BLISS

Australia, 1985, 112 minutes, Colour.
Barry Otto, Lynette Curran, Helen Jones, Miles Buchanan, Paul Chubb.
Directed by Ray Lawrence

Bliss was adapted for the screen by novelist Peter Carey from his award-winning novel. He co-wrote the screenplay with the film's director Ray Lawrence -directing his first feature after work in television commercials (and who returned to the commercials, not making another film until Lantana in 2001). At the Cannes Film Festival in 1985, many of the audience walked out. However, the film was taken up by many international festivals. After some shortening, the film won the AFI Awards for Best Film, Screenplay and Director. There was a successful commercial release after the main distributors were unwilling to promote the film. (In the late 90s, the director's cut was released and screened on SBS Television.)

The film is a piece of sophisticated film-making - realistic, surrealistic (in the vein of European directors like Luis Bunuel). But the satire is unmistakably Australian, a focus on the ordinary Australian family showing its superficiality and under-the-surface capacity for evil. The ironic name of the family is joy. Harry Joy, the hero, experiences death and comes back to life not knowing whether he is mad or whether he is in Hell. The film is a satire on Australian religion - a vision splendid of Christianity. the stories of youth and popular religion, religion seeming to be more irrelevant. the takeover of materialism and disillusionment, the opting out of the rat-race to a world of nature - with death finally a harmony with nature.

Acting is excellent. Barry Otto makes great impact as Harry Joy. There is an excellent score with plaintive theme by Peter Best. The film was nominated in every category of the AFI Awards for technical skills. An off-beat and interesting Australian film.

1. The history of the film and its making, its initial impact, audience dislike, awards and acclaim?

2. The author's adaptation of his offbeat novel; narrative; satire, visual and verbal humour, symbols? The worlds that it presents? The levels on which it works? Cinematic version of ideas, images? A satisfying blend of the real and the surreal?

3. The place of the film in the Australian film industry, sophistication, traditions, homage to international film-making? The musical score?

4. The Australian atmosphere: city locations, the bush, homes, hospitals, hotels, board rooms? The contrast between the city and the bush? The special effects for imagination, fantasy? The impact of the surreal touches? The importance of the editing?

5. The title and indication of themes: bliss on earth, bliss in the afterlife? The joy family and bliss? Heaven and Hell on Earth? Struggle, journey, the desire to be good, being bad, love, nature? The final return to Eden and Harry Joy's pantheistic blending with the universe in harmony?

6. Australian religious themes: the quality of the initial Vision Splendid? Harry's remarks about his mother and her power of prayer, the rain breaking the drought, the flood? The use of church symbols? The mother and her medieval hood and cowl, her cross? The contrast with the Aussie Christmas? Harry influenced by the stories of his youth, the martyrs, dying? His death and the meeting with the image of God underwater with the fish coming out of his mouth? The memory of being with his mother in the church, the preacher (Manning Clark!) and his quoting the passage about the rich man, Heaven and the eye of a needle? (And the repetition of this text during the operation sequences?) The visit of the Reverend Des, his wanting to talk about religion, reactions, his comment about Hell, God not being such a bastard that he would want to torment people, Reverend Des's preference for talking about cricket instead of religion? Australian city and suburbia as Hell? The comment on the various devils and temptations - in Australia, in New York? The escape from the rat-race, the return to Eden with its snake? A contemporary Adarn and Eve, Adam winning back Eve? Nature and religion? His daughter's final comment about his merging with nature and the pantheistic ending?

7. The surreal touches and their effect: the impact of the Vision Splendid, the long crane shot for Harry's dying and his return to earth, the underwater sequences for death - the seaweed as sinews, the conventional image of God and the sudden spitting out of the fish? Aldo and his comments to the audience, the sexual encounter between Betry and joel in the restaurant, Betty and the sardines coming from her dress in the hospital, the operations and Harry's dreams, the heart on his chest and his pushing it back, chests opening up and insects coming out, the use of insects, the older Harry in bed listening to his father tell stories, in church with his mother, the range of dreams? David seen as a Nazi? The elephant on the car? Mrs Dalton and her talking to the boy scouts, the ginger factory and the black smoke, Harry's nightmare and joel incinerated, Betty's incineration, his final peaceful dying?

8. The straightforward narrative, the portrait of the ordinary man, but Harry as a storyteller? The voiceover and its being revealed finally as the older, Harry being objective about his life and experiences? The older Harry then becoming the real storyteller? The range of his stories and their point? The world of his stories? The parable nature of the stories? His daughter's final story about his death and summing him up as a storyteller?

