BARNEY

Australia, 1976, 84 minutes, Colour.
Brett Maxworthy, Sean Kramer, Lionel Long, Spike Milligan.
Directed by David Waddington.

Barney is a film designed for children. A twelve-year-old boy is shipwrecked during the 19th century and with an Irish convict he makes his way through the bush to civilisation. The bush has its beauty as well as its terrors. All kinds of people are met along the way - showing the style of life in the colonies in the 19th. century. Comparisons could be made with Storm Boy and Blue Fin - this film is not in the same categories, it has its charm but lacks the vigour and impact of the other films. The film did not fare well at the box office. However, the ingredients are quite entertaining and the film could find its family audience.

1. How enjoyable a family film? In terms of plot, adventure, characters and themes?

2. The importance of the Australian setting and background, how well visualized and presented, in settings, places, characters? The atmosphere of the nineteenth century with ship, countryside, town, people's occupations? The importance of colour and music?

3. The build-up of the ship, the voyage, the free people, the convicts, the drama of the wreck? Audience identification with Barney and his suffering?

4. The relief when Barney and Rafe were saved, the bleakness of the coastline, the discovery of the wombat?

5. What kind of boy was Barney? How attractive, strong character, school, family background, spirit of adventure and pluck? A pleasant boy, his sense of honesty, his capacity for survival, for friendship? His devotion to the wombat and the place of the wombat in the travels? A sentimental presentation of an animal, or humorous and realistic?

6. How attractive a character was Rafe? His convict background, his lack of moral sense and yet his strong sense of right and wrong? His friendship with Barney, wanting to steal his money, yet unable finally to go against him? A strong character, a likable character?

7. The importance of the structure of the films the journey, the search for Ballarat, the father's pursuit? A sense of momentum for the audience enjoyment, a goal to be reached?

8. The questions of honesty, of money, of sleep and survival, walking? The various stories and episodes?

9. The significance of the gypsy episode? The role of gypsies in the countryside in those times, the personalities of the gypsies, leading Rafe or drugging and robbing him? Barney's shrewdness, his taking more money? His sense of honesty?

10. The encounter with the horse seller? The horse seller's suspicions, his greed, the fact that he was a horse thief and tricked them? The father's encounter with the horse thief? A comment on the honesty, of people in the countryside?

11. Rafe and his convict attitudes, picking the pocket of the man in the town, Barney's returning the wallet and their being rewarded? encounter with the police, the stolen horse, prison, Barney getting the guards drunk and the escape? The effect especially on the police sergeant? Barney identified with Rafe and going, pursued?

13. The enjoyment of the hawker? The role of hawkers in the Australian countryside, his friendship, his shielding them from the police? The story about the smallpox?

14. The picture of the police and the sense of comedy, even ridicule? The sergeant, the drunk, the police fooled by the story of the presentation of the bushrangers? How conventional? The bushranger? Their recognising him? His going off with them?

15. How appropriate was the happy ending? The father and his search, his understanding of his son? Barney's happiness to see his father? The comments of the police sergeant?

16. How enjoyable an adventure? Its qualities as a family adventure story?