THE LAST WAVE
Australia, 1977, 106 minutes, Colour
Richard Chamberlain, David Gulpilil, Olivia Hamnett, Frederick Parslow, Nandjiwarra Amagula, Vivean Grey, Peter Carroll, Athol Compton.
Directed by Peter Weir.
The Last Wave made quite some impact on its release at the end of 1977. However, many audiences found it a difficult film. It certainly repays a second viewing. It is an interesting attempt to blend the modern urban world with the dream world and with the mystery of the Australian Aboriginal and his dream-time. Dreams provide a connection, although they spell impending doom and the end of an era Direction is by Peter Weir who made Holmesdale in 1971. His mysterious science fiction film, The Cars that Ate Paris, is interesting in retrospect considering Weir's interest in what is not completely natural. However, his greatest fame came with Picnic at Hanging Rock. It is significant that at the end of 1977 the book that Weir singled out as being impressive for his year's reading was Carl Jung's Myths, Dreams and Reflections.
1. Impact of the film? Originality? Audience interest and involvement? For Australian audience, non-Australian audience? How plausible was the plot? The blend of the world of the ordinary, modern late twentieth-century urban civilization and the extraordinary? The meeting of white and aboriginal worlds? Christianity, materialism, primitive religions, aboriginal religions The inter-penetration of civilisations? The inter-penetration of Australian law and "original law"? For good, for disaster?
2. Mystical interpretations? Supernatural, supra-natural ? The revelation about the cycles of nature, humanity, disasters and re-birth? The long traditions of mythology and this a an example, a place within that background?
3. The importance of the technical aspects: colour, desert and sea landscapes? The visualising of the sky, sea? clouds, sun, rain? The city buildings and streets? The ominous wet weather, the clouds on the city skyline, colours of the city. reflection of the sun in windows? Ordinary suburbs, wealthy suburbs, the Rocks area in Sydney and the Aborigines who live there? The contrast with Aborigines living in the city with their ancient heritage and the trains going across the bridge, the sound of planes? The contrasts with the ordinary world and the presentation of the sewers with their machinery, caverns? The caves with primitive religions? The effectiveness of the special effects, especially during the desert, the frogs, the black rain, the people drowning, the final wave? For the contribution of the music: the classical style, modern styles, Aboriginal background? Obtrusive/unobtrusive, atmospheric?
The final cataclysm? Its realisation at the end?
4. The focus on water - its absence in the desert, and the sudden rain and hail, the continual rain in the city, taps, drains, the realism of the rain, the symbolic use and the mysterious threats e.g. the water in the bath? Billy's death in water? How well was the symbol of water used? How frighteningly, menacingly?
5. The importance of dreams and their interpretation? The visualising of David's dreams - persons, objects, places? His fright and lack of sleep? David's background of premonition dreams as a child? His present dreams as premonitions? (The contrast with his daughter's dreaming of angels and her loving Jesus and her family?) The explanation given by the researcher the Dreamtime and its reality and symbolism? Chris's explanation of communication by dreams, messages given? Charlie's dream and the long subjective tracking shot through David's house into his room and the final presence of Charlie? Dreams as expressions of oneself? Of spiritual power? of mystery? the Aboriginal Dreamtime and all that it means, seasons and cycles, the last times? The Mulkrum and his participation in the dreams? David, the Mulkrum with his spiritual power?
6. The place of the stone, the blood, the mask? The owl? The explanation of mystery? Twentieth century audience response to mystery and realism? Response to symbol and ritual? To lore, laws, secrets and power? David's attack on his step-father as explaining away mysteries and not acknowledging that there was mystery? David as an embodiment of mystery?
7. The tone of the prologue: the Aboriginal, his painting and primitive presentation, the meaning of his painting and the transition to Central Australia, the creation of atmosphere, the desert and the school, the roads, the Aboriginals sitting around, the children black and white playing at the school, the harshness of the thunder, the crash and the ordinary behaviour and the sudden rain? The teacher trying to cope? The classroom episodes, the hailstones and the blood, the fear? The transition of an eruption in nature in the desert into the city and the emphasis on rain?