9. Ordinary Australian life and the film's satiric tone: the paraphernalia of the Aussie Christmas, the enjoyment, the hats, the stories, the drinking? The Australian family as it seemed on the surface - yet Lucy and her drugs, Lucy and David and the incest, David as a drug-pusher, his accumulating the money, his New York ambitions, his going to work for a gangster? Betty and her infidelity, the relationship with Joel, betrayal? The advertising agency, Alex and his theories about cancer and poisons? Alex and his depression, his escape, at home in the asylum, taking on Harry's identity (and the history of his jealousy? Adrian and his story, the money deals? Money, sex? The world of affluence, the restaurants? Home life, Sale of the Century, Harry taking notes on his family, in the garage? The family becoming larger and odder than life?

10. Ordinary life as Hell: Harry's family suspected of being imitation people? Bettina and the joke with her father, her hating petrol? Her betraying Harry, the deals, the relationship with Joel, the restaurant, the hospital visits, her campaign and its failure, her getting Harry out of the asylum? The irony of her having cancer from petrol fumes? The stylish self-incineration? David and the expectations that he be a doctor, his money, sexual needs, prim manner, use of his sister, mean in paying a doctor to put Harry in the asylum? Lucy as sister, communist, the drugs, sex, picking up a boyfriend and bringing him home as part of the family? Harry and the hell of his home, taking notes, the hole in his head and Betty's search for it, in the garage? The contrast with the later meal, everybody around the table, joel entering stabbed and everyone's reaction?

11. The world of business: the accounts, multi-million dollar deals, the quality of the products, Alex and his reports, arguing with Harry, Adrian and his plea for not being fired, his being fired? Betty and her catching Harry, tempting him back into the world of advertising, the executives - and the advertising world being blown up?

12. Harry and his experiences, his story, the experience of dying, his verbal version of it, the visuals, underwater, God, a Vision Splendid, his going back to earth, in hospital and the operations, the storms, the family visits? His decision as to whether he was mad or in Hell? The discussion with the Reverend Des about religion, belief in God, belief in Hell, truth and eternity? At home, at work? Going to the restaurant, friendship with Aldo, listening to him about his cancer? The irony of the elephant sitting on his car - the shaggy elephant story? Driving in the rain, the police, their bashing him, his awareness of being good, explaining to Alex about being good, to Adrian, to Honey Barbara? The effect on the house and his cleaning up? The effect on him, getting up at 4 am in the park? His discovery of Alex being taken away, going to Mrs Dalton's, lying in the wrong bed, her making him go back, the discussions with Alex about identity and security?

13. The discussion with Mrs Dalton about money, his return home, with Betty, Honey Barbara's disappointment? The escape after Betty's death? Settling in the valley, planting the trees, knowing Honey Barbara's love for honey, his love expressed over 8 years in the trees and her discovery of the honey? The reconciliation, idyllic happiness? Talking with his daughter, telling his story, ready to die? Merging with nature? Honey Barbara and her family, decision to go to the city to be a prostitute, in the city, the credit cards and her awkwardness, her sexual prowess, the honey and health, sharing her life with Harry, drugs and Damien, getting up at 4 am, the idyllic relationship with Harry, being hurt when he went with Betty, the clash, the 8 years, discovering the honey and its quality, happiness, her background in the valley, her father?

14. Betty and Joel and their callow behaviour, betrayal, relationship, sex, business? Satiric characters? Capitalising on stereotypes? Putting Harry away, Betty's relationship with her children, her becoming a successful advertisement designer, her campaign' her need for Harry's support, Joel's being stabbed, the visit to the doctor, the irony about the cancer (and her reaction to her father), the board meeting and her setting the petrol alight?

15. The Australian style of the film? The difference from the usual Australian film? Sophistication of filmmaking, of dramatisation, of symbolism and insight? The sketch of her children as suburban monsters?

16. Harry's mother and father, their love for each other, their influence on Harry, their place in his memories?

17. Aldo and his running the restaurant, talking to the audience, his disgust at Joel and Bettina, the satire about Joel's dry drink, his own cancer, his mirth at the story of the elephant? The circus people and their enjoying the story?

18. Alex and his work in the agency, coming to Harry, going to the hospital, taking Harry's identity?

19. Mrs Dalton and her eccentric manner, the satire on her administration, talking to the boys, sending them away, their being dragged to the ginger factory and the smoke billowing out, her running of the hospital, Harry in the wrong bed, the money deals?

20. Reverend Des and his appearance, talk about God, doubts, preference in talking about cricket?