FATHER
Australia, 1990, 100 minutes, Colour.
Max Von Sydow, Carol Drinkwater, Julia Blake, Steve Jacobs.
Directed by John Power.
Father raises contemporary issues. A migrant family in Melbourne, whose lives are shattered by accusations that the grandfather was a sadistic SS officer in Lithuania, raises the question of war crimes. The grandfather is prosecuted, the issues explored with some complexity and emotion.
Veteran Swedish actor Max von Sydow is an imposing screen presence as the accused - making us uncertain as to whether he is the victim of a disturbed massacre survivor or the survivor who has concealed his past. Julia Blake (Travelling North) is striking as the emotional and relentless accuser. Both Carol Drinkwater and Steve Jacobs make the daughter and her husband credible.
The film shows the tragedies of the past transferred to suburbia of the '90s and raises questions of loyalty, orders, guilt, repentance forgiveness, justice and whether the evidence is there to conduct cases or whether innocent people can be victimised. It is interesting that Father appeared at the same time as Stephen Wallace's Blood Oath, focusing on Japanese war crimes on the island of Ambon during World War II. The film also compares quite favourably with the very similar but much more polished Music Box, directed by Costa Gavras with Jessica Lange.
1.The topical issues of the film? The credibility of the plot? Realism? The overall impact?
2.The use of Melbourne locations giving credibility to the film? City and suburbs, the pub, school, the bay beaches and homes, the bush, the law courts? The atmospheric score?
3.The title and indication of theme? Fathers and daughters? The massacre victim and her parents being killed? Her surviving? The SS officer and his killing the father, his own daughter and her relationship once she knows the truth? The repercussions of our actions, and in terms of relationships?
4.The prologue and the massacre, the visual horror of the bodies, the girl surviving and her grief? The middle-aged Iya Zetnik and her pursuit of the war criminals, justice or vengeance or both? The documentation, approaching the government? The TV current affairs and their documentary? Her watching Joe Muller? Ringing Anne and asking her to watch the television? The feeling in her voice? The interviews on television and her explanations of what happened, her memories, the accusations? Anne's visit to Iya and the confrontation, Anne's physical attack? Iya's sufferings, the descriptions of her life? Her smiling wanly as she was achieving vengeance? Pursuing Muller to the courts? The information about her illness, the cross-examination, her treatment, identifying the wrong person, her breakdown? Pursuing the children and Anne in the street, her running away? Lying down in her room, the decision, getting the gun, watching and entering the hotel, stalking people through the hotel, going to the room, the gun, the confrontation with Anne and her husband, with Muller, her care about disturbing the children, giving her burden to Anne, shooting herself?
5.Anne and Bob and their family, the pub, an ordinary family, successful? The detail of life in the pub and the bar? Father as a nuisance in the kitchen, the problems with the chef? Taking the kids to school? At home, telling them stories? Happy? The interruption of the phone call? The puzzle, thinking it a crank? Watching the television documentary (and Anne watching the images of Hitler)? Her anger? Concern about her father and his vomiting? Continued concern, discussions with the lawyer and getting advice? The press outside her home and her reaction, the interview on television and watching it? Her going to visit Iya with Bob, Iya making him wait outside, the tension of the discussion, her loyal and staunch point of view, physically attacking and pushing Iya? Taking Father on holidays, the relaxation at the beach and with the family? The warning by the television man about the arrest? Driving her father, his disappearance into the underground? Decision to take him to the bush, Amos's help? His outbursts about there being no phone? The interrogation by the police, the lawyer's advice, the hostility of the police? Going down with Bob, their being chased by the police, the arrest? Visiting her father in prison, bringing the children's drawings? Her presence in the courtroom? The vindication and the celebration? Bob's story about Vietnam, the killings - and her realisation about her husband, knowing and not knowing, responsibility? Bob's asking her to think whether her father could do such things now? The going to the television reporter and enlisting his help - and his supplying her with information to discredit Iya? Things as normal in the street, Iya's confrontation, her threatening to kill her? The night in the hotel, the confrontation with Iya, noticing her father's word and realising the truth? Her anger and grief, love for her father, yet taking the children away, her being mystified as to how he could lie? Bob's advice to forgive and forget - or not? Meeting her father in the park with the children? Looking at him - turning away? Could she understand, forgive?
6.Joe Muller and the ageing grandfather, his love for his grandchildren, walking them to school? His place in the household? His memories of building up the hotel, the clientele? Love for his wife, concern about Anne when she was a sick child? His story? The clash with the chef? The friends in the pub? Watching the television program, being physically sick? Yet walking the children to school, defying the press and their push? The holiday and his enjoying it? News of the arrest, his going down into the underground? The contrast with his drinking with his friends - and his confidence in their support? His watching the television interview over and over again - evil incarnate? In the bush, his angry outbursts, the confrontation with Anne? His being caught? The trial, in prison, the visit of Anne? The change of fortune and his being vindicated? The celebration, Iya arriving, the confrontation, the reaction to her death? His telling the truth, his philosophy of surviving? The story of taking the dead man's identity? His daughter wanting to know why he could smile as he shot his victims? No remorse or repentance? Seeing Anne take the children away? The lonely old man in the park, with the grandchildren, with Anne staring at him - and his walking away alone? Justice done or not?
7.Bob as a decent man, at work in the hotel, home, puzzled about his father-in-law, talking to Anne, supporting her, the holiday, going to get the old man and being chased by the police? His explanation of his memories of Vietnam, killing the innocent, the heat of war, orders? Forgive and forget or not - and his final words to the children?
8.The grandchildren, their love for their grandfather, family life? Defiant against the press? The realisation of the truth, their mother taking them away? The final meeting?
9.The TV journalist and his investigations, the filming of Joe Muller in the park? The interviews on air - the investigation into war crimes, the pressure on the government? The Attorney-General? and the case, the warning about the arrest? Anne's visit to him in the studio, her insults to his assistant, his wanting direct talk with her? Her plea? His wanting the exclusive interview - his appearance in the court, the irony of him supplying the information to discredit Iya - responsibility?
10.The family lawyer, his pushiness, knowledge of the law, cross-examination?
11.The prosecutor and her questions, the camera tracking over the people in the court, the focus on the ordinary citizens who are the jury? The judged?
12.The ordinary people in the pub, Joe's friends, their loyalty?
13.The reality of war crimes, the responsibility of those who committed them, the escape and new identities and new homes? The passing of the decades? The repercussions?
14.The appropriateness of having war crime trials so many decades after the events? The need for some kind of justice and justice being seen to be done?
16.The dramatic impact of the film, emotional impact? The war and its consequences? The philosophy of the officers who committed the atrocities? Their subsequent lives? Families?
