OUT OF IT

Australia, 1977, 50 minutes, Colour.
Glenn Mason, Chris Haywood, George Spartels, Martin Harris, Terry Camilleri.
Directed by Ken Cameron.

Out Of It is a very interesting short feature by writer-director Ken Cameron. A former teacher, he made an interesting short film, Sailing To Brooklyn, while in training for film and television. It drew on his experiences as a teacher in the New South Wales Education Department. It was strong in characterisation as well as symbolism and caught the atmosphere of a real social situation. He was later to draw on this material for a similar film, Temperament Unsuited. This was a better exploration of the education system in Australia. In the meantime he made this short feature focusing on unemployment in Sydney. He captures the atmosphere of the Botany Bay suburbs, highlights the characters and draws them well. He raises many questions about persons at a disadvantage in Australia in the '70s. Interesting as work by Cameron as well as for its content and questions.

1. The work of Ken Cameron - short features, the background of education, social observation and critique?

2. How well made was the film technically: colour photography, sound, editing? Music? The contribution of the professional cast?

3. The title and the indication of thew: what was lit'? What was being excluded from it? what are the criteria for being in? The impact on the audience of its time, later? A reflection of the '70s especially in the Australian cities, the unemployed, youth? The relevance of the themes at any time?

4. How did the film capture the atmosphere of Sydney, the Botany Bay suburbs, the streets and the houses, the water, work? New South Wales as representative of Australia? The young men and unemployment, jobs? The details of petty crime? The contrast with the open road in New South Wales and the country towns?

5. The technique of using Larry's voice-over for description, assessment, irony, the expression of confusion? His own experiences, immediate involvement in them, his knowledge of the others?

6. Larry as focus and hero? His strengths and his weaknesses? His hesitations? The importance of the petty crime with the stripping of the cars? The dole? His home, sleeping in, sexuality and masturbation, his girlfriend and her dress? His relationship with his friends? The repercussions of these connections later? Jobs, meals? The proposal of the crime and talking it over at the restaurant? The decision to do it? His involvement in the crime? The need to move to Queensland? His growing nervousness? The importance of the hitchhiker and his believing her? His reaction to the cars being stolen? His observing Warren's being caught? His getting a lift to go home? Would he start again? How? An ordinary young man, responsibility, blame? Would he try to make a future for himself? What did he symbolise about youth and the unemployed in the '70s?

7. The contrast with Tony and his work, his friends, the connections with Jacko? His driving? Nervousness? His reaction to his car being stolen? How well delineated his character in detail - in the suburbs, work, during the discussions, the crime, the drive, the stop at the milk bar, the hitchhiker?

8. Warren and his self-confidence? His work and entanglement with the boss, the petty crime operations? His dog? Planner of talking, a man with the girls? His discussing the job, participating in it? His bravado at the toll gate? The police in Newcastle? The hitchhiker and the repercussions? The ironies of his being caught, remaining calm? The comparisons with Tony and Warren and Larry? What did he symbolise about young people in Australia?

9. The group as a threesome? How typical? The film's attention to detail about their manners, way of speaking, dress, activities,' attitudes, discussions? Young Australians with and without hopes?

10. The boss at the garage and his attitude towards risks.. towards petty crime? Ferret and Jacko and the setting up of the job? The criminals in Sydney?

11. The tension with the robbery sequence? The way it was filmed, edited, suspense? The police and parking, the police and the pursuit, the incident in Newcastle at the cafe?

12. The portrait of girls in this world? In the suburbs, friendship, girlfriends and Larry's girlfriend and her dress? Behaviour at the restaurant? The ironies of the restaurant sequence with the attempts at classy behaviour? The hitchhiker and her story, presence, her stealing the car?

13. The film as a road film - wandering, escaping, the beauty of the countryside but the problems of the people moving through it?

14. A human and social document with insight into social problems and human characters?