THE GOLDEN CAGE
Australia, 1975, 75 minutes, Colour.
Ilhan Kyululu, Sait Mendsoglu, Katie Sheil, Ceser Rozerio.
Directed by Ayten Kyululu.
The Golden Cage and A Handful of Dust are two short features by Turkish writerdirector Ayten Kyululu. They were produced with the assistance of the Australia Council - and contribute to some understanding of Turkish migrants trying to establish themselves in Australia.
The theme of ethnic groups in Australia has not been explored very much in the Australian features of the '70s. Tom Cowan made Promised Woman, a look at a bride brought out from Greece and then rejected by her fiance and having to cope in Sydney. Caddie and Cathy's Child, both directed by Donald Crombie,
focus on Greek migrants as does Paul Cox's Kostas. There are many worthwhile contemporary stories to be filmed in the light of Australia's multicultural and multinational situation.
These films are beginner's work - but as such show a great deal of sophistication and knowledge of film-making. At times they are wordy, at times they move to the merely melodramatic. At times there is too much contrivance. A Handful of Dust, though short, makes more immediate impact because of the moving performance by Vedat Cevikoz as a dignified and victimised middle-aged Turkish woman. The two men at the centre of The Golden Cage, while sympathetic, do not elicit the same kind of audience response.
Kyululu had the assistance of a number of people who were to make their mark in the resurgent Australian film industry - Esben Storm and Richard Moir helped with A Handful of Dust; Russell Boyd photographed The Golden Cage and Philip Noyce was assistant director. These films illustrate the experimental films of the '70s which had value in themselves but which developed into a group of feature films of small budget but serious intention.
1. The continued work of the writer-director? The development from A Handful of Dust? Filming in 1975 and the precedents in the industry in Australia by then? Russell Boyd's colour photography? The musical score - blend of eastern and western music?
2. The film's contrasting Sydney and Istanbul, Australia and Turkey? The devices of editing for intercutting? The devices of memories and evocations of Turkey? The emphasis on distance between the two worlds? The contrasts of style of the two cultures - especially with the picture of St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, and the mosques of Istanbul and the overlay of sound contrasting the two cultures? The differences in manner, dancing, the sounds of the cities, food - e.g. the men eating meat pies during the lunch hour in Sydney? The importance of the visual impact of the detail? The impact of the range of music and sounds? The flashback techniques for indicating themes as well as the feelings and insights of the characters?
3. How well did the film focus on the problems of migrants? Dreams, money, background in the old country, family ties and expectations, pressures, customs and the translating of customs to Australia, work, accommodation, friendships, loneliness, interaction with Australians?
4. The insight into the migrants' lifestyle, attitudes, hopes, fears? How persuasive was the portraying of pressures on the two men and their contrasting reactions? How well did the film present the two men as the focus of the themes? What they had in common? Differences?
5. The pace of the film and its frequently being drawn out, the final rushing of plot material? The quality and style of the moralising?
6. The initial focus on the two men? Their different personalities? Their lives intertwined? Mutual dependence? The contrast of their response. attitudes towards achievement and dreams? Living, dying? What was the audience left with after meting these two men?
7. Murat and his hopes in Australia, his memories of Turkey and the girl in Turkey? His visiting again for his sister's wedding and fulfilling of the traditions? His work in Australia, the building up to buying the truck? The outing with the prostitute yet his memories of the past? His relationship with Ayhan, lending him money, listening to him? The reconstructing of their arrival in Australia - airport, the hotel in Darlinghurst, card-playing, lavatory work, money obligations? Murat's establishing himself? His loneliness but a sense of direction? His response to Ayhan's throwing himself in the harbour? His finally having to claim Ayhan's body? The possibility of his making a success of his life?
8. Ayhan and his memories of his arrival, and his later helping the newly arrived Turks when seeing Murat off at the airport, the hotel and its memories, work in the lavatories, his work in the restaurant, the attraction towards Sarah and his advances, receiving the butts of Sarah's escort, the talks with the Vietnamese pianist, his seeking advice from Murat and money from him, his moods, depressions, being rescued from the harbour, Sarah and her phone number, the visit, the tentative approach, the liaison, dream of marriage and his letter home, the pressures from family for her to become a Muslim, the visit to St. Mary's Cathedral, to the drug party, the continued liaison but the estrangement, his brutality towards Sarah, her leaving, his discovering that she was pregnant, her family bashing him, his drinking and his wandering up to the rooftops during the camera session, his falling and the final glimpse of him lying on the slab dead?
9. How typical were these two men of the ordinary migrant? Their not being special but their having their own needs, ambitions and dreams? Abilities to cope? Memories, depression, hopes?
10. Sarah and the introduction to her at the restaurant, her illness, Ayhan's infatuation, her visits with the mocking businessman, giving her phone number, the visit and the talk, the sexual liaison, her attraction towards a Turkish man, the possibility of her living in Istanbul, the visit to the cathedral, the clash in the bedroom and her leaving? What they had in common, what was so different? The differences of religion, the status and expectations of Australian women and freedom? Her standing by when he was bashed? Her having her child? The film's comment on the Australian's reaction to the Turkish migrant?
11. The detail of Turkish customs, marriage, sending money home? The visual contrast between Sydney and Istanbul - water, bridges, buildings, mosques and cathedrals, people and crowds, families? The new buildings of Istanbul and the apartment blocks similar to those of any city?
12. The picture of Australian working conditions, hospitals, cleaning jobs, work on the harbour, conditions and pay, the loneliness of the migrant during lunch hours? Restaurants?
13. The Vietnamese pianist and his chorus comments, his moralising with Ayhan, especially at the bus stop?
14. The Australian types: the wealthy businessman, the people at the party and the singer, the hostile old lady talking to Ayhan about Sarah, Sarah's brutal father and brothers?
15. The value of this kind of film for insight into the problems as well as emotional response to them?