8. The transition to David Burton: his work, looking at the rain? Richard Chamberlain's style in this performance? As a person, quiet disposition, serious? His background in law, corporate taxation, help with Aboriginal land rights? Reflective, introspective? Dreams, not sleeping? His behaviour at home, in his work? His manner towards the Aborigines? The background of his mother, her death and his premonition? His step-father - The album at the meal with the Aboriginals? His conversations with his stepfather about dreams and his accusation of his stepfather's explaining away mystery? A credible person for these experiences?
9. The portrayal of the Burton family: David arriving home, his daughters, the meals and the conversations? Their experience of the water coming from the bath? The details of their life e.g. tennis matches, picnics with their stepfather and playing with the hose? Fears at home? Their reaction to the rains? The bath, the frogs?
10. The transition to the Aboriginal atmosphere - themes with Billy Corman? Audience interest in the details of his presence in the sewers, his taking the implements, his fear, his being watched by Chris? The transition to the hotel and the musicians? The style of panning to the various musicians and the atmosphere of the hotel, the men drinking? The fight, the challenges? Billy Corman and his fear? Charlie pointing the bone and his death? The mystery for the audience?
11. The transition back to David and his playing tennis, and the contrast of worlds? The discussion with Michael about tribal Aborigines in the city? The Legal Aid office and David's interviews with the Aborigines? Their reticence? Their explanation of the death?
12. The significance of Chris's absence? The screenplay presenting Chris first of all within David's dreams? His significance within the dreams, presence in the house, beckoning, the stone? A premonition of what was to happen? Chris's character, his presence with the group? His warnings to David about what was to happen? The interviews in the street, threats? The bringing of Charlie to the house? His behaviour in the cell, his being threatened by David to tell the truth and his telling the story in the courtroom? His taking it back through fear? The importance of his awareness that he was to go back to the Dreamtime if he revealed the secrets? His decision to take David to the sacred grounds, the ritual of his death? The character of Charlie? His ominous presence and his pointing of the bone? His role as a magician and the explanation? His being presented in paint, in the dreams, as the owl and his presence outside the Burton house? His presence at the meal, not speaking English, the significance of David's coming from South America, from sunrise, his ancestors? His sitting in the room? His speaking English and asking who David was? His being puzzled by David's presence and unable to cope? The communication through dreams and the subjective tracking through the house? His presence in the cave at the end and the significance that David kills him?
13. The phenomena such as the black rain and the newspaper explanation, but the linking with the strange phenomena and the weather? Social chatter about trips being put off, tides changing, the baby-sitter and her parents' tour? David and his experience of greater mystery? His inability to sleep? The rains lashing his house? The questions of the Aboriginal world, law, the explanation by the lady at the Museum and her interpretation of the stone, explanation of the Dreamtime, of the Mulkrum? The possibility of tribal Aborigines in Sydney? The city getting rid of tribal atmosphere?
14. The importance of the experience in the court? Michael's giving up the case, David's conducting it, the interrogation of the Coroner and his explanations about drowning? having the Aborigines in the stand and David's losing control? The growing significance of David as a supra-human being? The importance of Charlie's asking the questions and then, asking David to explain himself? The build-up towards the climax and its sending his family away? The importance of Anne and her presence throughout the film, supporting David, distanced from him, knowing the explanations? (Also the social comment as a white Australian and not having met Aborigines, her encounter with Chris and Charlie, her fears with Charlie standing vigil outside the house? The children and their ordinary childish behaviour, their fear of Charlie as a witch?
15. David and his choices, Chris and the fulfilment of the premonitions, beckoning him, the tour through the sewage works? The transition from 20th century machinery to the caves underneath? Chris not going any further and his death? Comment on the visual presentation of 'primitive' religion and the link e.g. with Easter Island statuary and altars? Paintings and their contents, skeletons etc.? The significance of the drawings of the wave and the calendar? The revelation of the secrets?
