DO I HAVE TO KILL MY CHILD?

Australia, 1976, 53 minutes, Colour.
Jacki Weaver, Brendon Lunney, Willie Fennell.
Directed by Donald Crombie.

Do I Have To Kill My Child? is a short feature co-written by Anne Deveson and the director Donald Crombie. Anne Deveson has worked extensively in radio and television with a focus on social and feminist issues. Crombie directed such films as Caddie, The Irishman, Cathy's Child. This film was made for International Women's Year, 1976, and had extensive screenings on Australian television.

Part of the impact of the film came from having Jackie Weaver as its star. She has a strong reputation as a comedienne and musical star - but she does an excellent piece of acting as Diane in this film. She is supported by Brendan Lunny as a pleasant, but over-bland husband.

There is an excellent supporting cast including Bette Lucas, John Orcsik, Willie Fennell, Lorna Lesley, Henri Szeps. While the film has a message, the Australian way of life in the country and in suburbia is effectively dramatised - leading to a whole range of discussion questions besides the main focus of the woman in the Australian home, motherhood, violence towards unwanted children.

1. The impact of the film? Message? Emotional impact? Urgency? An atmosphere of realism?

2. Its contribution to International Women's Year? Anne Deveson and her research, dramatic work?

3. The contribution of Donald Crombie - the man's perspective? Co-writing? Direction? The emphasis in his career on women's themes and women's performances?

4. The title as arresting? Indicating a theme? Diane saying it for the ending of the film - and leaving the audience with the question? The purpose of the film: the focus on women, mothers, children, family?

5. The effectiveness of the film with its brevity? Dramatising an issue? Strength of character delineation, establishing of situations, atmosphere and feeling? Audiences identifying with the characters and situations? The objectivity of the story? The subjective attitudes of the characters?

6. The Australian qualities of the film: feel, identification? The universal message?

7. The use of the country town, the school, home, country life and attitudes, the contrast with Sydney, the suburbs, the suburban sprawl, isolation, suburban hospitals? Visual clarity and detail? The audience immersed in the locations? The use of familiar music, light classical accompaniment?

8. The familiarity of the story? The insertion of sequences with Diane talking to the counsellor? The drama for the audience to identify with, assess? Comparisons with Diane's viewpoint in the telling of the story?

9. The common experience of families, difficulties? Differences and the particular touches of character, situation? The effect of parents on their children? Expectations, style? Pregnancy wanted and unwanted? Experience of birth? Masculine and feminine roles in family and in the house? In the work force?

10. The introduction to Diane and Ross: marriage, happy, the farewell from the school, the tribute to both of them, the emphasis on Diane's role - And the Kimbies gift? Their work as teachers? Their fondness for one another - the sequence in the car? Coming home - and Diane's mother babysitting? The prospects for promotion, moving to Sydney? Career? The family, the two girls? The parents and their influence? The hopes for the forthcoming son? Diane's pregnancy, attitude towards going to Sydney? Signs for caution in her reactions?

11. Their care for each other, Ross as, pleasant, impatient with Diane's shortcomings, taking for granted his male roles and stereotypes? Career, wanting a son? His hard attitudes towards Diane, making demands on her for support, not giving enough to her, advice - for her to pull herself together? The scene where he watched the funny television programme and told her she missed the funniest part while she changed the nappy? The visitors and the cream being off? His statements about his disappointment in her, rousing on her? The criticism? Insensitivity, sexual demands? His growing desperate? The experience of the fractured skull? The plan for the holiday? Diane and her place in the home, tensions, pills, pressures, good - but weak in the face of her mother, her mother's expectations, comparisons with her sister, her not wanting the baby, responding to Ross's pressures, her life at home, the housework, the incessant housekeeping, the girls and their crankiness - demands for ironing, staining tables etc.? Her not having any feel for Jamie's birth, her growing anger, the christening and the party afterwards and her reaction to the baby crying, the visit to the doctor and her asserting her anger rather than irritability, sticking the safety pins into the baby, the crying, the talks with her neighbour, locking herself out of the house in order not to harm Jamie, the growing desperation, the platitudes, the pills? The tension with the final bashing? The prospect of the holiday - and her not wanting to run away? Her stating the question of the title? A picture that husbands and wives could identify with?

12. The domestic scenes: cooking, washing, the girls, television watching, changing of the nappies, the crying in the night? The strain on father, the strain on mother?

13. The sketch of the daughters - ordinary, affectionate, withholding affection, demands?

14. Diane's mother and her talk, fuss, putting her daughter down, expectations, comparison with her sister, her comment on Diane's having given up religious support? Question of abortion? The father and his pleasantness, drinking, jokes, Diane's inability to talk with him? Diane's mother's offhand prejudiced remark about aboriginals?

15. The sister and her doing the right thing, her dull husband and his prospects? The friendly couple and their visits, support? Diane being humiliated in front of them? The religious background of the Australian family. the christening, the padre at the party, Diane's mother relying on religion for support, Diane and Ross having given it up?

17. The sketch of doctors - and the platitudes offered, the short time, interview? irritability rather than anger?

18. The effectiveness of Diane's monologues - to the audience and to a psychologist? The impact of the therapy, the need to tell the story, the needs manifesting themselves? The inadequacy of the television commercial prospects of a holiday?

19. The support of the neighbour - the visit to the party, listening to Diane, the walks, pleasant? Comparing notes?

20. The theme of child abuse: the children as victims and the effect on their lives? Parent patterns and Diane repeating her mother? Treating her children as her mother treated her? Depression and anger? The credibility of a mother loving and wanting to do violence to her child?

21. Men and women in Australia, their roles, support, attitudes of society?