HEAVENLY CREATURES

New Zealand, 1994, 98 minutes, Colour.
Kate Winslett, Melanie Lynskey, Sarah Peirse.
Directed by Peter Jackson.

Heavenly Creatures is an arresting New Zealand drama, a re creation of a celebrated murder case of 1954. The film was co-written by Peter Jackson (director) and Frances Walsh, with whom he collaborated in his previous films: Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles and Brain Dead. Jackson was best known as a master of the splatter feature. However, he turns his skills to a more mainstream subject and makes a film which is creative as well as done with style.

The film focuses on two young girls at school in 1953-54. They are very well played by Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslett (both of whom are introduced in the film). The film traces their friendship, their dependence on each other, their creative writing, entering into an imaginary world of their own, gradually intensely involved in this mad world which leads then to the killing of a mother.

The film is very stylish, opening with a newsreel travelogue of Christchurch in the '50s and then making the transition to real life, the violence lurking under the respectable surface of New Zealand. The film's use of Mario Lanza songs (an idol of the girls) is also very effective. Again there is use of The Third Man, especially Orson Welles as Harry Lime, a character entering into the fantasy of the girls. When the fantasy land is finally shown, it is the coming alive of clay figures that the girls have made and provides an excellent surreal counterpoint to the ordinary life of the girls.

There is a great deal of comment about New Zealand society, about the world of fantasy, about obsessive madness, about adolescent crushes and lesbian infatuations, of the exercise of power and the eruption of violence.

1.The critical acclaim of the film? The reconstruction of a crime and its background? A world of madness? Inviting the audience to empathise and understand?

2.A New Zealand true story, the opening with Christchurch and the travelogue, a beautiful and tranquil city? The instant transition to the reality of the murder? The value of examining the surface and under the surface of New Zealand life?

3.The Christchurch locations and the period re-creation? The Panavision photography?

4.Mario Lanza as the girls' idol, the use of his songs - in themselves, the clay figure of Mario Lanza singing in the fantasy, the collages used, especially with the "Donkey Serenade" as well as not being afraid of the dark and "The Loveliest Night of the Year"?

5.The background of the movie world of the time, James Mason, Mario Lanza, Orson Welles and The Third Man? The rejection of Welles and his going over the waterfall? His reappearing in the fantasy and pursuing the girls like Harry Lime?

6.Audience sympathies - with the girls, their parents? Understanding them? The nature of the fantasy and their absorption in it? Their obsession with each other? Moral issues?

7.The opening and the mood of the girls running, the horror of the death, the audience anticipating the murder throughout the film?

8.The credits and the atmosphere of the school for girls, wealthy girls, the style, the singing of the hymn, the assembly, the staff? The French and art lessons?

9.The contrast with the world of fantasy, Borovnia, the names of the characters, the girls entering in, their writing, creating? The genealogies? Their writing letters to each other in the names of the characters? The fantasies visualised as clay figures come alive? The happy fantasy land? The violence - especially of the son? The final sexuality? The girls entering and leaving this world? The castle and the proclamation of madness?

10.The portrait of Pauline/Yvonne? Not singing the hymn, plain, withdrawn, in the French class, her reaction to Juliet correcting the teacher? Alone in the art class? Admiring Juliet's work? The Mario Lanza record and listening to it? At home, pushing her parents? The growing friendship with Juliet? Playing with her - and the breaking of the Lanza record? Her age, infatuation with Juliet? The collage of their bike-riding and outing together to the Donkey Serenade? Her being at home with the Hulmes? The increasing of her writing, imagination, changing her name? Christmas presents and the gift of the diary? Her resolution? Her reaction to the guests? Her dreams and her dream world? Juliet's illness and the pain of separation, the writing of the letters, entering into the characters of their fantasy? The reuniting? Dr Hulme and his concern, Yvonne's mother taking her to the doctor, his interrogation, questions of homosexuality? Yvonne and her talking about suicide and imagining it? Being further withdrawn, alienation from her mother, her mother's lectures? Idealising the Hulmes? In bed, John and his advances, being caught by her parents, going to his house, the escapade, part of her imagination in Borovnia? The plan, wanting to eliminate her mother, the importance of the night with Juliet after seeing The Third Man, the pursuit by Harry Lime? The building up of their fourth kingdom, the film stars being saints? The night and imitating their encounters with the saints? The anticipation of the murder, the images of the boat and the separation from Juliet? The day of the murder, her rising, helping her mother, going for the outing, the brutality of the murder in the forest? The portrait of Pauline/Yvonne? Her becoming Gina? Making the character comprehensible?

11.The character of Juliet, her aristocratic manner, assuredness, correcting the French teacher, doing her own art, her creativity in art, writing and reading and telling her stories, telling the story at table, the plans for publication? The bond with Paul? The dependence? Playing with her brother, the breaking of the record? The background of her illness, going to the Bahamas, separation from her parents? The Donkey Serenade collage? Classes? Her illness, her parents going overseas, her having to go to hospital? Her unhappiness, writing to Paul? The visit, her recovery? Her boasting about her mother and her psychological work - then the discovery of the affair? Wanting to blackmail her for money? The divorce, the plans for the future, their reality and unreality, to South Africa with Paul? Harry Lime and the pursuit, the night with Paul and the making love to the stars? The lesbian overtones? Her getting the brick, farewelling her mother, going to the house, her participation in the murder? Portrait of Juliet? Understanding her?

12.The Reapers, the nice mother, the boarders, family life, worried about Yvonne going to the Hulmes? The growing concern, the visit of Dr Hulme, the mother taking Yvonne to the doctor, the questions of homosexuality? Yvonne's father, his mocking her with the fish microphone, bond, antipathy, not understanding? The growing antipathy, Yvonne seeing her mother as blocking her, the lectures, the exasperation? The preparations for her death, confiding them to the diary?

13.The Hulmes and their style, life, Mrs Hulme and her marriage counselling, the affair with Bill? The decision to separate after the trip overseas, the effect on Juliet, the honour at the university and their being together? The farewell to Juliet? Their being imaged in Pauline's mind as welcoming her into their family?

14.The portrait of the school, the headmistress, the various teachers? Pauline having to leave school, her typing lessons, earning her own living?

15.New Zealand in the period, real world, fantasy world, the royal family (and stories of fantasy about royalty)? The possibility of helping their daughters and controlling them, the possibilities of avoiding the disaster?

16.Imagination, horror, human behaviour, psychologically and socially bizarre behaviour? The girls not being able to sustain a plea of insanity?

17.The final information, the arrest, the diaries, the trial, release and separation? The overall impact of this exploration of a crime?