ineffectual period piece dealing and the way it tunes into the unspectacular
14
countries. Taylor himself was more critical of withamarginalisedaspectand UK\WKPV RI HYHU\GD\ OLIH 7KLV GH GUDPDWLVHG
/RQJpV KHURLF HIIRUWV LQ VHOOLQJ DQG SURPRWLQJ practice of cultural history. focus is characteristic of the episodic forms
WKH ĺOP RYHUVHDV DQG WKRXJKW WKDW WKH PRYLH RI /RQJpV ĺUVW WZR IHDWXUHV DV ZULWHU DV ZHOO
would have been better served by employing as the subsequent /TADQSX !KTDR (Bruce
WKH KRQHG VNLOOV RI VRPHRQH PRUH H[SHULHQFHG LQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO ĺOP %HUHVIRUG ZKLFK VKH FR SURGXFHG $OO WKUHH ĺOPV DUH EDVHG
marketing and sales. 7D\ORU FHUWDLQO\ FRQVLGHUHG WKH ĺOP D PRUH RQ WKH UHPLQLVFHQFHV RI ĺJXUHV ORRNLQJ EDFN RQ SDUWLFXODUO\ VLJQLĺ

commercial and internationally competitive work than even a cursory cant and formative moments in time, narrating a growing sense of
ORRN DW WKH FRQJHQLDO ĺQLVKHG SURGXFW ZRXOG VXJJHVW personal awareness while noting the relationship of the individual
7KH ĺOP KDV ODUJHO\ UHFHGHG IURP FULWLFDO DWWHQWLRQ VLQFH LWV subject to broader cultural and historical trends.
Australian release in 1977. Although "@CCHD is still commonly /RQJ ZDV DOVR FHQWUDO LQ WHUPV RI SODFLQJ WKHVH GHEDWHV DERXW
VLQJOHG RXW DV RQH RI WKH NH\ ĺOPV RI WKH UHYLYDO 3GD /HBSTQD the place of women in Australian cinema within a historical con
2GNV ,@M is routinely seen as an affectionate, episodic, leisure WH[W 3GD /HBSTQD 2GNV ,@M emerged out of her particular interest
O\ DQG UHODWLYHO\ LQHIIHFWXDO SHULRG SLHFH GHDOLQJ ZLWK D PDUJLQ LQ WKH $XVWUDOLD t VSHFLĺFDOO\ 6\GQH\ DQG 1HZ 6RXWK :DOHV t RI
alised aspect and practice of cultural history. This rarely revived WKH V DQG V DV HYLGHQFHG E\ KHU VFULSW IRU "@CCHD and
ĺOP remains virtually unmentioned in key works such as Tom the two key documentaries she wrote and, in the latter case,
16
17
2p5HJDQpV TRSQ@KH@M -@SHNM@K "HMDL@ and volumes that attempt also directed for the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit (CFU):
WR VXUYH\ SRVW V $XVWUDOLDQ FLQHPD OLNH -RQDWKDQ 5D\QHUpV 3GD /HBSTQDR 3G@S ,NUDC TRSQ@KH@M "HMDL@ m (Alan
24
"NMSDLONQ@QX TRSQ@KH@M "HMDL@ M (MSQNCTBSHNM. Various writ Anderson, 1968) and 3GD /@RRHNM@SD (MCTRSQX These
18
HUV LQFOXGLQJ *UDHPH 7XUQHU *HRII 0D\HU 1HLO 5DWWLJDQ DQG %ULDQ WZR GRFXPHQWDULHV FRQWDLQHG DQG UHĻHFWHG RQ LPSRUWDQW UHVHDUFK
0F)DUODQH H[SUHVV D NHHQ DYHUVLRQ WR WKH ĺOPpV VORZ SDFH DQG XQGHUWDNHQ E\ /RQJ ZKLOH VKH ZDV FRQWUDFWHG DV RQH RI WKH VPDOO
anecdotal screenplay, as well as its comfortable place within the number of women working in such roles at the time for the CFU,
WKHQ oGRPLQDQWp DQG RIWHQ PDOLJQHG JHQUH RI WKH SHULRG GUDPD 19 LQWR WKH ĺUVW WKLUW\ ĺYH \HDUV RI FLQHPD LQ $XVWUDOLD 7KHVH ĺOPV
2QH PLJKW KDYH LPDJLQHG WKDW WKH ĺOPpV IRFXV RQ $XVWUDOLDQ FLQ concentrate, in turn, on the relatively ‘open’ and genuinely pioneer
ema history would have garnered more attention and sympathy, LQJ LQLWLDO SHULRG RI ĺOP H[KLELWLRQ GLVWULEXWLRQ DQG SURGXFWLRQ LQ
HVSHFLDOO\ DV WKLV LV DQ XQFRPPRQ VXEMHFW IRU D ORFDO IHDWXUH ĺOP Australia (3GD /HBSTQDR 3G@S ,NUDC) and the subsequent consoli
WKDW ZRXOG VHHP SXUSRVH EXLOW IRU $XVWUDOLDQ ĺOP VWXGLHV FRXUVHV GDWLRQ RI WKH LQGXVWU\ DQG WKH FRQVHTXHQW GLIĺFXOWLHV IRU ORFDO ĺOP
But the decision to focus on the arcane and marginally allegorical production that became symptomatic of the stuttering Australian
SUDFWLFHV RI WKH WUDYHOOLQJ PRWLRQ SLFWXUH H[KLELWRUV UDWKHU WKDQ WKH ĺOP LQGXVWU\ RI WKH V DQG EH\RQG 3GD /@RRHNM@SD (MCTRSQX).

110 • Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM