GOODBYE PORK PIE

New Zealand, 1981, 102 minutes, Colour.
Tony Barry, Kelly Johnson.
Directed by Geoff Murphy.

Goodbye Pork Pie was one of the earlier features of the New Zealand feature film revival of the late '70s. Other films included Sleeping Dogs, Skin Deep, Smash Palace. The film takes the conventions of the road movie, American style. There are echoes of Easy Rider and so many road movies with cars and odd groups. However, the film has an atmosphere of New Zealand, not only in its excellent use of location photography and a feel for the country, but also in the New Zealand enjoyment of outlaw figures and gangs and making them heroes. The performances are good, especially by Tony Barry as John. The film is lightweight - but shows competence in film-making and contributed to the development of the New Zealand industry.

Geoff Murphy went to Hollywood for a career directing popular, mainly, action films.

1. An entertaining New Zealand production? New Zealand atmosphere, tone? For New Zealand audience? International audiences?

2. The conventions of road films: on the move, an overview of the country, cities and countryside. picaresque adventures, characters described on the move, the highlighting of vehicles. speed. clashes with the law? Action, police clash. accidents? A popular version of the old quest theme? The larrikin tone of this kind of film? Laughs, irony? A successful New Zealand version?

3. The scope of the film: Auckland to Invercargill? The range of New Zealand cities and their stock? The variety of New Zealand landscapes? Boats, trains, cars? New Zealand from top to bottom?

4. Colour photography. the use of locations? Ordinary citizens. the feel of the city? The audience able to identify with characters and places? Stunt work. special effects. editing? The songs. musical score?

5. The conventional story - with the unconventional? Audience identification and understanding? Being on side with the characters? The popularity of outlaw figures? The defying of the establishment, the law? Gangs and public sympathy? The heroes caught up in their own world. believing their own publicity? This small gang and its response as a microcosm?

6. The establishing of the characters, their lives being intertwined by accident? Their being together, their lives meshing, sharing quest and purpose? Their being joined by Sue and her goal? The device of having the television cover their journey so that the public could understand their adventures and see the group as a gang working together?

7. The introduction to Gerry: age. out of work, known to the police, known in the town, stealing the purse? The employment office? The cars and his love for them. deals? His knowledge of cars, enjoyment of speed? His picking up John? The clash with the police and their giving his name for further pursuit?

8. The contrast with John and the break-up of the affair, the scenes in the flat, the taxi, the airport, no change? His pursuing to the airport and then returning? The television and the telephone call? His pursuing Sue to the airport? His having to let her go?

9. The beginning of the adventures: the police interrogating the woman whose purse was stolen, the devices for getting the petrol and the drinks without paying for them and the repetition of the stunt? Shirl and the crash and giving her a lift? The growing interaction between the three? Talk - with the emphasis on sex? The pursuit and the bet?

10. The group getting on well together, the details of their friendship, talking. curiosity, revealing character? Their arrival at Wellington and the deals with selling the radio and parts of the car for drugs? The drug party and the encounter again with Shirl? Gerry and the sexual liaison with Shirl? The escape into the train? The setting up of the temporary home in the train? The decor? The irony of Shirl's being arrested -and the photos and television?

11. The trip to the south, the trip between islands, the train ride? The police and the road blocks? The irony of John and Gerry getting so far? The encounter at the shop with the fat father and his family - and later their
being used for comedy routine because of the same coloured car?

12. The pursuits and chases around the mountains of the South Island? The police? Accidents? John making sure the policeman was rescued? The genial gang and sympathy?

13. Their encounter with Mad Murphy? His talk? Bargaining and salesmanship? His home, the baby, the woman? His telling the police? The change of tone and style of character with Murphy and his madness?

14. The end of the pursuit. getting rid of more and more parts of the car, the litter on the road? The stopping at the shop, the chase at the toilet? The build-up to some kind of culmination - Gerry and the accident and his dropping out of the quest? John driving through all the barriers?

15. The cemetery sequence? The irony of John being able to arrive at Sue's sister's place? The irony of the sexual encounter and John's final appearance at the door?

16. How well did the film sketch John's character: age. type. work. purpose,, friends throughout New Zealand. the drug scene. parties. his attitudes, friendship with Gerry, the father figure. decision to carry on as part of the gang. his sense, stupidity, loyalties? The larrikin ending?

17. The contrast with Gerry as the young unemployed, daredevil. wanting some kind of achievement, nothing to lose, relationship with Shirl? His humorous (but perhaps trendy) attitude with the imitation of the Marx Bros? The significance of the name of the gang - Blondini - and the way that he used it?

18. The character of Shirl - the girl on the road? Contrast with Sue and her sister?

19. The effect of this kind of light-hearted road movie? The cheeky attitudes? Law and order? Popular folklore and the establishing of legends?