CELIA

Australia, 1989, 102 minutes, Colour.
Rebecca Smart, Nicholas Eadie, Victoria Longley, Mary- Anne Fahey.
Directed by Ann Turner.

Celia is a first feature film written and directed by Ann Turner. Ann Turner had previously written a short feature, Flesh on Glass, on women's themes and religion. She also adapted Blanche d'Alpuget's Turtle Beach for the screen and wrote and directed the Alan Marshall story, Hammers Over the Anvil and the satire on American religion, Dallas Doll.

The film is set in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne during the late '50s. It portrays the typical inner suburban family of the period - comfortable home, the mother looking like the commercials of the period, the father and his loyalty to anti-communists stances. In fact, the subtext of the film is the fanatical stances of Victorians in the mid-'50s, immediately after the split and in the light of Robert Menzies' referendum about outlawing communism in 1951. This anti-communism seems quaint from the perspective of the '80s.

However, the point of view of the film is that of children, especially nine-year-old Celia. We see her in the context of her family, her grief at her grandmother's death, her high imaginative powers, especially with the villainous creatures, the Hobbyahs from the reader used in school. She also relates to the family who move in next door, making friends with the children and clashing with the children from school. In the controversy about communism, she suffers when the neighbours have to leave for Sydney.

There is also a subtext about rabbits and the stances of politicians to stamp out myxomatosis in Victoria. Celia has a pet rabbit and has to hand it in because of government regulations. When she is finally allowed to have it back, it is dead.

The film shifts ground at the end, quite surprisingly and even shockingly as Celia shoots the local policeman dead, covers it up with her friend as if there had been an intruder and finally goes through a mock ceremony of hanging with her little friend as if she were the Hobbyah whom Celia has imagined she has shot. This leaves the film and the audience in quite an ambiguous frame of mind, having entered into ordinary suburbia, experienced the theme of the red scare as well as the government's handling of the rabbit menace and then shifted into violence by seemingly innocent children.

Rebecca Smart (The Shiralee) is quite credible as Celia. Nicholas Eadie is the father, Marianne Fahey (best known for her comedy roles, especially Kylie Mole in The Comedy Company) is the advertisement-like mother. Victoria Longley won an Australian Film Institute Award for best supporting actress as the neighbouring mother.

1.Impact of the film? A memoir of the '50s? The final change of pace and tone and what audiences were left with?

2.The re-creation of Melbourne suburbs in the '50s, decor and costumes, lifestyle? The look of newspaper, magazine and television advertising? The musical score?

3.A focus on Australian family, children - and the dark side of suburbia and the dark side of innocent children?

4.The subtexts: communism, the communist scare, fanaticism against communists? The threat of rabbits and disease, the stances of the government and the administration of their policies?

5.The portrait of Celia: her age, at school, the antagonism of the children? The teacher and the reading about the Hobbyahs? Celia imagining them? Her misbehaviour in class, being kept back, the prospect of the holidays? The details of life at home? Anticipation of her ninth birthday? The opening with the significance of her grandmother's death and its effect on her? The subsequent nightmares, the monstrous hand at the window, the Hobbyahs appearing in her dream? Her grandmother appearing and reassuring her? Her wanting a rabbit for her birthday? Her father giving her a bike? The party and her going into her grandmother's room, the clash with her father? Her response to her father and the erratic moods? Her mother and her love, but twee style? The Tanners and their arriving, making friends with Alice, playing with the other children - going to the quarry and the pit and the various games?

6.The communist leaflet, her bringing it home instantly, her father's reaction? His forbidding her to go to the Tanners? Celia not understanding? The games, the clashes with Stephanie, the children and their fights - the intense fights? The name-calling? Her father giving her a rabbit as a bribe not to play with the Tanners? The visit to the shop, naming her rabbit, tending him? Life at home, meals, going to the local pictures - and the quality of the films shown? Her protecting her rabbit? Going to the pit, the fights, going into the shed - and the children besieging it? The fight, the police coming, the children going to the station? Celia being beaten by her father, her mother's intervention?

7.The Tanners being forced to leave, Celia's sadness? The rabbit having to be taken officially, uncle John taking it? The change of policy, going to the zoo, finding her rabbit - dead? John coming with the gift of the puppy, her seeing him as a Hobbyah, Heather's presence, knowing that the gun was in the house, shooting John, cleaning up the house as if there had been an intruder, going off to play and her parents searching for her? Her collapse, her mother seeing the bruises from the reaction of the gun? Her mother keeping quiet? Going to play with Heather - and the mock hanging and the punishment of the evil Hobbyah? Her future?

8.Her grandmother, her death, her continued presence, the room? Her grandmother reassuring her? The grandmother and her Left- Wing stances, the communist books - the leaflet and her father burning all the books? Celia hiding in the room, her father's criticism? The room being refurbished for her?

9.The reader, the story of the Hobbyah's, being read in class? Celia's imagining the hands in her dream, imagining the Hobbyah's themselves, their violent behaviour? Finally shooting the Hobbyah?

10.The portrait of Celia's parents: as seen by the audience, through her eyes? Her mother, immaculate, looking like an advertisement, her love for her daughter, keeping the house, going to the pictures? Yet more open than her husband? The fear of communism, talking to Alice? Beginning to understand? Her response to the revelation that her husband was making advances to Alice, the bedroom scene, her resistance? Her concealing the truth about what Celia had done? The father and his relationship to his mother, his resenting his mother, her communism, burning the books? A product of the times, believing the government, at work? His relationship with his wife, his moodiness towards Celia, the rabbit, the bike, the party? His advances to Alice and her rebuffing them? His reaction to Evan and reporting him, his losing his job? His strong stances and self-righteousness?

11.Alice, a good woman, as a parent, strong-minded, her relationship with Evan? Living in suburbia? The communist question? Her discussions with Margaret, the fact that she had left the party, disillusionment? Having to leave, the farewells, the revelation and her indicating quiet? Evan and his shaking hands with Ray? The children and their style?

12.Audience knowledge of the communist scare of the time, the split in Victoria? Name-calling, categories, fears? Communism and hungry? Alice and Evan's status? Losing jobs, children fighting, name-calling, families having to move? Loss of jobs? In retrospect?

13.Uncle John, the police, tough, his relationship with the family, his visits? With Stephanie? The law, the rabbits, his having to collect them? Ray and Margaret and their reactions? His taking the rabbit, coming back with the dog - and the shock of his being shot? His funeral?

14.The children, their antagonism, fighting - the dark side of children? Heather and her friendship with Celia, more considerate? Her being in the house with Celia, the death and her being on Celia's side? Her being the victim in the hanging?

15.Going back to school again, the dream of the holidays, the teacher and her sternness, the prayer for John, Stephanie's reaction and Celia praying?

16.The grim final game and the hanging - the atonement and the appeasement?

17.The blend of Australian family life, society, politics, religion? From the perspective of the '80s?