INSIDE LOOKING OUT
Australia, 1977, 88 minutes, Colour.
Briony Behets, Tony Llewelyn- Jones, Norman Kaye, Elke Neidhardt.
Directed by Paul Cox.
Inside Looking Out was one of the first short feature films written and directed by Paul Cox. After some short films and a short feature, Illuminations, he made this small budget feature film, which achieved commercial release. It is a portrait of a marriage – as the title somewhat indicates. It is from the heroine's point of view, a look at herself, her husband and family, friends and the meaning of her life. It has his regulars Tony Llewellyn-Jones?, Norman Kaye, Elke Neidhardt starring along with Briony Behets. The film shows ordinary people, their abilities to cope, the failure of a marriage. These were to be the themes of many of Cox’s films as he emerged as a force in the Australian industry and, at one stage, produced a film each year in the 80s including My First Wife, Man of Flowers.
The film is interesting in itself, but very interesting as showing the beginnings of the work of Paul Cox.
The film was made in Melbourne, especially in suburbs around Prahran, and the film has an authentic atmosphere of the modern Australian city. The film tends to take itself somewhat seriously and runs the danger of being pretentious in content and style. However, it is a good attempt to explore the significance of marriage, the roles of men and women, family life within the urban Australian context.
1. How interesting and appealing a study of marriage and ordinary people? How involving? How could audiences identify with each of the characters and their situation? A credible portrait of a marriage and its failure?
2. The Australian atmosphere of the film and the way this was presented and communicated? The authentic Melbourne setting - houses, streets, shops? Society? The detail of the locations and the ordinary types of events In these locations?
3. The significance of the title and the way this was visually presented? The opening, Elizabeth and her being Inside the house, the use of windows? The importance of the final fight and the ending? Could the audience actually participate Inside this marriage and look out on the b world from the point of view of Elizabeth and Robert?
4. How credible were Elizabeth and Robert? Their personalities, their background, their marriage? Their child? The build-up to their fights and the frequent fights? The issues at stake, the reasons? The strengths and weaknesses of
personality and the inevitability of clashes? The lack of give and take? Their lifestyle in Melbourne suburbs? Their love for their daughter Dani? Their relationship with their friends, with Marianne and meals, their talk, the build-up to the separation? to the going back? The importance of the lovemaking sequences to indicate the bond between the two,
love, feeling for each other? The attention to ordinary details of the daily life e.g. shopping party?
5. The theme of communication and lack of communications? Love and the yearning for communication? How was each to blame in the lack of communication - word, feeling action, lovemaking?
6. The portrait of Elizabeth - her age, appearance, her character In herself the background of the marriage, the letters, the way she spoke, the build-up inside her and its sudden eruption? Her behaviour at Dani’s party? Visiting her friend, the organ? Her being outside the house, her reaction to the child? Was it her fault that the marriage would break? The future for her?
7. The contrast with Robert, his presence and appearance, work, his involvement with himself, his love for Dant, the encounter with the babysitter and all this Implied as regards himself and his marriage? Seeking him arguing, worrying? The shopping sequence? The fact that he could be so often unaware of what was happening In Elizabeth?
8. Marianne and tender, the break (the dog in the house), cooking, the party, the organ? Their capacity for sympathy and help? For insight? A parallel with Robert and Elizabeth, a contrast?
9. The significance of Jeanette - her character, presence, attractive, the shower and the television, the sexual encounter, the truth? A catalyst for Robert, for the development of the film?
10, Audience response to Danni? Dani's presence in the marriage, in the attic and playing and the significance of this sequence, the love of each parent, the party? The sequence with the dead fish? The children? The end?
11. Themes of love? The kind of love required for a successful marriage -communication of mind, heart, lovemaking? What did the lovemaking reveal about the attitude and character of each?
12. The dramatics of the shopping sequence, the loss of Danni and the effect on Elizabeth the long party sequence?
13. The film's reliance on its dialogue and the significance of the talk, gestures, the tone that these indicated about interior realities?
14. How sensitive and understanding a presentation of marriage? How many solutions were offered - indications of solutions, the impossibility of solutions? How accurate the observation of human behaviour? In an Australian context? Universal?
