FAST TALKING
Australia, 1984, 95 minutes, Colour.
Rod Zuanic, Toni Allaylis, Chris Rushwell, Steve Bisley, Tracy Mann, Peter Hehir.
Directed by Ken Cameron.
Fast Talking is a rather downbeat slice of life from Sydney in the 1980s. It was written and directed by Ken Cameron who had made two short films about education, Out of It and Temperament Unsuited, in the late 1970s. Cameron’s first feature film was the award-winning adaptation of Helen Garner’s book, Monkey Grip. Cameron went on to direct a number of television films and especially the miniseries Brides of Christ. He also made some television films in the United States.
The film has strong leads with Steve Bisley portraying the owner of a wreck yard helping the young boy, troublemaker, played by Rod Zuanic, to do something positive with his life. Tracy Mann is a new teacher in the school. Zuanic represents the kind of tearaway types in schools in the 1980s (or at any time), with an unreliable father, a mother who has left the family for another man, an exploitative older brother. He keeps getting into trouble, especially with dealing in drugs.
The film is an observation as a slice of life without necessarily having too many solutions – although some kind of positive father figure and some kind of encouragement to enterprise are certainly part of solutions offered.
1. An interesting film? Entertaining? Impact, relevance? Message?
2. The work of Ken Cameron as teacher, educator, filmmaker? Drawing on his experience as a teacher, disillusionment with the N.S.W. system? His understanding of teaching, schools? Modelling of education outside schools? Interactions between parents and students, parents and teachers, students and teacher? The rights of teachers, of pupils? Family backgrounds? Hopes and despair? His own viewpoint? The criticism that he was venting his anger on the system?
3. The use of Sydney locations and their authenticity: the suburbs, Botany Cemetery, Bunarong Powerhouse, a wasteland on the banks of Botany Bay (and the irony of the Bay's historic significance)? Homes, shops, hotels, the streets? Railway? The use of locations and the audience having a sense of being there? The facts of life in Sydney in the '80s?
4. The musical score, the range of songs, music, mood accompaniment especially for Steve, his experiences and the ending?
5. The title and its explanation in terms of Steve? Steve as real, symbolic? A fast talker, always on the run, being chased, blamed? His finally going free? The fast talking type?
6. The youth viewpoint of the film's action: the opening and the robbing of the eggs, the school assembly in the school yard, the boring classes, the inept teachers, the 'brush with the law' with the Deputy Headmaster? The lack of prospects, unemployment, hopelessness? Kids at play? The dismal background of home? The pressures, money and drugs? People trapped in this environment? Becoming victims of the situation?
7. The adult point of view of the action: parents and the samples of parents shown? Teachers and the range ? idly calling the roll, exams, unable to control their classes, administrators out of touch with the children? Sharon and her attempts? Authority figures? Police? The adults having to survive, cope within the system? Redback as a contrast with the other adults?
8. The portrait of Steve Carson: age, size, cheekiness? The opening and the stealing of the eggs, running away, the chase, his continually being on the run, causing mischief, being cheeky, the larrikin background? The marijuana crop and watering it? Getting out of school windows, going down drainpipes, running away from cricket practice? Smart talking? The Deputy and his searching for him? Catching him and his comment on fast talking? Steve and his friends, especially Moose? The bond between them all? Peer support and pressure? The clash with Sharon in class, running away, the cricket practice and his defiance, calling her a 'dobber', spoiling the class with the inspector to prevent anyone volunteering? Her attacking him and the confrontation in the toilet? Her later compassion for him and warning him that they wanted to get rid of him? Steve's relationship with his mother, her moving out and his grief, tears, her letter and his reading it? Seeing her in the street and her rushing off, comments on her hair? His trying to phone her but being put off? The absence of his mother? His brother and the drugs, the money? His brother's sympathy and understanding? Pushing him round? Wanting him to bring heroin into the school? His flushing it down the toilet, getting the chalk dust as substitute? The run-in with his brother? His brother giving him some money to support him and his philosophy of money? His father and his drinking, going out, bashing him, the greyhounds, Steve releasing the rabbits too fast and his father hitting him, the shooting of the dog? Steve's bond with his dog and the humour of its mauling the cat? His father's visit to his school, drunk? Redback and the encounter at the yard, stealing, Redback knowing what was happening, offering him lessons in weldinq, askinq him to concentrate (it was not school)? Learning how to tell which spoke needed tightening on the bike? Getting the bike out of the river and building it? The bond with Redback? Redback's seeing an image of himself? His raising the money, stealing the papers and selling them in the street, being chased? The group trying to get into the hotel under age? The railway sequence and being chased by the police and escaping? The school prefects chasing him? The heroin deal and being caught? The police interrogation and his putting on the fainting turn? His being expelled with the group and humiliated by the Deputy? The dance, ransacking the Deputy's room, the fire, turning over the fish tank? Taking his car? The drive, the petrol, the pursuit, the crash into the river? The escape and his swimming away? Redback letting him go on the bike letting him go to make mistakes but hoping that there would be future for him? What would Steve learn, what would be his future? Make mistakes like Redback, spend some time in prison? Steve as an adult? His strengths of character, sensitivity? Trapped by his environment?
9. Redback and his story, understanding Steve, inviting him to the yard, working with him, a differing model of education which Steve responded to, helping him at the end? A portrait of a character who shows how youngsters, victims of their circumstances, can make good?
10. The contrast with his brother and his style, money, drugs, the car, deals? His father as a no-hoper, drinking? Home and lifestyle?The mother walking out and taking her furniture, the father gripping the television set? The scenes in the street with Steve's mother? The dogs, killing the dog, the meeting with the Headmaster?
11. The sketch of Steve's mother, her letter, seeing her in the street? Irresponsibility?
12. Moose and his clowning, cheekiness, friendship with the group, his reading the condom packet, his being smart? Always supporting Steve? The ransacking of the Deputy's office? The final driving? The girls in the group? Steve and his friendship, four years of going together? Touches of affection? Home background? The finale?
13. The Deputy Head and his brushes with the law, concern about his fish, flowers, calling the police in, speeches, the rehearsals for The Sound of Music? The attitude towards the kids? The interrogation and the caning? The teachers: the man in the neckbrace, the man idly calling the roll? The woodwork master and his being sent up? The assembly sequences?
14. Sharon and her introduction to the class, her attempts to make contact, different kind of language? The reaction of the kids? Cricket practice? Her demonstration class and its being spoilt, challenging Steve in the toilet? Her friendship with the prefect? Her being got rid of?
15. The prefects, their room, chasing the younger kids, relationship with authority, authority figures?
16. The authenticity of the school atmosphere: the classrooms, carrying the tables, noise, locker rooms, drug turnovers (and the young children), discipline?
17. A slice of Australian city life? Comments on the status and standards of education in the '80s?
