DAWN

Australia, 1979, 115 minutes, Colour.
Bronwyn Mackay- Payne, Tom Richards, Bunny Brooke, Ron Haddrick, Gabrielle Hartley.
Directed by Ken Hannam.

Dawn will probably entertain a wide Australian audience. Not the dynamic and incisive biopic many expected, the film nevertheless interestingly enough traces Dawn Fraser's adult life, more like a series of moving snapshots than a study. It skims her professional career, probes a little into the real Dawn - and keeps moving on. More is suggested than told and more drive, motivations could have been suggested. However, the Balmain environment comes across strongly and the tough, cheeky, unconsciously vulnerable Australian self-confidence is always to the fore. Bronwyn Mackay-Payne's performance might lack range but it grows on us and ultimately conveys a great deal of Dawn Fraser's character and complexity. Likeable.

1. The appeal of this film for an Australian audience? overseas audience? The appeal of Dawn Fraser as a celebrity, sportswoman, woman, Australian?

2. The success of the film as biography? A portrait of Dawn Fraser's life, character, issues of her life, her sports achievement and what drove her in the context of her biography? A portrait of a human being?

3. The contribution of the technical aspects of the film: the swimming sequences, the reconstruction of Games and Olympic Games? Balmain and the Sydney inner-city environment In which she lived? The way of life - In the city, suburbs, work, family, competition? The contribution of the theme, score?

4. Australian interest in Dawn Fraser as a celebrity, controversial figure? As representing aspects of the Australian character? Her achievement in the 1950s, skill, training, capacity for winning? Her record-holding? The
gold medals? The controversy during her career and especially the ten-year ban? The nature of audience interest in such a biography? The fact of Dawn Fraser being technical adviser for the film?

5. The flashback structure: her work, memories, regrets, facing the future? The opening with the documentary film clips and the atmosphere they created? The flashbacks in the light of success? As an explanation of Dawn, her character and career?

6, Dawn Fraser as a girl from Balmain? Her physical appearance, height and weight, strength, asthmatic illness? Her place in her family? Her cocky attitudes, lack of girlishness, the toughness of Balmain and its houses and
streets, Australian cockiness? Her attitudes towards conventions, rules? Seeing her at home clashing with her parents, loving them? Her group of friends? The people at the pub? Her capacity for defiance, humour, good times, winning?

7. The strengths and weaknesses of her character? Schooling, relationship to her mother and father, the home, moving out yet returning? Her clash with Northern Suburbs kids? The importance of Harry Gallagher and the affirmation he gave in coaching her? Her relationship with the other swimmers? Her overseas tours and the effect they had on her, opening horizons? A growing number of friends and yet a lack of real friendship? The relationship with Gary and the chance meeting? the right time for a marriage? The easy breaking up? Friendship and affair with Len? Edie and looking after her daughter? The question of the abortion and the irony of Len telling her the story about his fiancee? Her friendship with Kate and the lesbian overtones? Her moving in Kate's circles and feeling out of place - the contrast of the two parties and what they revealed about her? Her settling down as she grew older, experiencing the ban and having to accept It her coaching work, her daughter and a more settled future?

8. What did this study of Dawn Fraser reveal about the Australian identity and background - the old-fashioned nature of upbringing, family relationships and love, loyalty, defiance, social relationships of marriage and divorce, abortion?

9. The focus on the swimming - how interesting and exciting were the swimming sequences and the competition, the winning of the gold medals, the aura of the Olympics? Seeing her at the swimming pool and its later dedication to her? Harry Gallagher's choice# her training, her snobbish attitudes towards wealthier children? Her discipline and indiscipline especially with the cigarettes and the drinking? The challenge of the records to be broken? Her relationship with the press - Joe as friendly, others as defiant? Her reliance on Harry Gallagher, on other helpers? The Games, the tours? The detail of Melbourne, Rome, Tokyo? Her final coaching and the effect of the ban?

10. The Importance of her defiance catching up with her e.g. the drunken scene In Naples? The rights and wrongs of her marching in Tokyo? The background to the stealing of the flag, her arrest, the humour of the interrogation and then the photos with the Japanese officials, the interviews on her return home, the suddenness of the ban (and the dramatic way in which this was communicated to her, to Gary?)

11. The effect of the ban on her career, her personality, her marriage, work, daughter? The justice of the ban - objectively, as imposed on such a champion? The scenes of the Amateur Swimming Association and their decision?

12. The background to Dawn's marriage - her dating, love of fun, Balmain-centred? The courtship with Harry, the humour of the Townsville sequences, his taking her out and looking at the car, the interview when she returned, the honeymoon and the invasion of privacy, the background of Gary's gambling, his being caught up in this and neglecting her, their breaking up? His explanation of why she married him? The divorce?

13. Dawn's capacity for relating - her love and devotion to Harry and his advice to her about marriage? The affair with Len and what it brought her? The growth in friendship with Kate - the fascination and the staying overnight after the party, ringing her and wanting her to meet Harry, her circle of friends, Kate's work dominating, the two parties, the breaking with Kate? Edie and the ordinary friendship of the Balmain pensioner? Relating to her daughter and the future?

14. The character of Dawn's parents, their old traditions and work, money? Their attitude towards her swimming? The effect of each on her life - the news of the death of her father broken by Harry at the airport, the build-up of her mother's going to Tokyo and the suddenness of the car crash? Her attachment to the house?

15. The contribution of the Balmain environment in Its detail, the streets and the houses, pubs, the harbour? The people of Balmain and Dawn as one of them?

16. Themes of competitiveness In sport, jealousy, the attacks on people at the top? Easy to get to the top, hard to stay there?

17. A portrait of an Australian sportswoman, woman? The ending and our understanding of Dawn and her facing the future? The final credits scene and the attention to detail of her ordinary way of life in Balmain?

18. At what level did the film communicate, explore? The lack of depth? Was this enough for this kind of portrait?