WEEKEND OF SHADOWS

Australia, 1978, 94 minutes, Colour.
John Waters, Melissa Jaffer, Wyn Roberts, Barbara West, Graham Rouse, Bill Hunter, Graeme Blundell, Bryan Brown.
Directed by Tom Jeffrey.

Weekend of Shadows did not prove popular at the box-office. A pity because it has something to say in the Wake in Fright vein. The setting is a 30s New South Wales country town, well-sketched, but the focus is on a manhunt for a disliked Pole on suspicion of murder.

Rabbit (John Waters very good indeed), the town's pleasantly earnest butt, is urged by his wife (just as the police officer's wife pressurises him) to prove his manliness by joining the hunters, with unforeseen results. The themes of Australian males conforming, picking on outsiders and letting ruffianism surface is alarmingly convincing as portrayed by the likes of Bill Hunter and Graeme Blundell. Grimly effective.

1. The film was not a box-office success on first release. Why?

2. The significance of the title and its indication of themes? Tone? The original novel was called "The Reckoning". The significance of this title for the film?

3. The importance of the location photography, the colour, the town, the landscapes? The reaction of the people and the atmosphere of authenticity? The presentation of beauty and ugliness? The significance of the score and its strong and pounding effects - appropriate, too strong? Romantic themes for memories?

4. How important was the presentation of the town itself: the brickworks, the men at work, the recreation at the pub, life in the homes, the police officer's home the streets, the dance? How authentic did this seem? For audiences to identify with the people?

5. The film’s presentation of people: ordinary, pleasant, the particular events of their daily lives? Their mocking of Rabbit? The narrow attitudes presented, prejudice, fears, anger? The dark wide of ordinary people lives?

6. How well did the film get the audience to identify with the people? Their ordinary experience, fears and angers, lynch mentality? How disturbing was the identification for the audience?

7. How well did the screenplay work: the focus on Rabbit, the presentation of his character, in relation to the men of the town, to the life of the time, presenting him In hix home, the revelation about his marriage? The information of the murder inserted into this atmosphere? The changing the mood of the town, Rabbit's involvement? The interplay of flashbacks? The gradual revelation of the Pole, of Rabbit, of the men on the hunting party? Its culminating in the final shooting and the sudden blacking out leaving the impact with the audience?

8. How well was the character of Rabbit portrayed? The particular skills and style of John Waters’ performance? Seeing him initially at work, a keen worker, the illustrations of naivety and the men having fun with him? The butt of jokes in the town? The ironies of the flashbacks and his being selected to marry Vi? His family, Vi’s love for him and yet her pushing him, his son? 'Rabbit' as his nickname? Harry Baker an his name and identity? His view of the murder, of the hunting party? The pressure on him to go, his decision? His reaction to the behaviour during the hunt? His sympathy for the Pole? How credible was it that he would shoot him?

9. The effect of the experience on Rabbit? The pressures on his manliness? His toughness his pity? His reaction to the others and the contrast of character? How easy was it to see the motive for his shooting the Pole? How impulsive? Rabbit's motivations - the fool who was wise, the innocent man?

10. What light did the flashbacks throw onto Rabbit's character? His place in the town, marriage, the offloading of VI onto him, his love and care for her? How well did he emerge from the flashbacks?

11. The film's focus on Caxton? His reputation for brutality before he came to the town. his role as the police officer, his pride, the way in which he made his decisions, especially to pursue the Pole? Arrogance, relationship with higher authority? His exercise of authority over the men, the starting of the hunting party, the behaviour during it and Caxton’s attitudes? The importance of the sequence with his wife and her pressurising him? Her motives and his motives for the hunt? His style, conf ron ting the Pole, confronting Rabbit? How important was the comparison with Rabbit? What light did they throw on each other?

12. The importance of the parallelling of sequences in the Caxton household and the Baker household? The parallels and contrasts with the wives? The presentation of Mrs Caxton and her hard attitudes and her reaction to Vi? Her disdain of the townspeople and the way this was illustrated by visitors to her house? The contrast with Vi and her place in the town, marriage, pregnancy? The romantic sequences with Rabbit and her estimation of him, love for his family atmosphere? Her pressures on Rabbit for him to go and register, her happiness, pride for her son and reputation? How well delineated was the character of Vi? The portrayal of the two wives and their parallels illustrating the other?

13. How accurate was the portrayal of the men? The various types represented, the yahoo, the arrogant? At work, drinking, talk? Their joking? Sex in the town as focussed on VI? Anger, prejudice? The dance illustrating the violence and the Pole courting a woman and the bashing by her husband? The role of the teacher, as reporter, chorus about the action, observer,voicer of liberal views?

14. The brief portrayal of the Pole - the fact that the audience did not know him well? Suspicions of murder - did the audience share these? The flimsy circumstantial evidence? The portrayal of the violence and the assumptions made? How credible was it that the Pole should run away especially in the light of the flashback about the dance? The type of man that he was, with the women, his Polish traditions, his wound? Suspicions? The visualising of his being baslhed and this indicating the violence of the mob hunting him? His being a victim, the irony that it was Rabbit who shot him?

15. The portrayal of the murder, its importance in itself, the greater importance of its effect on all the people? The irony of the revelation of the truth?

16. The picturing of the hunt, how authentic did it seem, the various moods and feelings, the crudeness and brutality, drinking, the hunters in the Australian bush, the mob atmosphere, the lynching hostility?

17. How important was the theme of Australian masculinity? Mateship at the pub, the men egging bach other on, using Rabbit as the butt of their jokes, using V1 and then palming her off? Themes of men trying to prove
themselves and Vi’s pushing Rabbit? Being different and the pressure for everybody to be the same, pride?

18. How Australian was the topic, treatment, atmosphere?