IN TOO DEEP
Australia, 1989, 90 minutes, Colour.
Hugo Race, Santha Press, John Flaus, Dominic Sweeney.
Directed by John Tatoulis.
In Too Deep is a Melbourne melodrama filmed in the inner city, especially around Clifton Hill. It is a mood piece, filmed with orange filters to give it an unreal, even surreal impact, the heat of summer.
The film advertises itself as in the traditions of Wild Orchid (Zalman King's erotic interpretation of behaviour and relationships) and Blue Velvet (David Lynch's film with its surface respectability and seething passions underneath - which he was later to capitalise on for Wild at Heart and Twin Peaks). The comparisons may be helpful, though this is a modest film. It is somewhat reminiscent of Looking for Mr Goodbar with the central female character, a rich girl from the wealthier suburbs, slumming it in the inner city, trying to be a singer as well as run a fashion shop, caught up with a petty criminal and trying to experience his life as well as being compelled by sensual drives.
The screenplay is somewhat impressionistic, moving from episode to episode offering pieces of a jigsaw puzzle which includes the exploration of the central characters, their surveillance by two police officers, a subplot about a tape of conversations between politicians and police chiefs which indicate political corruption.
The film has Hugo Race and Santha Press, singers and members of bands, acting as well as singing and playing. (It is a bit difficult to tell how successful each of the stars is with their particular talent, as so much of their performance has to be posturing - especially nude.) However, John Flaus and Dominic Sweeney have better roles as the police, especially Flaus as an embittered policeman, a jazz aficionado, a drinker who is in crisis in his career.
The film is local, wants to be daring and often is - and is more interesting than might at first seem.
1. Australian thriller, Melbourne thriller, the thriller elements, erotic elements?
2. The Melbourne locations, the orange filter, the particular colouring from the audience point of view, summer heat? Editing, pace, angles, lighting?
3. The musical score, the jazz, the two leads and their singing, playing? The music and moods?
4. The title, the references to each of the characters?
5. The screenplay as a jigsaw puzzle, the variety of pieces, incidentally crossing, the interweaving of the characters? The main action with Mack and Wendy, the police? The subplot of the police and political corruption? The audience focusing on the particular aspects of the plot - or not?
6. Mack and Wendy: the opening, the music, Mack as a thug, the assaults, the tape, the money deals, the bank robberies and their brutality, Mack and his personal brutality, his sadistic approach to Wendy, for her to vocalise her passion, the sexual encounters, the thrill of the robberies, the encounters with Jo, his being pursued by the police, the political connections, the final confrontation and fight? Mack as a brutal thug?
7. Wendy, her affluent background, running the shop, meeting her clientele? Alienation from her parents (especially in the birthday sequence in the restaurant)? Jo coming to the shop, not wanting her there, letting her work, boarding with her? The singing in the hotel, the pleasant atmosphere, the sleazy aspects? Miles and his attack on her singing? The infatuation with Mack, the smouldering behaviour, taunting Mack, the sexual encounters, the kinkier aspects and their being visualised for the audience? Her relationship with Jo? The robberies, in the bank manager's office, wanting to share the thrill, Mack and his knife? Going off in the car, stripping and tantalising Mack? The ultimate disaster, Jo and the injuries, hospital - and a possible reconciliation? Giving up Mack, going back seriously to the singing? Wendy's psychology, drives and passions, seeking sensuality and thrills?
8. Jo in comparison with her sister, age, alienation from the parents, going to the shop, at Wendy's flat, curious, spying on Mack and Wendy, her own sexual awakenings? The encounters with Dinny, her drunkenness, wanting to go home with Ivan, Dinny helping her, sleeping it off, in the shop, the gift of the earrings, the taxi, the final encounter with Mack, the experience of violence? Learning Wendy's lessons early - and acting on them in the future?
9. Miles as the hard-bitten policeman, surveillance, tense relationship with Dinny, the stakeouts, the interrogations? His love for jazz, insulting Wendy? The political background, police corruption? The patrons at the bar and his fight with them? Informers, searching homes? His jazz performance - but drunk? The robbery in action and his being forced to shoot to save Dinny? The confrontation with Mack, his anger at Joe's assault? In the bar, the paper, his achievement in exposing corruption? His own personal crisis, aloneness, bitterness?
10. The contrast with Dinny, the ambitious officer, his career, clashing with Miles, acting touch, bashing informers? Search and surveillance? The robbery in action, his decision to follow it instead of Mack, his being threatened with a gun? The clash with Miles afterwards? Attraction to Jo, buying the earrings? Going to save her? His future in the police force?
11. The scenes in the club, the style, the patrons, the drinking, the rowdies, those appreciative, the singing, the staff, tending bar? Authentic atmosphere?
12. The political background, the voice-overs from the radio, newspaper headlines, surveillance of the politicians? The deals and corruption?
13. Police work, surveillance, loneliness, violence? The atmosphere of the police thriller?
14. The erotic tone of the film? Nudity, frankness, sexual encounters - with a touch of the kinky? Jo looking on? Explanations of Mack and Wendy and their passionate nature? Jo and her searching?
15. How will did the film combine its diverse elements?
