METALSKIN

Australia, 1995, 114 minutes, Colour.
Ben Mendelssohn, Aden Young, Nadine Garner, Tara Morice, Chantal Contouri.
Directed by Geoffrey Wright

Metal Skin was written by Geoffrey Wright before Romper Stomper (1992) but filmed after it. It is a more elaborately designed and plotted film than Romper Stomper. Once again we are in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Once again we are dealing with migrants and their problems, especially those of Rumanians who came to Australia in the 50s with their consequent problems of status, work, mental illness.

They are contrasted with the Italians with their Catholic background and their piety and superstitions.

The films focuses on four young people working in the suburbs, their interactions, love and violence, and themes of madness.

Wright uses a vivid operatic style enhancing the realism of the themes and locations. He gets strong performances from his young cast.

1.The portrait of the young and the alienated, the '90s, social and political background, Australia, universal?

2.Panavision photography: the bright images and dark images of the suburbs, dilapidated homes, the gaudy church, the warehouse and supermarket, the wharves and the containers, the cars, the races? Stunts and special effects, editing and pace? The musical score and the songs, lyrics and meaning?

3.The title (originally Speed) and the relationship to cars, the young and their love of cars, identifying with cars, the injuries to flesh and skin...?

4.The structure of the film: circular with Roslyn wandering the containers, trapped, the jigsaw pieces for each of the four principal characters, their being intercut, the inclusion of flashbacks, the brevity, the various pieces of the puzzle, their coming together, the effect in terms of plot, insight into characters, motivation?

5.Melbourne and the suburbs, the ugly homes, the workplace, the supermarket, the streets, church, the drag races, the repairs? The western suburbs, the atmosphere, environment? Poverty, recession, jobs, the dole?

6.The range of choices and lack of choice for the young? Disadvantaged and therefore making wrong choices? Being poor, the quality of education, principles, confusion, moral bases? The collapse of absolutes? The need for finding identity and affirmation?

7.Migrant themes: families, the older generation, initial success, collapse into madness? The reasons? The traditional Australian family and the children not being mad but absent parents, self-absorbed and self-centred, pain?

8.Joe's father and the Rumanian background, fleeing the communists in the '50s, his being a champion at pistol shooting, the trophies? The mental collapse, behaving like a child, living in squalor, screaming, the rats, the scene at the laundry? His humiliating his son? Religious background, glimpses of icons, the Russian choir and the hymn? Visitors and his reaction? Why the collapse into madness? The impact on Joe?

9.The comparison with Italy, devout, families together? Religion, religious pictures, going to Mass, the mother as the housekeeper for the priest? The emotional style of the Italians? The mother responding to her daughter's illness, the young son and his ordinariness? The priest and his visits? Pressures, the mother's loss of control, pressure on her daughter, expectations? The extended family at the gathering after Savina's death and her mother's outburst against Joe?

10.The portrait of Joe: Psycho Joe, the initial racing of the car, the crash, the rivalries? His being looked down on? His memories of school, the loner? Building the car in his house, wanting to race? The madness at home? The laundry and his niceness towards Roslyn, his father's outburst and his vicious anger? The attraction towards Roslyn, memories of school? Going to work in the supermarket, the conditions? His not wanting to be there? Catching Dazey and the girl in the room? Yet relying on Dazey and his being helped by him? Keeping the secret? The visit to the repair centre, the long discussion about cars, the bonds between the two? His violence - especially against the man attacking Dazey? His not being liked? His returning Roslyn's laundry in the rain? Seeing Savina at work, puzzled by her, her stealing? Decision to take her out, the bagging of Dazey, the cars, the puncture? His advances and his being knocked out? Discovering Dazey and Savina together? A feeling of everybody abandoning him? Yet his being gentle and forgiving, the quiet showing of Savina his house and his room? Seeing her steal, stealing for her, loading the cans in the car, being sacked, his angry retort? His not going to the party, Savina's appeal to him to get the chickens, going into the church, getting the cross and turning it upside down, helping her prepare her rituals? His not knowing about her death and going to her house? His own collapse, the taking of the pills, the vividness of the nightmares - the range of characters, Savina on the cross, himself being crucified by her mother? His waking up, his father shouting, his desperation, his decision to shoot his father? Taking the pistol, finding Dazey and Roslyn, the confronting of Dazey, telling him the truth, making him afraid, saying he didn't deserve to be loved? The final chase, the pursuit, the crash and his death? The futility of his life?

11.The contrast with Dazey, the Anglo- Saxon background, the photos in the year book, his work at the supermarket, his father thinking he was not reliable enough to work in the repairs? Sexual encounters, covering up with Joe, at work? His relationship to Roslyn, the Queensland story and the crash and her injuries? His love of cars, going to the yard, the man attacking him and Joe's reaction? His sweet-talking of Roslyn? Advising Joe to take Savina out, the cars, winning? The sexual encounter with Savina and Joe's reaction? Going to Ros, seeing her at the party, asking her forgiveness? Their clash? The sexual encounter in the church with Savina? Her phone call and his decision to ignore her? Not believing her? Finally going to Ros, the confrontation with Joe, his fear, about to be shot, the drive, the chase, his declaring that he had beaten Joe? Finally calling for Roslyn? His future?

12.Savina, her Italian background, relationship with her mother, her room and all its adornments, the black magic? At work and furtive? Odd in her appearance, manner? Cat and the food? The reliance on black magic, the ritual for Dazey? Dazey and the annual? The rituals in the killing of the mouse? The encounters with Joe, the decision to go out with him, not responding to him sexually but responding to Dazey? Her wanting Joe to be like a brother to her? His gentleness at the house and her being calm? The party, the sex encounter with Dazey in the church, her initiative? The eyeing conflict with Roslyn? The chickens, the ritual, the priest coming into the church, her hiding, hanging on to the bell tower, no longer able to hold on to the church, her death? Reappearing in Joe's nightmares?

13.Ros, the film opening with her bewilderment and being lost, the background of school, relationship with Dazey, his girl, work as a hairdresser (and ambition to go as a hairdresser on shipping tours)? Her parents absent in Bali? The Queensland story, her physical injury and burns? The encounter with Joe, the laundry, his bringing the laundry at night? Love for Dazey, his talk? Clashes with him? Her cutting her own hair? Going to the party, defying Savina and Dazey and the sexual encounter? The confrontation with Joe, getting the gun, the desperate ride with Dazey, and memories of the past? The violence and her final bewilderment?

14.The warehouse and the supermarket, the range of workers, their mucking around, stealing? Those in authority and their treatment of the young people?

15.The cars and the repairs, Dazey's father, brother? The love of cars? Joe and his going to the repair shop, his desperate shooting of the repair man?

16.Cars, metal skin, youth, identity, the crowds, the drag strips, the daring and the races, the building of the cars? Joe and his theories and building his car at home?

17.A film of pessimism with the background of recession, the dole, unemployment, youth and lacking of identity, Australian multiculturalism in the suburbs? Death and destruction? Future?