THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

Australia, 1976, 107 minutes, Colour.
Nick Tate, Simon Burke, Arthur Dignam, John Frawley, Jonathan Hardy, Thomas Keneally, Sheila Florance, Gerda Nicholson.
Directed by Fred Schepisi.

The Devil's Playground was a very strong commercial success in Australia. It appealed not only to a Catholic audience but to the wider audience as well. This seems strange in many ways since Thee Devil's Playground is a particularly Catholic film, re-creating the atmosphere of a minor seminary in the early 1950's, presenting and making some criticism of the strictness of religious life at that time, criticising them strongly. Some of the more repressive aspects of Catholic spirituality which were manifested in such seminaries. "An idle mind is the Devil's Playground."

This is illustrated in the life of a young boy who senses he has a vocation to religious life but who discovers that the life in the seminary is repressive and that he must leave. The boy's character is well explored and it is based on the real experiences of the writer-director, Fred Schepisi. Schepisi had also written the screenplay and directed a segment of Libido, The Priest. This was based on a story by Thomas Keneally and Keneally himself plays the role of the retreat giver in this film. After the Devil's Playground Schepisi went on to make a version of Keneally's novel The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith.

The Brothers are also presented sympathetically and unsympathetically in this film. Arthur Dignam who was the priest in Libido, has another strangely tormented role as a curious religious brother. Nick Tate, on the other hand, presents a very down to earth brother who finds religious life congenial even though difficult. The rest of the community and also the boys are well drawn in excellent performances. The music of this film is haunting, the photography very beautiful, the use of the former Werribee seminary provides an authentic setting for the plot and the themes that are explored. Film, director and actors, Nick Tate and Simon Burke, won Australian Film Institute awards.

1. How enjoyable and interesting a film? For whom particularly was it made? The Australian audience, the international audience, Catholics, religious people, non-religious people? To recapture the memory of the fifties? For people interested in an exploration of the influence of religion? Autobiography for the writer-director?

2. The contribution of the music for atmosphere and themes, use of colour, location photography, the building of the seminary, the surrounding grounds?

3. The importance of atmosphere: the attention to detail of the building, the grounds, particular incidents, details of behaviour, the quality of talk, the religious and social customs of 1953? How important was the setting of 1953?

4. The significance of the title and audience expectations the explanation of the title? The explanation for the Brothers, their discussion of it at the meal table, the devil finding employment for idle people? Its application to the boys in the seminary context?

5. The pros and cons given in the film as regards the Church, religious Brothers, the ways of religious life. religious community, the junior seminary? How just and accurate was the film in its presentation of points of view? Any particular bias? In the light of the experience of the writer-director?

6. Comment on the arguments presented against this way of life: the atmosphere of enclosure distance from the world and from real experience, enclosure at the age of puberty and the consequent 'hot-house' narrowness, the all-male community and the atmosphere of its being unnatural, this all being sanctified by piety and religion? The need for change, the comments at the end of the film indicating change was to come? Which sequences best illustrated the particular arguments against this way of life?

7. The film's presentation of the boys and its importance for engaging audience attention and sympathy? The atmosphere of the opening with the river, the swimming, the happiness of the boys, the scenes of wrestling, the details of dormitory life, meals, singsongs, sport activities of hockey in the rain, basketball, details of prayer the singing of hymns? Benediction and Mass? The atmosphere of the boys rising, the details of classes, Brother Victor's class and Alan being an idiot etc? How authentic did this seem?

8. The audience viewing the situation through the eyes of Tom: the initial swim. his wrestling, his conversations with Brother Sebastian, the warmth of his character, his age? The significance of his wetting the bed and the boys' and the Brothers' reaction? The fact that he was so often late? The fact that he prayed so often? His friendships, especially with Fitzy and the discussions with him? The invitation from the fanatics and the fact that he was not? His politeness, joining in singsongs etc? His being presented as a boy with great potential?

9. What happened to him in the experience of 1953? The film's portrayal of his attempt to try, learning from Fitzy and the effect of Fitzy's going. the importance of the visit of his family, the scenes with them, the encounter with the girl and his writing her letters and these being stopped, the effect of the Retreat with its atmosphere of fear? Confession? The difficulties of puberty and masturbation? The discussions. Confession the possibilities of sacrilege? His being overwhelmed by all this experience at his age? The importance of the sequence of his challenging God at the end? The build-up to his running away and his sense of freedom? The final sequence as he is riding towards Melbourne with the Brothers? The meaning of his life so far and his future?

10. The detailed presentation of the other boys and the variety of types and personalities, the way they looked and behaved, their language, details of boyish behaviour? And yet their uniform, conformism? Their youth, Scraggs and the preoccupation with sex, the fanatics and their behaviour and religious motivation, death?

11. The importance of the presentation of the Brothers and audience response to them: Sebastian, his age and experience, the fact that he had lived this life, his genial nature, his friendship with Tom and advice to him, his comments in the recreation room, especially about sexuality and God, his ageing? The pathos of his illness and of his death and people absent? Tom's grief, the grief of all the Brothers at his death and their memories of him?

- The Superior: his hold over the community, a genial and seemingly normal man and religious, his talks with the boys about masturbation, his not realizing the dangers and the role of the fanatics, his worry about the future?

- Victor: the fact that he had joined so young, had absorbed the atmosphere and dedication of the Brothers, that he enjoyed community life, the fact of his drinking and the nature of it, his conducting of classes, going to the footy and enjoying the experience in secretly acting like an ordinary man, his drinking, flirting with the women in the hotel, his fears and withdrawal from them, his alcoholic driving and the effect on Jim and Francine? His decision to stay with the Brothers?

- Jim: the young man just out of the Novitiate, beginning this way of life, influenced by the other Brothers, the importance of his studies, his not joining Victor with the women after the football?

- Arthur: his zest, commonsense and enthusiasm, the typical Brother?

- Francine: the fact that he was so repressed, eighteen years in religious life, his sour observations in the shower block, his attack on impurity. his crawling behind the hedge to catch people, his neurotic behaviour, his moodiness, playing the piano? The importance of his lies about visiting the baths, the sexual preoccupation and loneliness and the way this was photographed, the atmosphere of temptation, its later repercussions in the dream sequence? His attitude towards religion. 'the Devil's playground', his rage at Victor because of the driving and the crash? His final rage and breaking out and breakdown? What comment was being made on religious life through his character?

- The presentation of the details of community life, the inter-reactions of the group, meals, recreation, entertaining Father Marshall?

12. The portrayal of the Chaplain, the typical harsh Irish priest, his role in the community, his severity in Confession, the pathos of his grief for Brother Sebastian?

13. The contrast with Father Marshall and his pleasantness, his kindly attitude towards the boys, the touch of patronizing. the preparation for the Retreat, the individual chats about sexuality and problems, especially that with Tom, the severity of his Retreat talks his fitting into community life with the Brothers? What portrait of a priest? how credible?

14. The presentation of the outside world, the parents and their visiting, the chatter about family and births, picnics, the mountain resort, the chatting with Nigel and his friend, the girls on the camp? The contrast of this with life within the seminary?

15. How well did the film explore themes of the Church? the ideology of religious life? the role of individual and group piety, the attitude at towards the God presented in the film?

16. The film's exploration of themes of the nature of education, growth and development, especially for boys? How well did the film explore themes of sexuality, repression, in the Australian environment, within the Church and its traditional attitudes?

18. What is the value of an audience experiencing this kind of memory and exploration of values?