CHASE THROUGH THE NIGHT

Australia, 1983,
Ron Blanchard, Brett Climo, John Jarratt, Nicole Kidman, Scott Mc Gregor, Paul Sonkilla, Justine Saunders.
Directed by Howard Rubie.

Chase Through the Night was one of several interesting films for family audiences made by Independent Productions in the early '80s. Others include Flute Man, Run Rebecca Run, Mystery at Castle House. This film was originally intended as a miniseries. It is more ambitious than the previous films.

It is based on a novel by Max Fatchen. It focuses on youngsters, mainly adolescents, but has bank robbers escaping from the city, life in a country town, aboriginal characters and themes, the confrontation between aboriginal spirituality and white man's practicality. There are comedy routines as well as action sequences. There is an interesting visualising of intercommunication between aborigines.

The film has a strong character cast and is enjoyable as well as interesting. Direction is by Howard Rubie (The Settlement, many telemovies and television work).

1. Enjoyment and interest? For adults, children?

2. A film for the family audience? Australians? wider audiences?

3. The use of locations, scenery? The city, country town, the river, the train, the plane? An authentic atmosphere?

4. A thriller of bank robbers, conventional material about the robbery, the escape, the travel, the hostage, the siege? Geared for family viewing?

5. The opening and the robbery, the shooting, the getaway? The car, the country roads, the garage? Newspaper headlines? The taking of the girl as hostage? The journey to the small town? The siege? Audience interest? Response and sympathies? Darby and his ruthlessness, his being the boss, his style of control, the gun, taking the girl as hostage? The decision to stay in the town? Getting the car fixed? The way that he treated the others in the gang?

6. The people in the town? York? pleasanter, the car, mechanic, the gun? Clurry and his being slow-witted, an imitation Elvis Presley, his reasons for doing things, gullibility, the gun and his falling for the obvious, drinking, the stories of the crocodiles and crabs, snakes, the cattle?

7. The relationships between the members of the gang? The reasons for their being together? The portrait of the country town, its isolation, atmosphere, the punt, the pub, the railway station? The humour of the cricket team travelling with the town virtually deserted? The bull running rampant? The use of the train?

8. The melodrama with the people absent from the town? Myrt and his running of the hotel, a genial man, his wife, Mary and her work in the hotel, Ray and his place in the hotel, his work, friendship with Bindi, their being with the cattle? Narli and his sitting on the porch, his dog? Quiet atmosphere? Audience sympathies for the people in the town as against the robbers? The confrontation in the hotel, the takeover, the siege and the terrorising of the adults? Ray and Bindi arriving back, scouting the situation, being caught? Tied up, ideas and reactions? The fixing of the car etc.? The demands for food? Myrt and his stories, having to give up his clothes? The flour fights? The frightening of Clurry in the bath, the stories about snakes, crocodiles and crabs etc.?

9. Ray as hero, his attraction towards the young girl, the attempts to help people, the failure, the arrival of the plane, the commandeering of the train? His attitudes of superiority, friendship with Bindi but asserting white man's ways of doing things over the seeming inactivity of the aborigines? The final chase? His having to acknowledge the help of the aborigines? His stating that he had changed his mind?

10. Bindi as the aboriginal boy in the town, growing up in the town, being accepted? At work, the friendship with Ray? The relationship with his mother and her working in the hotel? Narli as his grandfather? The ways of communicating? His escape from the hotel? His painting himself, the rituals, the rabbit? His going into the bush? Narli guiding him? The train, the chase, the storm, the lightning?

11. Bindi's achievement through the help of Narli? His having to take Narli's place at the end? Narli as the old aborigine, the traditions, his place in the town? Blind but being able to see with his interior eye? His age, the respect for the elder? The respect from the town? His sensing reality at a distance? Knowing that the robbers were bad men? His being left alone? The verandah, the chanting, the music? The death of the dog? His becoming hostage? His place in the hotel, the chant, the raising of the storm, his being united with Bindi? The visuals of their communication, voice, chant? Guiding his actions? The storm, his dying? The passing of the power to Bindi?

12. Aboriginal themes: aborigines in the Australian country towns? their place, equality, prejudice, the verbal abuse by Darby? Tribal backgrounds, rites, mystery? Different ways of communicating and achieving?

13. The effect of the siege, tension, the girl and her hostility, friendship with Ray, onside with the family? The arrival of the pilot, the failure of the plane escape? The storm?

14. The return of the train, the humour of the driver, the escape via the train, the bull on the tracks, the crash? The final chase and its excitement, the climax with the storm and Bindi? The film as entertainment? With a message?