THE SALUTE OF THE JUGGER

Australia, 1989, 91 minutes.
Rutger Hauer, Delroy Lindo, Joan Chen, Vincent D'Onofrio
Directed by David Peoples.

The Salute of the Jugger is an action film set in the future. It obviously owes a great deal to such films as Rollerball and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

There is very little characterisation in the film - mainly a picture of the future and the battles of the Juggers. Juggers are a wandering group who challenge various teams to very physical and violent games with dogs' skulls.

The film was made at Coober Pedy and takes advantage of the South Australian desert landscapes. The design of the future (after the devastating wars) is suitably grim.

Rutger Hauer (who has been a Blade runner, a Hitcher and many other villains) is the leader of the Juggers. Joan Chen is a rice worker who wants to become a champion. There are some Australians in the cast (Max Fairchild, Hugh Kayes-Byrne) and many of the credits are Australian.

It will appeal only to those who like tough action films.

1. Futuristic film? Future society? the violent games and championships?

2. The Coober Pedy locations, surrealistic? The future, the desert, the desert mounds? The production design and its grim presentation of the future?

3. The appeal of futuristic stories? The devastation, the collapse of civilisation, survival?

4. The information about the juggers, their travelling around the countryside? The particular group of the film? Sallow and his leadership? The individuals in the group, bonds between them? Their fights and championships? The injuries? The Chinese girl and her becoming part of the group? Training? Their ambition to fight against the union team? Their travels, difficulties, injuries? Relationships? The application for the challenge, living in the city? The encounter with the former champion? The acceptance of the challenge, the vicious fights, the champion and his stance for a fair fight? Victory? Continuing on their way?

5. Sallow as leader, taciturn, a fighter, relationships, treatment of the group? Confrontation with his former adversary? The final fight? The Chinese girl and her work, her parents farewelling her, training, proving her worth, following the group? Her fights? The young man and his place in the team? Relationship with each of the group? The rest of the group?

6. The champion in the city, being asked to be brutal? The team, his decisions? The final fight - and the fair victory? The lord and his sinister attitudes, the banquet, his woman? His wanting the fight to be fixed, injury to Sallow? His cavalier attitude at the end?

7. The appeal of this kind of film? Story, action? Future fable?