THE COMBINATION

Australia, 2009, 96 minutes, Colour.
George Basha, Firass Dirani, Doris Younane, Clare Bowen, John Brumpton, Michael Denkha, Ali Haider.
Directed by David Field.

The Combination was a project of actor and writer George Basha, conceived in the early 2000s. Working with actor David Field, the script was developed over the years, receiving an impetus with the anti-Lebanese riots in Sydney’s Cronulla in 2006.

The film is set in the western suburbs of Sydney, multiracial, especially with the Lebanese, Asians, and some of the resentments of the older generation Australians.

George Basha is effective as John, coming out of prison, wanting to start his life again, very much part of the Lebanese community and a strong Lebanese family with mother and grandmother. He is concerned about his younger brother (Firass Durani) who is mixing with a tough crowd, involved in racial flares with the older generation Australians, recruited by a drug dealer (Michael Denkha) and trying to deal the drugs.

John discovers Charlie’s drugs and gets rid of them. The drug dealer puts pressure on the boy, threatening violence, ultimately killing him.

In the meantime, John meets an Australian, Sydney, and falls in love with her. Her parents are not enthusiastic about the relationship and she tries to break it off. John reacts angrily and there are quite a number of speeches about racial tensions and hostilities and violence in Australian suburbs. In the meantime also, Zeus (Ali Haider), one of Charlie’s friends, is so mentally disturbed and upset that he kills one of the Australian school students.

The film comes to a dramatic head, the possibility for John to wreak vengeance on the drug dealer. The women are anxious. However, some common sense and decency prevails and, instead of killing him, he fights him. It is interesting to note that the drug dealer’s neighbours do not want to be involved and have a contempt for the dealer.

David Field has appeared in many Australian films and this is his first directing role.

The themes are significant for Australian society in the 20th and 21st centuries. This is true especially of migrants from the Middle East, although the Lebanese have been in Australia for many decades.

The film can be seen in conjunction with The Cedar Boys, a 2009 film also about the Lebanese community but set in a different suburb.

1. An Australian perspective on migration, racism, crime, drug-dealing, Sydney suburbs?

2. The screenplay, from a Lebanese point of view, the Australian-born? Riots and clashes, the footage from actual riots?

3. The title, the class, the teacher explaining algebra, Charlie in the class, formula, letters and numbers, how they are put together?

4. The Lebanese in Australia, long-standing, families, the groups, the gangs, the clashes?

5. John coming out of prison, his mother and grandmother, his home life? Trying to settle down, change, going to the gym, the meeting with the Aboriginal manager? The introduction of the Aboriginal themes? His getting the job? His reliability? His skill as a boxer? His training? The job, the hours? Meeting Sydney, the social, the bars, the drugs, talking with her, the invitation, her meal at his house, his mother’s charm but forbidding him to marry her, talking in Arabic rather than English? The sharing between the two, the sexual encounter, her pregnancy, not telling John?

6. Charlie and his character, at school, his relationship with John, role model? The group of friends, the close friends, Zeus and his angers? The drugs, the dealer? His getting the drugs, at home, John finding them, flushing them away? The issue of the money and John finally paying?

7. Charlie and the race issues, the two gangs at school? Ordinary life, the girl? The mix-ups? The threats, the bashings? Zeus and the confrontation, the tensions amongst the other boys, Zeus shooting the boy dead?

8. Sydney and her family, their attitudes, racist, parental talk, the meals, watching television, forbidding Sydney to go with John? Sydney talking, breaking off with John, the clash, the arguments and anger? The phone calls, the apologies? The meeting, explaining her pregnancy, his delighted response?

9. The drug dealer, his assistant, his car, manner, wealth? The threats to Charlie, the drive-by shooting, shooting Charlie in the garden? The funeral?

10. The mother and her grief, the grandmother? The need for vengeance? John, the confrontation with the dealer, telling him off?

11. The dealer, the meetings with Charlie, the threats, his brutality?

12. John, the decision, the weapon? His discussion with the gym manager, the gym manager accompanying him, the attempt to talk him out of vengeance? The women and their anxiety at home? John finding the dealer, the house, the confrontation, the neighbours despising the dealer?

13. The fight, brutality, the dealer’s defeat? John not taking a life in vengeance?

14. The background of bigotry, mutual understanding, hopes for the future?