DEPARTURE
Australia, 1986, 95 minutes, Colour.
Patricia Kennedy, Michael Duffield, June Jago, Serge Lazareff, Sean Scully.
Directed by Brian Kavanagh.
Departure is based on the play A Pair of Claws by Michael Gurr. Gurr has written his own screenplay, opening out his play. It is directed by Brian Kavanagh, best known as an editor of many Australian films. His directing work includes the early '70s feature A City's Child and the early '80s thriller Double Deal with Louis Jourdan and Angela Punch McGregor?.
The film is set in Tasmania and uses Hobart and Tasmanian locations to advantage. The film is realistic - but also stylised, especially in the performances of Patricia Kennedy, Michael Duffield and June Jago. Serge Lazareff's style is quite different and is jarring in the ensemble work. In fact, the film is probably too stylised - more suited to a television playhouse style. It is interesting in its exploration of characters, the satiric comment on attitudes in the '80s - as well as touching on some deeper themes of God and religion.
1. The impact of this drama? The theatrical background? Translation to cinema?
2. The Tasmanian settings: attractive, touristic style? The city of Hobart, the visitors? The buildings? Hotels? Theatre? The Tasmanian countryside? The authentic feeling? A context for the drama? The musical score: the excerpts from Verdi? Original music by Bruce Smeaton?
3. The film's theatrical origins: characters, situations, strength of dialogue, dramatic tensions? Situations for discussion? The use of a range of exteriors and the opening out of the play? The theatrical style, the rhetorical style of most of the acting?
4. The title and the original play, A Pair of Claws? The change to Departure? The credits and the phonetic writing of the title? The occasion of the departure, its significance, timing, focus? The altering of the situation: the couple staying? The irony of the final sequence with the plane taking off?
5. The situation for Pres and Sylvia: their past, diplomatic work, life in Australia and overseas, age and experience, roots and rootlessness, home and moving, farewells, friendships, a re-assessment of their life, tension, unexpected crisis, stances, courage?
6. Pres and his memories, the glimpses throughout the film, the cover-up of the crime, the lurid touches of the death, the political hints? The flashback and the truth?
7. Michael Duffield's portrait of Pres: his background, his education, class, work, status, desire for a knighthood? His listening to the music, his memories? His being loved by Sylvia? The future, retirement, selling up, packing, going to Rome? His conscience? The puzzle about God and faith, especially as Sylvia expressed her faith? The packing up? The weekend, hotel and style? The arrival of Simon and the tensions? Frances and the memories of the past? The moments with Sylvia and their intimacy? The outings, the talk with S1mon at the swimming pool, disagreement with his politics, regret about the neglect of Simon in the past? Dinner at the restaurant, the countryside? The walk with Simon to the bridge, going to the football and its effect? The theatre and the enjoyment of The Importance of Being Earnest? The interruption of the play, the news, his confession to Simon and Frances? Having to cope? The awkwardness of the next day, keeping to himself, the editor of the paper and his intrusions? The golf with Simon? Sylvia's rules and keeping to them? Reactions? Frances' reaction against them? Simon's decision to publicly turn against him? The final night, sleep and sleeplessness? His reassessment of his life? Decision to go to the conference, in the car with Joseph? The portrait of a man, his past and his behaviour, the cover-up? His achievement? The future? Having to cope? His values?
8. Patricia Kennedy's portrait of Sylvia: her presence, age, experience, capacity for coping, decision-making? Packing and the music cutting her off from Pres? The flow of love and her reflections on it? Letting go of the house and possessions? Her support of Pres? The clashes with Simon? Her stances, her insinuating remarks? Simon's judgment about her love for him? The discussions? Frances and her friendship? Sensitive to her? Shopping with Frances, the choice of the scarf and the gift? Telling her of the flow of love? The outings the theatre? The news and her knowing about the past, her exercising,~ control? Establishing rules for the Sunday? The next day and her hostility to the press? Forcing everybody to behave according to the rules? Going to Frances' house and the gift of the tablecloth? Frances and her silence, her outburst, her hurt that Sylvia had not told her the truth, her breaking off and leaving? Simon's decision to go public? The night, her walking, her dignity - and her saying that she didn't read the papers? Her knowledge of the truth, the forgiveness of Pres7and her reaffirming this? The significance of her religious conversion, the nature of her faith, her belief in God? Her:-reliance on reason, the temptation to scepticism, the faith sustaining her?
9. Simon at the opening, the drive, tension with his girlfriend? His dreading the weekend? His own past, the memories of his parents' absence, loving and resenting them? Frances as an aunt, her bringing him up? His insinuating remarks about her - especially about her scrapbooks, as a widow? His comments on her love of the macabre? His being present on the weekend, talking, exasperated? The swimming pool and the talk with his father, his ALP stances, ambitions? Pragmatic? Principles? The walk with his father, taking him up to see the football? The theatre? Being merry with Frances and calling her by her first name? The news, his reaction? His love for his parents yet his own ambition? The golf sequence? The drive to Frances' house, the tablecloth? The editor and his intrusion? His decision to go public? The press conference (and watched by the editor), loyalties, love, ambition?
10. Frances and her place in the family group? Her bringing up Simon? Her love for her dead husband, her memories and talking about him? Widow? Nice, proper? The keeping of so many scrapbooks? The macabre situations? People commenting against her prayer books and hurting her? The phone call with Sylvia, their friendship, her arrival, the expectations of the weekend? The shopping and the gift? The theatre? Happy with Simon? The news of the cover-up and its exposure? Her silence, being hurt, agreeing to the rules about the day, becoming more isolated, the gift of the tablecloth? Her bursting out, commenting on the murder, blaming Pres and Sylvia, her statement about friendship being the sharing of everything, her fear of people's opinion? Her leaving? The effect on Sylvia? On herself?
11. The political situation, Joseph as the hatchet man, the minister resigning, the survivors? The editor and his job,
contacting Joseph, scenes in the office with the reporter, the phone calls, trying to get in touch with Pres, at the press
conference watching Simon?
12. The Australian themes, universal themes? Life and the quality of life, mistakes and responsibilities, forgiveness,
the consequences for self and others, the next generation? Facing up to reality and coping?
