THE BIG HURT
Australia, 1986, 93 minutes, Colour.
David Bradshaw, Simon Chilvers, John Ewart, Alan Cassell.
Directed by Barry Peak.
The Big Hurt is a small-budget Melbourne film with a theme of newspapers, scientific experiments, ASIO and conspiracies. It was co-written by Sylvia Bradshaw and director Barry Peak (Future Schlock, As Time Goes By).
Melbourne looks very good in this film - and there is an atmosphere of newspapers and production (and exploitation, like Truth). There is also a kinky club which is a front for ASIO scientific experimentations on hormones and the brain.
David Bradshaw is effective as the journalist seeking out a story. Simon Chilvers is a suave villain. John Ewart is good as the headline-seeking and controversy-seeking newspaperman. A supporting cast includes Alan Cassell.
Small-budget, but the film keeps moving and is as entertaining as many equivalent stories done with a bigger budget.
1.Interesting and entertaining thriller? Story of a newspaperman?
2.The title? References to whom? O'Neal and his experiments? Lisa?
3.The Melbourne locations, authentic, the city, the suburbs? The newspaper office? Flats and homes? The club? The musical score?
4.The focus on Price: emerging from Pentridge, going home, the three months for protecting his newspaper article sources? Getting his job back, ousting the journalist? Relationship with Harry? On the police rounds? The dead prostitutes and the mystery? Harry setting up a gang was and getting headlines? Price and his relationships, his source and the football practice, the source's wife and child, the visit and the presents? Hoping for their reconciliation? Relationship with the girl at the office? The investigations, research? The contact with Lisa, going to the club, the patrons and the sexual behaviour? The monitors? The information about Algerson? Going to the laboratories, the story of O'Neal's experiments, his assistants? Going to the monastery, the story of the retired scientist and his madness, his art? The homosexual plot? The interviews at the laboratory, getting the truth? Lisa and her story - O'Neal's daughter? Building up the story, his being chased and bashed? The interview with Algerson? Going back to the club, finding the tapes? Lisa's arrival, the confrontation with Algerson? O'Neal still alive? The shootout? Lisa's death? The integrity of the investigative journalist? Price as hero?
5.The paper, its style, Harry and his work, plots, headlines, conspiracies, gangland wars? The prostitutes and their deaths? The sleazier atmosphere of the paper? The research library and the assistant?
6.Lisa, the mystery, approaching Price, leaving messages, her being institutionalised, the story of her father, persuading Price? The sexual relationship? The final confrontation, the truth? Lisa and the shootout, the realisation about her father, her death?
7.Algerson, glimpsed at the beginning in the club? The stories about him? His visit to Price, the discussion and his innocence? The source and the explanation of his background, the supervision of the experiments, brainwashing in Vietnam? Link with the club? Lisa's stories about the murders? The final confrontation, his explanation of the truth to Price - the experiments, government control? ASIO? O'Neal alive?
8.Blake, his explanations to Price, memories of the experiments? O'Neal, his ambitions, hormones and change? Kominsky, his relationship with Michael Trent? The experiments? Price's visit to Mrs Trent - and the similar art to that of Kominsky? Kominsky and his retirement to the monastery? His death? The plan, the alleged suicide pact? The cover-up?
9.Price's source, his work, clashes? His wife, son? Giving information about Algerson?
10.The club, the opening with the flowers, the dancer, the audience? The dancing, the dress, the kinky rooms? The surveillance?
11.The paper, its style, workers, news, beating up items? Prison sentences for defending sources?
12.Interesting conspiracy thriller? Investigative journalist? Melbourne setting?
