THE JOURNEY
Australia, 1972, 55 minutes, Colour.
Norman Kaye, Patsy King.
Directed by Paul Cox.
The Journey is one of the earliest short features by writer-director Paul Cox (pictured). In retrospect it is very interesting because it indicates so many of the themes and styles evident in his later films - especially his award-winning Lonely Hearts and Man of Flowers.
The film focuses on an interior journey of a middle aged man in personal crisis. The atmosphere is realistic yet there are fantasies, memories, dreams. Cox is preoccupied with the loneliness and isolation of the middle aged man, his culture and artistic background and its being stifled in Melbourne. Incidental episodes are reminiscent of the old-age sequences in We Are Not Alone My Dear and Lonely Hearts, the artist and music in Man of Flowers.
While the film was made just before the revival of the film industry, it shows how much potential Cox had and it is interesting to see how much of the potential has been realised.
1. The work of Paul Cox? An early film? indicating subsequent themes and treatments? Styles?
2. The realistic framework of the journey? The interior life journey? Dream, fantasies? The significance of the title? Its symbolic and psychological significance? The archetype of the journey?
3. The film as short story, brief running time? The realism of Melbourne, the suburbs, the parks, incidental characters, incidents? The train ride? The interspersed scenes outside the city: the tranquillity of the panning shot of the mountains, the beach sequences? Reality and unreality?
4. The title and the continued focus on feet, footprints, foot and leg movements? The various paths? Symbols of external and internal journey?
5. The blending of reality and memory? Joanna as memory? Her reaching out? His trying to reach her? The sexual encounters? His love, loneliness, brutality on the beach? Joanna and meaning for Allan? Her sending a messenger with meaning?
6. The portrait of Allan: in himself, middle age? Buying in the shop at the opening, dropping the tomato sauce on the footpath, going home, the loneliness of his home, opening the tin for his meal. cooking. eating. listening to music? The insertion of his memories? Dreams? His bulk, long hair? The nude scene and his shaving? His walk in the park, looking at the children - yet frightening the mother? The kindliness to help the old lady cross the road, his kindness in visiting the old people's home? His painting himself as a clown and travelling on the train - the various reactions of people, the two girls and the overtones of lesbianism? His visit to his old colleague, training her daughter in music. the dance and knocking over the vase? His talking with his old friend? So much of his life as looking out windows?
7. Mid-life crisis: memories of the past, theatre, culture, Joanna, friends? The present and his loneliness, aloneness, music? His growing self-awareness - and the possibility for change? What future would he have? In himself? Career, socially?
8. The memories: himself as naked running along the beach, the sexual encounter, the violence? The lyrical atmosphere of the beach scene? Joanna and his dreams?
9. The significance of the vision of the mountains and their tranquillity inserted into his memories?
10. Themes of theatre, culture, music, art? The clown make-up and the overtones of mime? The symbolism of the clown mask and Allan encountering people, people reacting to him in the city?
11. The significance of the messenger: Norman Kaye in this role? Coining from Joanna? His comments about Allan's being stifled, his loneliness, no-one to talk to? Offering him hope?
12. The supporting incidental characters - the friend, her daughter and the dance and the music, the two girls in the train, the blind man, the old lady and her Scots accent, the memories of her dead son, her enjoyment of his visit and the cup of tea?
13. A portrait of people? A feel for Melbourne and its inhabitants in the early 170s? The suggestion of poetic and symbolic images? Insight into human nature? Meaning in life?
