FREEDOM

Australia, 1982, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jon Blake, Jan Capedjla, Candy Raymond, Charles Tingwell, Chris Haywood, Greg Rowe, Reg Lye, John Clayton.
Directed by Scott Hicks.

Freedom is an offbeat road movie produced by the South Australian Film Corporation. It echoes many of the road themes of American films from Bonnie and Clyde to, especially, Terence Mallick's Badlands. However, the first half of the film is quite a perceptive look at the unemployment situation in an Australian city, specifically Adelaide. There are glimpses of the struggles for job finding, the sack, difficulties in home life, the contrast between the haves and have nots, the frustration for young people out of work and the elusive fantasies and dreams that they have. The central hero is played by Jon Blake – who looks too intelligent and romantic for the central out of work character. He is supported very well Jad Capelja from Puberty Blues. A number of Australian character actors and actresses have very brief supporting roles. After the city drama (reminiscent of Mouth to Mouth) the film takes to the road with great attention to cars.

However, there are glimpses of the way of life in the Australian countryside, a clash with the law and eluding it, the examination of young people's personal problems and dream fantasy with emphasis on psychological overtones and symbolic interpretation. At the end, the hero gets away – to freedom? The acting is good, colour photography and spectacular stunt work very effective, an offbeat musical score. m e film is not fast-paced enough for the youth audience and could alienate an affluent middle-aged audience. It is the kind of film that reviewers like but remark 'yes, but '. It probably will become something of a cult film. Direction is by Scott Hicks who had previously co-directed a short experimental feature, Down the Wind, with Ken McKenzie? in 1975. The film may also be likened to the Australian feature, a drama on the road, Esben Storm's In Search of Anna.

Scott Hicks rose to prominence with Shine and had a career in the US.

1. Impact of the film? Appeal? For what audience? Age? Experience? Interests? Younger audiences, older audiences? The '80s? An Australian audience? Wider audience? The film's failure at the box office?

2. The importance of the visuals: the importance of cars, the game, machines, the road? Adelaide and the range of locations, city and suburbs? The South Australian countryside, towns, landscapes, the sea?

3. The range of music for moods? The lyrics? sounds? The radio and the advertisements, talkback e.g. Malcolm Fraser, questions about youth? Politics and economics? The sounds of machines, the cars? The silences of the machines with musical soundtrack substituted?

4. The importance of editing for pace? Stunts and special effects? Audiences sharing Ron's response to cars: real, owning them, taking them, driving them? The car as symbol of the person? Reality and fantasy?
5. The title and its meaning? A state of freedom, freedom to choose, possibilities of freedom? Freedom in itself, for Ron in his situation, environment, work, unemployment? Freedom in dignity? Freedom in money, possessions? Free to be mobile? The car as the instrument of freedom? Freedom for a sense of direction? Freedom for others? Not being imprisoned? Ron's freedom during the film? At the end? Ron going free? The car taking him to freedom with its caption 'Jesus Saves'?

6. The film's realism: the people of the '80s, people in Australian cities, the work situation, homes, the quality of life, the technical world, technological development? Recreation? The haves and have nots? Standards of acceptability, responsibility? Questions of right and wrong, conscience, good and evil? The role of the police and authorities? The unemployment situation – youngsters being laid off? The C.E.S. offices and the reaction of the unemployed, the bureaucracy, the attitude of the officials? The hostility of foremen at factories? The response of the unemployed – wandering the city, dreaming? Wealth and parasites? The comments of the government and the prime minister?

7. The film's blend of reality and fantasy? The various stages of Ron's fantasy – and his waking up? The Porsche, his white suit, the image lady with her colours (black and red)? The relationship of Ron with the woman, sexual innuendo? The road, the mysterious black car and its careering across the road? The crash and Ron watching? Annie in the car, Sally? The fantasy as premonition? The car and Ron's response to its crash? Ron's fantasy incorporating the cars that he saw as well as Annie and Sally?

8. The car as symbol? The opening with the electronic games? The psychological overtones and traditional symbolism of cars? The car as the extension of the self? Ron with the best car, the high speed and high powered car? Masculine image? His image of himself and his fantasy: suave, the white suit? His fantasy of himself as an agent, as wealthy – the blend of James Bond and John Travolta? The black car as an alternate symbol – black and white? His black car being out of control – spectacular crash? The destruction in the shadow? The women as aspects of his psyche? Annie in black with the vampire appearance? Sally with the white and innocence? Ultimately Ron pushing the white car over the cliff to join the black car? Psychological symbols of a death and a survival, an integration of the self and the shadow? His going to freedom? Note the stories that he told to Sally about his wealth, his owning other cars, his mother, his being an agent? Corresponding to his stealing cars, driving the demonstration car etc.?

9. Ron in himself? His room and its technical gadgetry? Television, games? Colour and darkness? Posters? Sounds and music? Commentaries? His room symbolising himself? Home? His absent father? relationship with his mother? Giving her money – even though criticising her continued hairdos and television watching? Work, the sack, helping Phil steal from the factory? His application for the job and his rejection? Surliness at the C.E.S. office? His friendship with Phil? Wandering the city? Dreaming of cars? Stealing cars? The joy-ride in the expensive car and his speed with the patter of the salesman? leaving him for the police? His applying for a job in the fashionable car sales and being told to go – and his threatening to scratch the car? The encounter with Annie and his story to her? Getting the white coat and the cap? Going to the hotel? Overhearing her conversation? His taking her car? Driving – the highway, his imagining himself as a star? The encounter at the diner with Sally? Paying for her coffee? His double-dealing the admiring garage attendant? The travelling with Sally – reality and fantasy? Spending the night together? The cold? By the fire? Hearing her story? Going to Sudan? Her sister, the inquisitive neighbour? The mother with the child and his dragging Sally away? The hiding from the police? Leaving Sally asleep? Pushing the car over the cliff – and his freedom? Hitch-hiking? Picking up Sally and beginning a new life? Symbol of the young Australian of the '80s?

10. Sally and the background of her family, drunken parents, ill sister? Her age at having her child? An unfit mother? The child being cared for? Travelling and wanting to pay for her coffee? The companionship of Ron? Relationship? Wanting his help? The visit to Sudan? The encounter with the mother and her trying to take her child? Ron dragging her away? Her being left by the roadside – with Ron picking her up again? A future with Ron? The mixed up adolescent forced to be an adult before her time?

11. The contrast with Annie – the image of the fantasies? Her experience at school, the farewell to her parents with their disapproval? Her liaison with the businessman? His supporting her, clothes, car? The clash with him on the phone and Ron's hearing it? The woman in black – in comparison with Sally in white?

12. Ron's mother and her hairdos, love for her son, watching television? The nice but inept mother?

13. Phil as Ron's larrikin friend? The fun parlours and the games, stealing from the factory? His van and its trappings?

14. The gallery of supporting characters and the cameo roles for stars: the C.E.S. officials and their having to cope, the foreman at the factory and his rejection of Ron, the rich businessman supporting Annie, the patter of the salesman and his fear as the car sped, the fashionable car salesroom with the snobbish salesman, the buyer of stolen cars, the garage attendant at the diner, the passengers in the car Ron overtook, Sally's sister and her illness, the old couple who helped Ron and Sally and saw them as Bonnie and Clyde, the man at the end with his children and his car – "Jesus Saves"?

15. The police and their chasing Ron, his outspeeding them, playing chicken with him on the road, their crashes, the motor cycle car crashing? The anti-police tone?

16. The quality of the film as drama, as an Australian road film? The final remarks "Where are you heading?" – "I don't know."