NEWSFRONT
Australia. 1973. 110 minutes. Colour.
Bill Hunter, Gerard Kennedy, Angela Punch, Wendy Hughes, Chris Heywood, Don Crosby, John Ewart, Bryan Brown, Nark Holden, John Dease.
Directed by Phillip Noyce.
Newsfront is very well made. Combining the story of the Australian newsreels 1948-1956 with a family drama, well-illustrating the issues and tensions of those times (especially religion and politics), the plot is well-served by many fine performances and well-written roles. Excerpts from the original newsreels are so well blended with black and white plot sequences (e.g. the 1954 Maitland floods) that the look and feel of authenticity is extraordinary. The main events, attitudes, feelings and styles of the times are indicated, offering pleasing and harsh memories of the 50s (unromanticised) and offering a sense of the recent past that can be highly recommended. Winner of many Australian Film Institute awards, including Best Film, Director, Actor and Actress.
1. The film was an outstanding success of the late seventies. Why? Did it deserve the awards that it won? National and international acclaim? How does it seem in retrospect?
2. The appeal to Australians? National characteristics, history, social observation? The interest of overseas audiences? people, events, the newsreel theme, history? The universal appeal of people and themes?
3. The qualities of Australian film-making of the late seventies? Performances, photography, editing?
4. The technical aspects of the film and their impact: the use of black and white and colour? The authentic atmosphere of the black and white photography? The effect of the use and editing of authentic newsreel material? The way these were blended in the plot? The selection and blending? For example the migrants, the Redex Trial, the Maitland Floods, the Olympic Games? The showing of the filming of these in black and white to ensure authentic atmosphere of the making of the newsreels?
5. The film's observations on the period of the newsreels? the world in the late forties and the first half of the fifties? The effect of the war, the post-war period and recovery and reconstruction? The effect on people's lives? The issues and atmosphere of the fifties? A period of change, the end of an era before the sixties? Comment on the type of issues that involved people, interests, concerns? People shaped by their times? How important was the final collage with the tracing of events over the next twenty years? the events, the involvements, the personalities? The changing face of Australia nationally and internationally?
6. The importance of the structure with the snapshots and the focus on the family, the dates? The fact that we were given glimpses of the family and made to feel the continuity? Effective screenplay for this kind of film?
7. The focus on Australia - the nature of its nationalism, qualities, strengths and weaknesses? The characteristics of the Australian? The international comparisons? The Labor politics of the late forties, communist fears, the Liberal power in the fifties? migrants and their effect on Australia? War involvements, for example Korea? Social status, wealth and poverty, suburbia and the middle class? The presentation of family values, accepted social standards? The nature of religion in the time, Catholicism and its moral and political influence? The growing influence of America? The role of the media, especially the newsreels, cinema, the approach of television and its techniques? The moving towards the modern period? Individuals within this atmosphere, their ruggedness, the background of the Depression, spirit of adventure, fidelity to jobs? The importance of the Australian sense of humour and the humour pervading the whole film?
8. The impact of the beginning: Chico Marx and his piano playing, 'Waltzing Matilda', the soldiers, the atmosphere of the late forties? A setting for the migrant ship arriving, family reunions, Australia as a new land? The rival newsreel companies? national and international? The sequence of the obscuring of the camera and its repercussions? Relationships between the men in the two firms? and the irony of their later uniting? The rushing of the material to the processing, the editing? A tone of the forties, the supplying of information about the times, the film's styling? the black and white?
9. The political tone at the beginning and the pervading of the film with politics? Chifley and the Labor Government, the welcoming of the migrants, the naturalisation ceremony and its atmosphere? The arrival of the migrant boats and emotional feelings? Chifley's defeat and the arrival of Menzies and the mocking of Menzies? American alliance? Conservative government and its pervading attitudes? The Red Menace and the question of the Referendum and its defeat? Propaganda and Catholicism behind the Referendum? The Korean War, Nixon's visit (and the ignorance of the editor about his titles)? The atmosphere of 1956 and the Hungarian Revolution, the Olympic Games? The spectrum of political opinion of Left, Centre and Right? The omissions of particular events, for example the Petrov affair in 1954? The political flavour of the film? shrewdness of observation, presentation for public entertainment?
