JUST US

Australia, 1986, 110 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Mc Clements, Scott Burgess, Kim Gyngell, Gina Riley, Dennis Moore.
Directed by Gordon Glenn.

Just Us is a fine Australian telemovie. (Pronounced quickly it sounds like Justice and that is one of the themes of the film.) The film was written by Ted Roberts, writer of many comic series and writer and director of such films as Kokoda Crescent, Two Brothers Running, The Settlement. It is based on the experiences of writer Gabriel Carey (Author, with Kathy Lette of Puberty Blues.) As a journalist, she encountered a prisoner who was in jail for robbery and rape. In befriending him and taking on his cause, she fell in love and wanted to marry him.

Catherine Mc Clements gives some glamour to the Gabriel Carey role. We see things from her perspective. However, Scott Burgess (1915, Dead Easy) is excellent as Billy Carter, the prisoner. There is a fine supporting cast of family and friends, fellow prisoners (including Kim Gyngel) and an array of warders (most of whom are presented in a highly critical light. The film shows life in prison, possibilities of rehabilitation, visitors and their effect on the prisoners. It also highlights the reality of violent crimes, the need for appropriate penalties, the weighing up of the possibilities of parole and rehabilitation with the demands of society.

Ultimately, the film is pessimistic in its presentation of prisons and the effect on prisoners. Administration and the warders (with their personal needling of prisoners). must. take a great deal of the responsibility. It is said that a society is judged by its treatment of prisoners - and this film is a quiet but dramatic indictment of Australia treatment of prisoners. A very effective film.

1. Impact, based on a true story? Credible? Portrait of life in prison? Australian justice? Rehabilitation? The power of relationships and love?

2. NSW and South Australian prisons? The detail of the prisons and their way of life? The contrast with the outside? Authentic atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The title and the focus on Jessica and Billy? On Justice? And society?

4. Credibility of the plot: Jessica and her newspaper reporting, her experience, her cause, as a personality, the effect of meeting Billy, the relationship, commitment to him and his cause? Billy, the background of his life, crimes, punishment, relationships, the system and the pessimistic ending?

5. Audiences and their response to prisons? Crime and penalties? Violence, burglary, rape? Escape and its penalties? Serv5ng sentences singly or concurrently? Is loss of freedom enough punishment? The quality of life inside? Prisoners pampered or not? Protests by prisoners and their being locked in their cells? The attitudes and behaviour of warders, provocation? The need for security? Public opinion? humanity and inhumanity?

6. Catherine Mc Clements as Jessica: age, experience, her work, her work at the paper, her relationship with the staff? In Herself? Going to the prison, the open day, watching the debate, interested in Billy, talking to him, wanting to interview him, his sullen responses? Her writing the letter - and his response? Continuing to meet him? The theatre proposal? Talking, changing, his changing attitudes, his falling in love? The strike and she and Kath going to the prison and calling out to him? Her ringing the mother of another prisoner to reassure the mother? Billy's proposal, her acceptance? Fighting for the marriage to be on the outside? Her mother's visit, the support of her mother and Kath? The official and the OK for the wedding? The head of security and his blocking the proposal, discussions, her point of view, compromise? Public opinion and the wedding going off? Her collecting documents, concurred about his extradition? The rehearsals for the play, the encounter in the dressing room, the sexual encounter? His being transferred to South Australia, her visits, being kept waiting? Testimony in the court? Her response to the decision of the court? Going to see Billy, his anger, disillusionment, becoming lost? The hopelessness of her cause, of the relationship? Portrait of a character?

7. Scott Burgess as Billy the background of his life, from the age of 9 in institutions, the flashbacks of the boys being, regimented in the shower block, in the institution? The fostering of crime, his being in prison, the escape, the violence of the rape? His not excusing himself? Sex under duress and whatever that meant? his need to pay his debt to society? In prison for so long, in NSW, the isolation, not trusting anyone, clashes with guards? Surly with Jessica? Avoiding her? Life in the prison, his relationship with his fellow prisoners? The details of life in the prison? Getting the letter, going to tear it up, deciding not to? Talking with Jessica, the phone call from the laundry, falling in love? His proposal? The acting? The experience of the strike? The build-up to the wedding, his hopes, its being called off? Performance in the play, the sexual encounter with Jessica? The build-up to the transfer - stripping him, sending him out from NSW to SA? The court, his grim face, the decision? The parole board and his not getting parole and their explanations to Jessica? His anger, being goaded by the guard, pulling the knife - defeated? His relationship with his family, his wanting to see his father, memories of his father, suspicion about his paternity? The swallowing of the wire, being left overnight, in the hospital, his mother coming to visit but her not being let in, reading his mother's letter and tearing it tip and putting it in the toilet? Portrait of a victim of society - and an aggressor on society? Blame?

8. The picture of Billy's parents, seeing him institutions, his father's suspicions, not taking the cigarette out of his mouth, his mother and worried about what the neighbours thought? His genuine love for them?

9. Billy in himself - victim, institutions and society, prison, brutality? The possibility of change, rehabilitation? Opportunity lost?

10. Jessica's mother, her support of her daughter, the visit to Billy and explaining things to her? The treatment by the warder - as a border guard? Kath and her friendship with Jessica, continued support? The preparations for the wedding, the journalist, the interviews? Billy's parents reluctant to be photographed?

11. Max and his cynical attitude? Pete as an actor, the debating? The theatre group? The actors coming in from the outside - prisoners suspicions, the decisions to go along? Billy and his writing of the story to made into a play - an experience of his own prison life, with the touch of the ocker vulgar? The group, the play, make-up and costumes, its success?

12. The warders, the good and the bad? Royce and his resentment, not giving, his cap to the actors? Grudges? The more sympathetic warders? The South Australian warder and his goading Billy into violence?

13. The head of security, tough decisions? The government officer, coming to help, finding compromises? The minister and decisions against the wedding? Billy's classification, the wedding with handcuffs? Public opinion?

14. Themes of justice and humanity?