FEVER
Australia, 1988, 84 minutes, Colour.
Gary Sweet, Mary Regan, Bill Hunter.
Directed by Craig Lahiff.
Fever is an Australian thriller, an Australian noir. It takes place on one day in a South Australian country town. The film takes full advantage of the atmosphere and location of the town. However, it focuses on a triangle: Bill Hunter as the intense policeman, following drug-dealers, taking their money when it falls into his hand by accident, discovering that his wife is having an affair with an engineer; Mary Regan as the bored wife of the policeman who begins the affair and is caught up in violence; Gary Sweet as the callow engineer who exploits his relationship with women and is more interested in himself and in success. Jim Holt portrays one of the country town police The plot defies some belief for all this to happen on one day. However, if this is taken for granted, it turns into quite a neat thriller. Direction is by Craig Lahiff. who specialised in films of this kind. The script was written by John Emery, novelist author of Freedom.
1. Australian thriller, filmed noir? The American traditions and conventions of this kind of film?
2. The use of locations, photography, the environment of the town, the town itself? The atmospheric score and special effects?
3. The title and its reference to the characters?
4. The conventions of the triangle, affairs and passion, anger, violence. foolishness? And the ironies of the working out of the triangle?
5. Bill Hunter's portrait of Jack? The introduction, surveillance on the drug-dealer, the binoculars, the exchange of the money, the pursuit, the exploding car. the chase, the crash, Jack finding the money and keeping it? His relationship with Morris? Morris's suspicions after examining the wrecked car, finding more evidence? Jack and his working with the local police? Morris and his pursuit of Jack, laughing at his marriage break-up, suspicions of Jack, collecting the evidence, pursuing him on to the train? Jack and his work in the town, his reputation? The relationship between Jack and his wife, his infatuation with her? Discovering the car keys, the couple, the anger and the violence, his being hit? The moving of his body? Down the well? The irony of his being alive, getting out? Going back to work, shooting the bed, checking the number plate, going to the airport, to the railway-station, the confrontation with Morris in the train. Killing and hiding him? The confrontation with Jeff and his wife, going to the baggage carriage, getting rid of the corpse, killing Jeff, going with his wife to the city, outlining his plan? Her doublecrossing him, the pursuit of the drug dealers, shooting the dealer? His wife killing him? Portrait of a policeman?
6. Mary Regan as the wife? Audiences understanding her situation, alone, the passionate affair, her relationship with her husband? The violence and the attack on Jack? The manoeuvres of getting the body, being held up by the police? Burying Jack? Packing to leave, closing her account at the bank, trying to get the ticket? Her relationship with Jeff, his callow reactions especially about money? On the train suspicions of Jeff? The confrontation with Jack, her listening to his plans, taking his money? The confrontation on the tower, shooting him? The irony of the money being counterfeit?
7. Jeff, his car, work, sexual relationships? The panic and the violence? Getting rid of the body, searching for his keys, the return to the well, discovering Jack alive? Packing, discovering the money? on the train? The confrontation with Jack and his fright, being killed?
8. Morris as the country policeman, cynical, doing his job, wary of Jack, pursuing him, his death?
9. The drug dealers, Asian connections, in the saltpan, the exchange of money, the explosives, the drugdealers’ death, the pursuit in the city?
10. The realism and the contrivance: everything happening on the one day? The film noir - and themes of greed, passion, foolishness, violence, values?
