KOKODA CRESCENT
Australia, 1989, 83 minutes, Colour.
Warren Mitchell, Ruth Cracknell, Bill Kerr, Madge Ryan, Steve Jacobs, Martin Vaughan, Penne Hackforth Jones, John Orcsik.
Directed by Ted Robinson.
Kokoda Crescent as a title has echoes of ocker suburbia and memories of World War 11. The film was written by cartoonist and comic writer, Patrick Cook. It was directed by Ted Robinson, a veteran of many television comedy shows as well as films like The Settlement and Two Brothers Running. It has an excellent cast led by Warren Mitchell at his most persuasive, well supported by Bill Kerr and Martin Vaughan with good performances from Ruth Cracknell and Madge Ryan.
The film opens like an Australian version of On Golden Pond. However, it focuses on contemporary problems in the suburbs of drugs and youth, police corruption, the failures of justice. It then moves into an Australian variation of death wish - while keeping a comic tone.
To this extent, the film is disturbing with its portrait of post World War 11 Australia - not the kind of world that the diggers fought for - and the violent ways in which the old people try to restore some kind of justice. An interesting film - both entertaining and disturbing. (There is also an enjoyable send-up of radio personality John Laws and his arrogant style - all done by radio and television personality Mike Carlton.)
1. A mixture of entertaining and disturbing material? The overall impact of the film?
2. Sydney suburban locations, inner city Darlinghurst, the locations on the coast? Authentic atmosphere The atmospheric score?
3. The strength of the cast and their impersonation of elderly suburban Australians?
4. The title, New Guinea, the credits and the war photography? The seriousness and mock title of the street name? The memories of war, Japanese as enemy, the prison camps, the war manoeuvres? The attitude towards Asians? The RSL? The aftermath of the war, Australia in the post war period for 40 years?
5. The focus on the diggers: the credits, their skills, youthfulness, their experience, the aftermath? looking back at themselves as babies in the war? The changing world, age, their disgust at corruption and injustice, the decision to act and use their military skills?
6. Australian attitudes, the range of generations presented, interactions? Old age and experience? The genial veterans? The younger generation and disappointments in marriage, going to Ashrams? Youth and drugs and corruption? The war of the 80s?
7. Audiences identifying with the characters, sympathetic to them, the humour, the problems? Audiences still identifying with them in their investigations, their action, vengeance? The effect of their action and destruction? The peacefulness of the ending - postwar?
8. Stan and Brett, on their own Golden Pond? Stan telling the story of fear? The preparations for Christmas, the boat? Brett and his disappearance? His cousin and her involvement? His death and the shock, on each of them, on Stan?
9. The introduction to the oldies: the manoeuvres in the suburbs, stealing the turkey? The RSL scenes and the Christmas preparations? Drinking, getting home, their relationship with their wives, talking and joking? The shopping the mugging experience? The police? The christmas dinner at the beach, the meal, money in the pudding, dance, enjoyment, family reunion? The shift from Christmas to Easter? The RSL dance, the bunnyhop? The move to Anzac Day, the celebration of Anzac Day and its spirit, going to the dawn service, dressing up, the march on television, the men proudly marching – and the range of men photographed? The women watching and identifying? The framework of the Italian feasts and celebrations?
10. The characters and their styles, idiosyncrasies, bonds, jokes, the oldies in suburbia?
11. The impact of the shock of the death, the paper headlines, grief? Carol- and her husband (and Carol’s reaction at Christmas, concern about Brett? The cemetery sequence, the religious overtones, the cremation, the priest and his sermon? The waste of a young life?
12. The picture of the police, the officer and his questions, suave style, putting off the old people? His seeming to be upright? Their decision to watch, surveillance, discoveries? The ugliness of the inner city world, vice and drugs
in Darlinghurst? Eric and his going in and being bashed? Blindfolding the young man, threatening him with the syringe, the interrogation? Alice and her follow-up? The build-up of the information, discussed? Police corruption? Their going to the papers, the young, journalist listening, the self-serving article? Stan going to his member of parliament, the confrontation and the anger? The parliamentarian not intervening?
13. Justice and violence? The reaction, building the bomb, Stan going to mow the lawn? The strategy, the setup, being caught, the messiness, the dogs on security? The discovery of Vince as part of the plot? The stabbing, the shooting, the bomb going off and the car exploding? The aftermath?
14. The end and the restored calm, happiness?
15. Warren Mitchell as Stan, background, manner, humour, affection, his relationship with his wife? Margaret and her involvement? Russ and Alice, their relationship, characteristics, Alice and her sardonic approach? Eric and his friendship over the years?
16. The police, the detective and, his corruption, hold, over the young people, killings? The irony of Vince being involved?
17. The RSL, dinners, memories, celebrations – and the involvement of Chinese and Vietnamese in the RSL?
18. Theories of Australian attitudes towards Asia - towards the Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese?
19. The serious undertones of the film? The continued humour via the screenplay and the skills of the cast?
