THE GETTING OF WISDOM
Australia, 1977, 100 minutes, Colour.
Susannah Fowles, Barry Humphries, John Waters, Sheila Helpmann, Patricia Kennedy, Candy Raymond.
Directed by Bruce Beresford.
The Getting of Wisdom is a fine film version of Henry Handel Richardson's autobiographical novel. Richardson was famous for her biology, The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney. Phillip Adams produced this film and Bruce Beresford directed it – previously they had made the Barry Mc Kenzie films and Don's Party. They recreated Melbourne at the turn of the century very well and show the narrow world of education and class for young girls around 1900. Laura, the heroine, is a vigorous presentation of the young Henry Handel Richardson. Susannah Fowles portrays the abrasiveness as well as the basic drive to success. The film covers something of the same period as Picnic at Hanging Rock but moves towards more realism and an exploration of the roles of education, class, wealth. There are many interesting themes and they are portrayed well in the vivid characterisations from Barry Humphries' minister to John Waters' minister, the various girls and the staff of the school. It is enjoyable and interesting viewing, raising many questions about Australian history and education.
1. The reputation of the novel, of Henry Handel Richardson as a novelist? The novel as her autobiography, as an insight into Australia, education in the 19th century? Australian reputation, overseas reputation, Australian interest, overseas interest?
2. The production qualities of the film, the Victorian locations, the bush, travel in the bush, trains, the city of Melbourne, the decor, costumes, 19th century furnishings in the rooms, schools, parks and gardens? The production values giving an atmosphere of the 19th century?
3. The importance of music as background, in Laura’s career, in Henry Handel Richardson's life? The tone of the opening music; the use of music by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Thalberg's variations on Home Sweet Home? The piano work, violin work? The band music and 19th century enjoyment of this? The musical commentary as theme?
4. How Interestingly presented was Australia in the 19th. century? How British in manner, style, grades of society? The film's emphasis and portrayal of class, snobbery, the temptation to conformism in class, ambitions to get into the higher class, the role of money and status? The more rebellious attitudes of Australia and the clash with snobbery and colonial aristocracy? Ambitions and achievement? Laura as embodying all these conflicting attitudes? The final achievement In a scholarship to Leipzig and European study? The irony of Ethel Richardson leaving Australia and spending most of her life in Europe?
5. The exploration of educational themes? The setting of Australian education in the 19th century? The purpose of education, for the girls in the school? The school as embodying and teaching 19th century attitudes, ambitious and snobbish values? The school and its place In Melbourne, for rich girls, for girls from the country? From what group of women did the school draw Its staff? Spinsters? The rules of the school as they applied to the girls and to the staff? The importance of good manners and ladylike decorum? Education for what? For the girls themselves, for society, for preserving these values and styles? How did the education benefit them? In the light of changing attitudes towards education in the 20th. century? In changing attitudes towards the education of girls?
6. Themes of adolescence and a girl's adolescence? The Imaginative girl from the country and her education in the enclosed atmosphere of the school, in the city? Girls and their ignorance and innocence? The creativity and the way that this was stifled or encouraged? Adolescence and the importance of the peer group? Values and moral stances as guided very much by the peer group? Changing with the peer group? The critique of family values? The critique of authority? The change of attitude and at times the reliance on a childish attitude towards God? Prayers of petition? Now well could the girls grow through this experience? The emphasis on puberty, sexuality, fears, stories fostering fears? The importance of emotional relationships, the idolizing of those who are older, attitudes towards the staff, crushes on older girls and the emotional repercussions? The spirit of defiance? How well did the film explore all these themes and embody them in Laura’s experience?
7. How were the education and adolescence themes 'a getting of wisdom'? The significance of the title, as explained, as read in the scripture passages, the scripture references and the nature of scriptural wisdom? Was this what was happening for the girls In their education?
