THE WINDS OF JARRAH

Australia, 1985, 80 minutes, Colour.
Susan Lyons, Terence Donovan, Harold Hopkins, Steve Bisley, Martin Vaughan, Dorothy Allison.
Directed by Mark Egerton.

The Winds of Jarrah is a disappointment and was one of the commercial disasters of the Australian film industry in the early 80s. It had a big budget, was intended for filming in Western Australia in the forests. However, it was actually shot in the rainforests in northern New South Wales. It did not receive release for three years and then in a rather drastically cut form where it had limited release in country theatres and transferred to video.

This is a pity because it is a film of great visual beauty. It was based on a Mills and Boon novel, The House in the Timberwoods (1959) by Australian Joyce Dingwell. It has a post-war setting, gives a lot of attention to the effect of the war on a small country town in Australia, the absence of the men, the deaths. It also highlights the transition after World War II into the post-war world, the changes in the country towns, the changes in economy and in primary industries.

The film was a romance between a man who owns a sawmill (played by Terence Donovan) and the English governess (Susan Lyons) who was disappointed in love and has come to take care of the three children. There is a strong supporting cast including Harold Hopkins and Steve Bisley.

The film was directed by Mark Egerton, who had worked as assistant director on quite a number of films.

A popular entertainment but limited by its being recut and, perhaps, the basics of the Mills and Boon style (although the screenplay was written by the team of Bob Ellis and Anne Brooksbank).

1. An enjoyable romantic adventure? Period melodrama? The background of Mills and Boone stories? Their popularity, appeal? 'Women's stories'? An Australian Mills & Boone: romance, melodrama. nostalgia?

2. The importance of the production qualities: the post-world War Two period, the opening with the train, the picture of the town. the hotel, the dance, the home and the world of the timberjack? The background of the war, the soldiers being demobilised, memories of the war, new experiences? The Anzac Day celebration? The use of Panavision, colour, the emphasis on beauty? The pace for a romantic story? Action sequences: logging, the fire? The atmospheric musical score for this kind of film?

3. The film's use of romantic conventions: the basic love story, the establishing of the hero and heroine, the situations, their difficulties and resolution, clashes? The style of dialogue - realistic, unrealistic? A lavish conventional romantic drama?

4. The film's strong focus on Diana: the quality of Susan Lyons' performance? Presence, beauty? on the train, reading the book, the revelation about her wedding dress, talking to the old couple on the train, her English background, friendship with Jock and his reassuring her, Clem and his nastiness? The arrival at the station? The drive to the homestead? The difficulties of her arrival? Her hopes? Timber and the inevitable clashes? Her straight-talking to him and he to her? The kids and her talking to them, their tricks with the snake etc.? The friendship with the housekeeper and the night talks? The continued clashes: the meals, advice? Jock and his friendship, the outings, the kissing and Timber's criticisms? The dance and Clem's intrusion? The wood chopping competition and Timber's humiliation? The walks in the trees - and the aboriginal theme of the vengeance of the trees, Timber's replanting? The growing relationship with the children - Andy falling in the water and Timber's sacking Diana? Telling her story to Jock? The importance of Kevin's visit, the attempt to get back the past, her rejection of Kevin? The encounter with Helen at the dance, the later talk, her pleading to Jock for Helen to see the children? Her apology? The impact of the death and the grief? The Anzac Day ceremony? Her hatred for the place, for Timber? Love? The voice-over technique and her letters to her aunt at home and her own comments on her experiences? A portrait of a romantic heroine?

5. Timber and the stories told about him? Hostility towards him in the town? His meeting Diana, brusqueness, treating her as a servant? Attitude towards women? Love for the children? Their not being his own? His dedication to his work? The family background? His sneering at Jock, the clashes with Clem? The story of his mother and his suspicions of women? His relationship with Helen and his betrayal of his brother, the discovery of Helen with the men and rejection of her? His care for the kids - especially the concern about Andy. reading to him? The competition and his losing to Clem, his losing face? His wandering out at night and chopping? The challenge of Helen's return? The pain of the death? The true story and the flashbacks? A rugged pioneering type, caught between love and hate? A future with Diana?

6. The children at the homestead? Their place in the family? Andy and his friendliness, listening to stories, his illness, wanting to marry Diana, his falling into the water? Peter and his friendliness, hostility, tricks? Kathy and her tricks, hating her mother, getting Diana the sack, the eventual apology? The death and the funeral? "We're the blokes"? Helen glimpsed at the dance, her story and her explanation? The credibility of her long speech with the flashbacks? Her wanting to see her children? The soap opera style of such comments as "Fire and ice"? Her marriage, relationship with her husband, his going to the war, his death? The relationship with Timber? Leaving the home and being caught with the man? Themes of sin and guilt? Her going to the funeral? The final clash with Timber and stating that he would never change?

7. Jock and his returning from the war, encounter with Diana on the train. war experience? Pleasantness, the tea? The outings and sharing with Diana, the proposal? His description of the countryside.. the experience of the war, the contrast with the pre-war experience? The dance and his jealousy of Clem? The story about Helen?

8. The contrast between Clem and Jock? The war experience? Clem's bitterness, especially towards Timber's family? His skill at logging, competition with the old man, Timber's giving him the sack? The rivalry at the wood chopping at the fair? Diana and the dance and his rudeness? The stealing of the chook? The accidental lighting of the fire - and his destruction of Timber's empire? His presence at Anzac Day? The symbol of unrest after the war?

9. Ben and his toughness. his working Timber's place for him, his compassion for the old axeman, his relationship with the workers, seeing him at work, the reaction to the fire? A fierce worker?

10. The housekeeper and her place in the household, support of Timber. the children. her lonely nights, the talks with Diana and supporting her?

11. Kevin and audiences not liking him for what he did to Diana? His turning up and his priggishness? Presumption? Self-seeking? Diana’s rejection of him?

12. The atmosphere of the mountains, the trees, the timber, the farm, the beauty? The logging and the replanting? The aboriginal theme of the vengeance of the trees and the need to replant? The impact of the fire and its destruction?

13. The importance of the experience of World War Two? Its repercussions on the men, on deaths, on the towns? Repatriation? The importance of the atmosphere of Anzac Day?

14. The evergreen popularity of this kind of romantic story? Its place in the developing Australian film industry? Its quality and its use of conventions? Popular entertainment?