DON'S PARTY
Australia, 1976, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ray Barrett, John Hargreaves, Graeme Blundell, Harold Hopkins, Pat Bishop, Clare Binney, Jeanie Drynan, Graham Kennedy, Veronica Lang, Candy Raymond.
Don's Party has been opened out from David Williamson's play, this scathing look at "the great Australian stupor" is our version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Shampoo, a suburban Aussie "get the guest" (boozily, humiliatingly, scurrilously, sexually) with some insight into poses of masculinity, status, political loyalties. The party is for a Labor victory at the 1969 election, and so a contemporary political and social anchoring and commentary gives the inter action more point. Well acted, dialogue laced with the big local foul-mouthed jokes and swearing, the film has an uncomfortably realistic atmosphere and, despite the overstatement, emerges as Sydney North Shore "what a night", followed by wake in fright.
1. The impact of this film? On Australian audiences, overseas audiences? A reflection of the sixties and seventies? The number of awards that the film won, merited?
2. The quality of the film and film making, the quality of the acting? The screen play - was it evident that it was based on a play? Confined setting, strength of dialogue, character interaction? The strength of the Australian themes? How serious, how comic? The importance of the home setting, the photography of the house and the ease of movement of camera within the house? The strength of the direction, the verbal and visual interaction?
3. How well did the film open out the play? The initial sequences of going to vote, the polling booths, driving through the suburbs and giving a setting? The importance of the outside sequences? Evans Drive etc? Opening out of the characters? The strength of character from stage performance and dialogue? The confining of the time over twenty four hours?
4. How important was the political setting realistically and symbolically? The significance of having John Gorton appear and be interviewed? Whitlam's non-appearance and yet his being seen on posters etc.? The significance of twenty years of Liberal rule and the decline of conservative government in Australia? The status of the Labor Party in 1969, its issues and stances, political personalities? The contrast with the Liberals in 1969 with their heritage, change of prime ministers, hopes and policies? The significance of the Hendersons as Labor supporters? Don's attitude as he drove to wards the polling booth? The advertisements, the hand-outs at the booth? The importance of the continued T.V. coverage, factual interviewers, comments on the progress of the voting and predictions for results? The continued use throughout the film, the punctuating of the personal interaction, the political comment on these Labor supporters? The initial political confidence, the decline, the going flat of all the political hopes? The party as a symbol of what was happening politically?
5. The portrayal of Australian society: the taking of the North Shore, the university backgrounds, the professional jobs represented? How Socialist were the Labor supporters? The picturing of Don's house with the posters of Che Guevara, Nixon, Resch's beer etc? Was the Labor support praised or mocked or merely observed? Why did the Hendersons vote for Labor? How much social concern did they have, show? How much from the talk, facts, loyalties? The critique of Labor supporters?
6. The balance with Liberal supporters: the presentation of Simon and Jody, their dress, way of speaking? Terry and her ambivalent attitudes? The neutrality of so many Liberal supporters accepting the status quo? How great were the differences in behaviour, outlook between Liberal and Labor?
7. The focus of the film on the party itself and its progress and degeneration? The importance of the detailed preparations by Kath, Don and his casual preparation and looking at television, casual clothes? The importance of drink and the visual emphasis on this? The mateyness and mateship at the party? The Australian humour, the jokes especially that told by Mac and its vulgarity? Morality and lack of morality? Drunkenness, boasting, lust? The dynamic operating in the party as the guests met, mingled, clashed? The party not
exactly gelling? Why?
8. The focus on Don and Kath: the presentation of their suburban home, what was in it, furnishings? Family life, the child coming late? The appearance of both? The exasperations of each for example the television, Don and his clothes, lack of courtesy? Kath trying to be courteous? The background of each as explained by Cooley when attacking Mal and Don? Kath and the explanation of the background to marriage, family and lack of children, career? Don's hopes in the past and his lack of achievement in his writing etc.? Was he a credible teacher? Kath as hostess, her friendship? The discussion about sex with Susan? Her attack on Jenny about money? Her laughing at Simon as he left? The significance of Kath's final outburst against Don at the end? Why had she married Don? Don's role as a teacher, having a poem published, one with the boys, his masks? The infatuation with Susan and the discussion about getting Kath's permission? Susan in the pool and the swim? Argument, getting continually drunk? The male nudity within the party? The reminiscences about the good old days? The sense of failure with Mal? His responsibility and lack of responsibility? How did they represent an average Australian couple?
9. The contrast with Jody and Simon? The awkwardness of their arrival, conservative attitudes and dress? Jody as overdressed? Talk about the film festival? Simon's disapproval of the jokes and Jody's gradual immersing herself in the party? Her drinking? The discussion of conservative views? The satire on Simon's work? His stilted behaviour? The encounter with Evan in the toilet? His suspicions of his wife? His being offended and finally going? The contrast with Jody as she became more and more fascinated? Mal's attempt on her and her kneeing him, her laughing at Mac's story, her continued dancing and drinking, jokes and becoming more and more curious? Her willingness to go off with Mac to the bedroom, the failure? Comment on the types that they represented? Social status, work, society, house and mortgage and ambitions, proneness to being insulted? How sympathetically presented, critique?
10. The presentation of Mal and Jenny: the older generation? Would Don and Kath finish like Mal and Jenny? The talk about jobs, Mal's lack of fulfilment? His vulgarity, posing? His pursuit of Kerry, Jody? Their rejecting him? Jenny's telling the truth about his failure with women? His ridicule, slinging off? How much professional skill in psychology etc.? His observing of Don and Susan outside? His abandoning his wife? The argument with Jody? The fact of his extravagance along with Jenny? The reminiscing about the old days? His sense of failure and his preoccupation with his own sexuality? The contrast with Jenny and her feeling of middle-age, her children, time passing? Her migraine? Her observing of Mal and her comments on his sexuality? Dancing? Her depression, tears? The revelation about her extravagance? The bickering with Don and Kath? Would they continue friends and still bicker? What did they represent?
11. Mac as a loner: seeing him in the shop buying the booze, his attitude towards those pressurizing him with the car? Jovial, Graham Kennedy style? The importance of his wife, the photography, his prying and prurience? His discussion about how he was a bit off? The encounter with Cooley and the revelation of the photographs? His story and its vulgarity? Jody and spending the evening with her? His political attitudes? The failure in the bedroom with Jody? His sleeping on the floor at the end? What aspects of the Australian male did he represent?
12. CP and Susan as the young unattached generation? A1 and the Preoccupation with sex, Susan and her job and sexuality before the party? His joke about the drink? His background, law, no pretence, loud, sex-preoccupied? His making a line with Kerry, her attraction? The bedroom scene and his being caught, his cowardice? His willingness to fight after waiting for Evan to go? The irony of his being caught again? The preoccupation with nudity, Susan? Susan and her honesty, the lesbian tone to her discussion, the swim? What did they represent about Australian attitudes and inhibitions? Catholic background and his reaction?
13. Kerry and Evan: A credible couple, their attitudes, their work, a strange pair? Her art work, his dentist work? His continual snarling at everyone? His leaving his wife free yet creating scenes? The anger of his remarks, his going off and return? Not communicating with Simon? His remarks about the party, about renovations of home? The irony of his returning twice? The clash with Kerry and her rejecting of him? Her attitude towards sexuality? Her talks with Jenny? What was she left with at the end?
14. Comment on the presentation of the Australian image: language, drink, sexuality, talk, politics, society, men, women, marriage, lust, boasting, appearances and reality? After this critique, what is left?