8. The film's immediate attention on Laura, staying with Laura throughout the film, urging the audience to Identify with her, be interested, understand, make allowances for her? As an attractive girl, as an abrasive girl? How well would various parts of the audience identify with her, especially adolescent girls, mothers, teachers? In what way was she the heroine of the film? The heroine of her own story? The importance of the class differences and of her being well situated in the countryside, as the daughter of her mother, working mother, coming into the city, her dresses? The question of money and talk about money? Laura as an Australian girl embodying Australian attitudes and sounding Australian? How well did Susannah Fowles embody Laura, communicate the strengths and weaknesses of her character? What were the strengths and weaknesses, her skill as a person? One of the teachers said she had something burning within her? What was it? A girl who was driven, imaginative, poetic, creative? A girl who was self-reliant and wanted to achieve ambitions for herself before all others?
9. The importance of the creation of atmosphere before the credits? The picture of home, the atmosphere of the bush, the sounds of the bush, Laura telling her creative and fairytale stories amongst dead trees and stumps? The picture of the family, Laura's sister and her admiration for her? Laura and the dress, the anger in smashing the vase but the affection for her mother? The coach arriving, the Chinese in the background, the trunk with her name and address? The atmosphere of the departure and not wanting to be childish?
10. The transition to the arrival at the station? The introduction to the teachers and their way of speaking, attitudes towards the girls, their being struck by the dress? Her reaction to arrival? Her chatter? Her reaction to the school, outspokenness even to Mr Strachey? Her admiration and arriving in Melbourne?
11. The initial impression of the Melbourne Ladies College via Laura's arrival, Mrs Gurley and her personality, her look, her recitation of the rules as she moved? The embodiment of rule and its being imposed? The glimpse of Mr Strachey? The immediate impression of the staff? The girls themselves? Audience response to the atmosphere of snobbery? Of stuffiness? Laura's continual chatter and Mrs Gurley's reaction? The place of the clothes? the edibles? Lilith and her immediate reaction to the cake, the arrival in the dining room? Her sitting, her tears? The atmosphere of mockery, the girls wanting to know her name? "What's your name, what's your father?" This background to be overcome during education?
12. Audience response to the staff, the individuals and their personalities and how well they were delineated? The scenes portraying the staff, for at the station, in the staff room, in the various classes? How much did we learn about them as the film went on? Their various stories, the way they spent the holidays? The history class, Miss Day and her select attitude towards the school? (The mocking of her with her teeth?) Miss Chapman as a pleasant Influence, and her niceness to Laura? The reading of the letters? The atmosphere of the staff room? Miss Zelinsky crying over the novels? Miss Fridl and her spinsterish attitudes? The playing of the piano? The French class and the at laughing at Laura? The toast, the smoke and ~ Gurley? Miss Chapman and her visit to the headmistress' office and her imitating her manner? At the end what was the attitude towards the mistresses? Their personalities, limits as educators? The importance of the final glimpse of them and their words to Laura as she left the school? What had they achieved, contributed to Laura's wisdom?
13. How well did the film portray, characterize the girls? The scenes with them in the grounds, Laura's reaction to the piano, Lilith and her eating, Maria and her wealth and her romanticism, Catherine, M.P.? The scenes of life In the school, saying the proverb to Mrs Gurley and Miss Day examining their clean hands? Walks in the park, listening to the band, playing cricket and the hitting of Miss Zelinsky? The anti-Semitic tone? Washing, stays, knocking Miss Day? Lilith and her continued eating, the threats, Laura's retaliation by threatening to tell stories about Lilith's alcoholic-mother? How well did the film gradually build up the atmosphere of the school?
14. The importance of Mr Strachey? Laura' reference to him as lugubrious and his being shown in the pulpit? His embodying religion, quoting scripture? The influence of religion, as official, as something imposed, as something which was not quite real? The importance of his afternoons? The build-up to the afternoons? The girls arriving, their fear of their items, their gazes and unwillingness to start, their performances? Laura playing the piano to Lilith's discomfort? The importance of Laura's playing the piano and the various reactions to it at the time, and on return to school, Mrs Gurley's reaction? Mrs Strachey hovering in the background? Reverend Strachey's introduction of Reverend Shepherd? His gradual presence in the school? The build-up to his important scene where he expelled Annie Johns? The drama of this expulsion? His attitudes, his performance, his cruelty in the name of religion? His lack of mercy and public humiliation? How effective and frightening was this sequence, why? His supervising the exam and his manner of looking back to see if girls were cheating? The significance of his final speech and his talk about school spirit and Laura's individualistic reaction and disregard of this? How much insight into the character of Reverend Strachey?
