BLUE FIN

Australia, 1978, 95 minutes, Colour. Corporation
Greg Rowe, Hardy Kruger, Elspeth Ballantyne, Ralph Cotterill, Alfred Bell, George Spartels.
Directed by Carl Schultz.

Greg Rowe, living with his pelican and his hard father on the remote South Australian coast, charmed audiences as Storm Boy. Here most of the team are back at Streaky Bay, South Australia, with the tuna fishermen, the humour and sentiment of the town's way of life and the hard work, competitiveness, luck and dangers of labour on the southern ocean. Greg has another hard father (Hardy Kruger) and a vigorous time proving himself. The plot emphasises storm hazards and the deaths of hapless crews. The Colin Thiele story is geared to a boys' audience and has proved less commercially successful than Storm Boy.

1. An entertaining and satisfying family film? The appeal of the film for boys, girls?

2. A South Australian production? The quality of the techniques and the finesse? A quality family film? The importance of the Streaky Bay locations of town, homes, wharves? The atmosphere of tuna fishing and the boats? The importance of the sea - as source for fish, storms and dangers? How well did the film immerse its audience in the atmosphere of the town and the sea?

3. The importance of the sea and land, the way of life of the tuna fishermen of the '70s? The importance of the sea and its calm beauty? The fish and the way they were caught? The importance of dangers, fog, isolation, the breakdown of boats, storms? The scenery of the coast and the town? The cliffs for danger and as sign of home?

4. How well did the film portray the work of the fishermen, the detail of the baiting of the schools of tuna and the way the fish were hauled in, processed? The hard work and the skill of the men? The possibility of losing the school of fish?

5. The film's focus on Snook? Greg Rowe's presence, appearance, style? Audience identification with him? An adolescent boy and his relationship with his father at home, at work? Comparisons with his father? His father's expectations and standards, demands, impersonal treatment? His trying to do the work and getting in his father's way, his failure with losing the school of fish? The accident of his falling overboard and its repercussions? How hurt was he by his father's treatment? The bonds between the two? The importance of Sam and his being a prospective member of the family, his help for Snook and explaining things to him, saving him when he fell overboard? Snook and his love for Ruth and the way they got on well together? His relationship with his mother? His being with the other boys in the town, riding his bike, the importance of the sequence with their milk shakes, the tuna falling out of the truck and the prank for the Tuna Queen? The importance of his going on the rescue boat for Sam. and the others and the refusal? His being on the cliffs with Ruth? His presence at the funeral and his knowledge of the dangers of the sea and of death? The importance of his father's decision to allow him to go? The exhilaration of his success with catching the school of fish? The enthusiasm and support of the crew? The experience of the storm and his coping - pumping out the water, utilising the food, turning off the ammonia pump, getting the engine going, steering to safety, looking after his father? How great an achievement for him? The acclamation at the end and the final image of his triumph? How authentic a portrait of a boy - for adolescent boys to identify with? A symbol of the aspirations of adolescents?

6. The portrait of Bill and his skill as the captain, his hardness, Sarn's explanation of him as a master? His impatience with Snook? His expectations? His jovial treatment of the crew? His love for the boat, his participation in the race with Dog Star? (But his not expressing his concern to his son?) Why was he so severe on his son, discounting him as a sailor? His relationship with his family, love for his wife, love for Ruth? The bond with Sam?

7. The prospect of the dance and Sam's going on the Dog Star and his allowing him? His sadness at Sam's death? His participation in the memorial service? The humour of the prank as regards the Tuna Queen and his reaction? The reason for his not allowing Snook to go on the search party? The challenge and the need for getting fish and his judgment in letting Snook go? His support of him at his success? His mistake in participating in the fishing and not hearing the cyclone warning? His injury, his being helped by his son and his final acknowledging of his son's worth?

8. The portrait of Mum and her waiting and her explanation of this to Ruth? Ruth and the scenes with Sam and the pain then of his death, her experience of the search, the funeral? Her fears for Snook and her father's advice about letting people go? Sam as a genial young man, his help for Snook, love for Ruth, the pain of his death?

9. The portrait of the crew and the various characters and the way they were presented, the comradeship, life on the ship, meals, their skill and hard work? The search for Snook? The search for the Dog Star? The pain of their deaths and the risks that they took in working the sea?

10. The importance of the minor gallery of characters giving a feel for the place and authenticity - the radio announcer, the old pensioner, the other boys, the governor and his wife and the speech at the Tuna Queen party, the captain of the Dog Star' the men making the bets?

11. The humour of the Tuna Queen prank?

12. An atmosphere of authenticity, the fishing, the race, the loss of the Dog Star, the searchers, the catch?