10. Religion in Australia? important and unimportant? A.G. and the established religion, the ceremony of his funeral? The Maguires and their traditional Catholicism? The wedding, the baptism? in Latin, the propaganda afterwards? Respect for the priest? Fay and her primness and her comments about criticisms of Catholicism? Len and his letting it go? Fay and her remarrying? The influence of the Church on sexuality, especially birth control?
11. The portrait of the Company? Australian, the Board and their deliberations, lack of money? A.G. and the morale and his skill in editing newsreels? The detailed presentation of the making of a newsreel, the commentary, editing, selection of material, political slants? The editorial personalities people at work, political views, office talk and chatter? The importance of the reader and his personality, status, skill in his job, resignation? Amy and her rising status in the office, her skill? That she should have taken over when A.G. died? The man who took over and his lack of skill and style?
12. The presentation of Len and Chris at work? Presenting Chris as a genial young Englishman searching for new opportunity, needing explanations about Australia? Len providing background to Australia in the conversation with Chris? The strength of their characterisations and audiences identifying with them? The contrast with Frank and his go-getting? The two brothers and their similarities and dissimilarities? Depression, family, A.G. giving them jobs, their skill at their work, especially Len with his photography? Amy and her love of Frank and his ignoring her?
13. The wedding sequence, the party in the suburbs afterwards with the ocean background, the building of the house, the games and the taking of the film and its later replay when Len visited Fay and the children)? The rain and the awkward conversation in the house and the resumption of the party? The effect of the swimming sequence and indicating Frank's going to America and his reasons?
14. The work of the Company, the decision to have an Australian tone to the newsreels? The humour of the Australian content, for example the animals, the singing dog? The humour of the rivalry between the various cameramen? John Ewart and the bond with Len, the times that they shared, especially in Maitland? The importance of the announcer's resignation? The Everest sequence and the effect on A.G. and the sudden impact of his death and the effect on all?
15. The Redex sequence? the going on the trip, the presentation of the outback? The anger of the tall driver when his car turned over? The atmosphere at the dance in the town? The young girl travelling so far to see the celebrities? Her night with Chris and its awkwardness and tenderness? Her farewelling him? The later marriage and the effect of his death on her and going to the country?
16. The importance of the Maitland floods sequence, the technical achievement of blending acted material with the authentic newsreel? The work of the newsreel men, Chris and his decision to help, his rowing, the Mayor? The swirling waters and the pathos of his death? Len and his friend searching? The collection at the newsreel theatre for him? Chris as a person, a rounded personality, a tribute to the photographers?
17. Len and his break with Fay? Her accusations, his defence and her primness? His decision to leave? Religion? Setting up an apartment with Amy? His continued drive at work, the changing atmosphere, his going out to film the bushfires and the television people there? His revisiting Fay and the children with the films? Alimony questions? His shock at her decision to marry again and go against her religious principles?
18. Frank's telephone call and its effect, the tensions between Len and Amy? Frank and his Americanisation, his arrival, the manner of speaking, the American cliches, the dinner? Len's humour about it? An Australian response to the anti-American tone? The deals? Frank's opportunism during the Games? The film's attitude towards Frank?
19. The contrast with Len and his individual idealism? His decision to resign, the irony of the request for him to direct the Games material? His mercenary young assistant and the overtime? His skill in filming the Games? Authentic material, the water fight? His decision to walk on at the end? an ideal, an idealist? How was this meant to summarise the Australian character?
20. The achievement of the film in presenting a portrait of Australia and Australians in an interesting and entertaining way, recapturing the history with nostalgia but also with understanding and compassion?