15. The presentation of Reverend Shepherd? The girls seeing him? The new minister, their romantic reaction, the hymn-singing and his imposing presence? The transition to seeing him at home, the silence, waiting for him at dinner, his wanting things passed, the trouble that he caused at the table? How ironically humorous and harsh? His sister and her scolding of her sister-in-law, writing out her brother's sermons? Mrs Shepherd and her terror of doing things wrong? The importance of his interest in Laura, her stories about him and the build-up to these? Her return to the church to get her glove? Her being seen with him? The importance of the return to the sacristy about the Latin? The importance in the school of the romanticizing of the liaison between Laura and the Reverend Shepherd? The irony of M.P. discovering the truth, the important attack and rejection of the girls at the greenery? Annie Johns' support even though she had fostered the stories? The irony of the Reverend Shepherd's sermon of God is Love?
16. How were the two holidays portrayed as an end to the various stages in Laura's growth and development? The Importance of returning home for Chris? The dress? Fighting with Sarah? The way that she had changed? The importance of the dress and the return with it? The difference with the holiday after the clash with Evelyn? The atmosphere of the beach and Its beauty, fighting with her sister again, her mother sick? Per return and praying for forgiveness and getting the new room?
17. How important was the character of Annie Johns? Her arrival as a repetition of Laura's arrival and the audience seeing how Laura had changed? Annie Johns as not being attractive in herself? Her back ground, lack of money? Her belonging eventually to the group? Her devotion to Laura and her crush on her? Fostering the story? Consoling Laura when Laura was at the lake with the swans after the exposure? The discussion about the ring? Audience surprise at her being expelled and discovering with Laura that it was for the ring? The pathos of her expulsion and Miss Chapman the only one to farewell her? The influence of this experience on Laura? On the other girls' attitude towards her?
18. How did this prepare for Laura's crush on Evelyn? Evelyn and her beauty, her wealth, parents abroad# her role In the school? Her playing the piano and discussing Schubert and Thalberg? Her comforting of Laura and explaining about the sexuality and babies? Her continued kindness to Laura and yet Laura's hurting of her? The new term and the bond between them? The build-up to the changing of rooms and the others girls' attitudes? What they had shared? The visit to the theatre and Evelyn's attraction to her friend and Laura's being hurt? The build-up to the possessiveness, Evelyn's deciding to leave the school, their mutual hurt? Laura’s attitude at Evelyn's departure, the final scene and the discussion at the piano and looking up with Evelyn gone? The effect that this relationship had on them? The importance of the long night with Laura looking out the window (and the staff working on the laundry?) and Evelyn taking her into the bed? The importance of Laura’s playing the Schubert at the end in memory of Evelyn? A symbolic defiance against the authorities, an affirmation of what she had experienced?
19. How enjoyable was the outing to the family, the awkwardness at the meal table, the baby, the father poking fun at his son as a lady-killer, Laura's awkwardness and the repercussions?
20. The reality of ostracism in a school and the effect on a young girl? Annie Johns leaving, Evelyn's leaving and Laura*s throwing herself back into study? The importance of the exams, her success, the significance of her cheating? And the transition to the prizes?
21. The Reverend Strachey's speech and the irony as it applied to Laura? Her sense of achievement and the way this was filmed? How she had changed, grown up more? What wisdom had she achieved? The camera's continually roving over the audience who were at her feet? The build-up to the playing of the piano? Her not playing what was asked of her? The feeling that she put into it?
22. The ironic postscript of the afternoon tea, the chat with Mrs Rambotham, Mrs Gurley and her attitude towards the servant? In connection with the subjective sequence and the staff all making their final comment?
23. The exhilaration of the ending? The symbolism and the meaning of Laura's run through the park, hope for liberation?
24. The place of this film in the developing film industry? The exploration of human themes? Persons, education, growth, ambition, achievement, relationships? A celebration of Australian history? A critique of Australian history? A critique of the Australian tradition and heritage? How optimistic a film?
