THE FIRM MAN
Australia, 1975, 100 minutes, Black and white.
Peter Cummins, Eileen Carmody, Max Gillies.
Directed by John Duigan.
The Firm Man was John Duigan's first film. He had acted and co-written in Nigel Buesst's Bonjour Balwyn. Duigan had also acted in a number of films and plays associated with Carlton groups. After The Firm Man he made The Trespassers (which echoes some of the themes in this film) and then had great success and critical acclaim with Mouth to Mouth. After the flop of Dimboola, he made the acclaimed Winter of Our Dreams and then Far East.
This film is about Melbourne, business, upwardly mobile men - who fail to find meaning in this upward mobility. There is satire on office life and suburbia. The film dramatises the crises of alienation in the '70s. While there is a realistic outline, the film often uses devices of the theatre of the absurd e.g. spies flying in and making strange rendezvous connections with the hero, appearing at the unlikeliest places and times, singing bizarre songs. There are oddball characters, groups bursting into song and the hero having visions and hallucinations. Critics were favourable to the film although there is almost too much material. in it for a balanced response. However, the ingredients are all very interesting and indicate the lines Duigan was to take in his film-making.
1. The film in the career of John Duigan? His interests, style? An effective debut? His skills as writer and director?
2. The colour photography (by Tom Cowan)? The atmosphere of the inner city: the offices, streets, office blocks? The long sequence of showing people walking the suburban streets? The Melbourne environment, countryside? The musical score - and Duigan's own contribution to it?
3. Realism in the film: audiences identifying with characters, places, work? Recognisable Melbourne? Recognisable work situations? Buildings, offices? Homes?
4. The interspersing of fantasy and the absurd? The opening meeting and the contrivance of the meeting of the Board, the Board bursting into song? The spies and their flying in? The staff at the firm? Their dress? The appearance and manners of characters? Rendezvous points? The spies in the restaurant, at Gerald's home? The poems, the songs, the gestures? Marmaduke and his vegetables? Gerald seeing people and then their disappearing? His vision of the mansion?
5. The dialogue with its blend of realism and absurdity? The Board of the firm and its hymns, Marmaduke and his vegetables, Miss Ann Thropomorphic?
6. The purpose of the film: the presentation of the individual and the group? The meaning of the firm - its business, purpose, comradeship, structure and process rather than interest in the person? The nature of capitalist business? A serious look at individual alienation, depression, career and home crises, collapses? The independence of the individual or his succumbing to pressure? Reality and unreality? Relationships and betrayal? Love, friendship?
7. The initial impression of the firm: Michael and his collapse, the exclusion of the mistake-makers, the reciting of the creed, the singing of the song in many parts? The exaggerated manner and style of the various members? The party and the talk? The blather of the Board? The expectations of the firm? The appointment of Gerald? The congratulations and self-congratulations? The gradual revelation that there was nothing to do, absurd rendezvous meetings, mad officials? The ordinary members of the firm and their jealousy of Gerald? Disrupting marriage and wife and friendship? The pressure on Gerald? The parties that he attended and his going berserk? His finally succumbing to the firm and joining the group photo?
8. The character of Gerald: ordinary citizen, his arrival, the encounters with Marmaduke and his vegetables, Miss Thropomorphic and exercises, nothing to do, days off? His reaction to the spies? St. Kilda beach? The anger and jealousy of his friend? The elation of his wife at his promotion? His discovering his wife's infidelity? Trying to talk with her? His accepting the affair? Separating himself from her? The outings with friends at the beach? At the cliff? His seeing his work at the firm as some kind of test? Its effect on him - his going mad at the party and asking everyone 'How are you going?'
9. Gerald and his having more time to ponder? His quiet moments in the park? The discussions with the girl and her offering of an alternate style? The outings with Barry and his family? The growing alienation from Melissa -watching the lover come to the house etc.? Growing puzzle?
10. The character of Melissa, her style, sexuality, the lover, her ambition for her husband, the restaurant scenes, the lies, inability to talk with Gerald?
11. Barry and his jealousy, alienation? His wanting to succeed where Gerald succeeded?
12. Gerald's growing vision? His finding the house? His succumbing to pressure and giving up his independence by joining the photo of the firm?
13. The film as entertainment? An experimental film? A film reflecting the issues of the '70s? The style of the '70s?
