A famed production - Tim Burstall's first feature, hyped at the time (apparently) then critically reviled and rejected by audiences. Colin Bennett bagged it which is apparently a thing in Melbourne because he wrote for (gasp) The Age. A look at reviews of Australian TV drama in the 1950s and 1960s though shows critics can't be relied upon to support local product.
It's heavily influenced by swinging sixties cinema - jazzy music, moving camera, sexiness (the opening sequence has Mark McManus having sex with Jeanie Drynan), flashbacks to his childhood. It's the sort of film that feels as though it should be in French,
I'm being a bit mean. It's a bold attempt to do something. An arthouse Australian film that deals with cultural issues. It is the sort of thing that David Williamson would cover so effectively - mid life crises amongst the chattering classes, with infidelity, jealousy, male competitiveness - but he had that wonderful vicious humour and sense of story that's lacking here. Burstall wasn't a natural screenwriter - nor, based on this, was co-scribe Patrick Ryan.
There's glimpse of bare backs and shoulders and a bit of nipple. I wondered that if Burstall had gone the whole hog and put in proper nudity he would've had a hit. He certainly learned that lesson. It was probably too early in the late sixties - a few years later it was on for young and old.
Incidentally the superb Oz movies website makes an argument in favour of B60sennett's review, reprinting it in full (see here). I still think that review is super super mean. Still, there's no denying this doesn't hit the mark. It's long. And dull. And really problematic - I mean Mark McManus punches his wife after she admits to rooting someone else, then she takes off her clothes (that's when we get the nipple) and I think their relationship is rejuvenated? Is that right?
It has some strong things. Jeanie Drynan is beautiful - real movie star beautiful. The black and white photography is nice. It takes a big swing.
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