TRAPS

Australia, 1986, 98 minutes, Colour.
Carolyn Howard, Gwenda Wiseman, John Flaus.
Directed by John Hughes.

Traps is an experimental feature film, a focusing on contemporary political issues rather than on narrative. It follows conventions set by such films as Citizen Kane and the Polish films by Wajda, Man of Marble and Man of Iron, with their focus on a reporter researching characters and historical issues. This small-budget film does not achieve the artistic success of the previous models: nevertheless it is a bold and interesting experiment.

The political point of view is very strong, a stance on the Left. The film traces back aspects of Australian political history from the '40s and '50s with the antagonism towards Communism and suspicions of its infiltration. The film is critical of the Liberal Party and the influence of the Catholic Church, especially the movement and B.A. Santamaria.

The principal focus of the film is from March 1983 to December 1984: the period of the first Hawke government. The film looks back to the Whitlam era, allegations that the CIA was involved in his dismissal and the influence of American powers on the ACTU and Bob Hawke. The film has long sequences in the Canberra tally room in March 1983, focuses on the Labor Conference of 1984 and culminates with the re-election of Hawke as Prime Minister.

The film has a number of authentic interviews with such people as Michael Gill of The Age, Anthony McAdam? of Quadrant (putting forward a Right Wing point of view), David Combe, Mark Aarons, Dennis Freeny, Paul Lyneham, P.P. McGuinness? and reporters from the Financial Review. These are quite well inserted into the main story of a journalist trying to build up programs, well researched, on Australian contemporary politics.

There is an interesting insert at beginning and end with academic/actor John Flaus portraying a Catholic priest in the confessional talking about the influence of the Catholic church (with help from excerpts from Phil Noyce's Newsfront). Artist Gwenda Wiseman, an artist for the BLF, appears as herself. Screenplay and direction are by John Hughes with the assistance of his producer Paul Davies (who appears, not to advantage, as a journalist, George).

The film in many ways preaches to the converted - but it is an interesting contribution to the development of Australian cinema.

1.The impact of the film as a feature, as fiction, as documentary? Its contribution to the Australian film industry?

2.Political and social stances: a critique of the '80s, the '80s and retrospect, the political Left? The research basis of the film? Allegations of bias? Options and opinions? The range of the selection of visual material, interviews? Settings and comment? the Australian Labor Party, Labor governments, the ACTU? American influence? The CIA?

3.The cinema qualities of the film: the narrative and research genre and conventions? The realistic atmosphere? Locations in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne? The authentic flavour of the '80s? The flashbacks? The suggestions in the opening sequences: the killing of the American journalist in the '50s, the plane journey to Canberra and the crossword puzzle? The confessional sequences? The editing of the interviews - facts, selection of contributions from the interviewees? Their settings? The focusing on the processes of radio and television editing? Live action? The narrative? Explanations and personalities? Meshing well together?

4.The title and its sinister tones: traps and pitfalls, traps as snares to catch people, people being trapped? The relevance of the comment on traps to political and social situations?

5.The focus on Jude and her work, her work in the past, her commitment, to minority radio? Her dedication to her research? Visits to Canberra and presence at the Labor Party conference, her home in Melbourne, her work there, interviews, the visit to Sydney? Talking and listening? Seeing her at work on her editing? Her friendships - Gwenda, George and the discussions about the Whitlam era, the changes in the '80s? Her own stances?

6.The sketch of Gwenda as an artist, her work for the Builders' Labourers' Federation - as a kind of chorus to Jude's work, her friendship, her art, the critique of her art, her criticisms of men and authority? The taking of her art in procession? Her support for Jude?

7.The sketch of George - as a journalist, his fixations, his interpretation of 1975 and messages coming through crosswords (and his joke about this), his focus on works and their significance? Friendship with Jude?

8.The sequences with Father Coghlan: the confessional and its implications, his showing the excerpts from Newsfront in the confessional! The role of the Catholic church and faith, its hold on truth? The focus on 1951, Our Lady of Fatima and the alleged Fatima Secrets, the visions of 1917 and the Bolshevik Revolution? The use of Newsfront to show the atmosphere in the church at the time, the role of the priest, anti-Communism, the reaction of the laity? The transition to the role of the church, the National Civic Council and its certainties? The interview with John Grenville and his assessment of the NCC? The comments on B.A. Santamaria? The impact of the confessional scene at first? Towards the end of the film and the comments on faith and truth? (And the short sequence where John Flaus walks along a Melbourne street and greets Jude?)

9.The understating of Australian history from the '50s: the Communist menace, the influence of the United States, the CIA, the Petrov affair, critique of ASIO and its influence, the Whitlam era, the dismissal and its repercussions? The use of Marian Wilkinson's film Allies, the excerpts, the reviews, the reception afterwards, the interview with her and the purpose of a film exposing American CIA activities and their influence in Australia?

10.The interviews concerning the United States, the influence on the ACTU, on Bob Hawke? The relationship between Hawke and the Americans? The 1983 election, the tally room, the role of television (and making politics a media event), the contrast with 1984? The discussions about uranium and Hawke's stand? The bulb going off and Hawke's expletive `Jesus Christ' and his laugh afterwards? The point of the repetition of this? December 1984 and the end of the film - the prospected for the Hawke government, the influence of business, Labor Party policy?

11.The scenes in the tally room, the authentic atmosphere, the explanations of the set-up - interesting cinema, documentary, contribution to the film?

12.The interview with Anthony McAdam? and the point of view of the Right, his writings in the Melbourne Herald and Quadrant? His comments on the Combe affair? His defence of the Prime Minister? His analysis of the Vietnam War and its impact on university students, their radicalisation? The critique of his viewpoint?
13.The interviews with journalists: Michael Gill of The Age, Mark Aarons and his comments about ABC programming, Dennis Freeney and his work on The Tribune - research and articles, Paul Lyneham and his work at Channel 7 and the editing of news programs, the Financial Review and its influence, the journalist, the factions, P.P. McGuinness? and his policy? The comment on the newspapers making the agenda of meetings and the television and the radio media with their duty of telling stories?

14.The impact of the sequences on the Labor conference and how it works, personalities, the factions and their roles, decisions, the openness of such meetings to the media?

15.The portrait of David Combe, the political crisis, the Ivanov affair? In himself, in relationship to the film Allies and ASIO? His presence at the Labor conference, his explaining the workings of the conference? Combe as a personality in himself, for the film?

16.The film's political consciousness, communication of information, critique? The presentation of facts but the importance of interpretation? The nature of decisions, the influences on decisions? Conspiracies?

17.The film's portrayal of the role of media: the newsprint media, permanence, setting agendas? The role of radio - especially interviews? The role of relationship and its ability to tell stories rather than set agendas and analyse? The comment of P.P. McGuinness? that the tabloid papers are for entertainment? Who judges what is to be put in? Editing and censorship? Seeing Paul Lyneham and his techniques for editing a television program, timing etc? Jude doing the same with her own research?

18.The role of a political film in Australia? Its potential audience? Its effect?