BURKE AND WILLS

Australia, 1985, 140 minutes, Colour.
Jack Thompson, Nigel Havers, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Fargher, Arthur Dignam, Chris Haywood, Ralph Cotteril, Drew Forsythe, Hugh Keays Byrne.
Directed by Graeme Clifford.

Burke and Wills was one of the most spectacular films made in Australia. It had a large budget, location photography in the areas in which Burke and Wills explored. It was directed by Graeme Clifford, writer-editor who became a noted Hollywood director with his biography of Frances Farmer, Frances with Jessica Lange.

The film is presented in the epic style. It focuses on Melbourne in the 1860s, the trek towards the Gulf of Carpentaria through northern Victoria, western New South Wales, Queensland to Cooper's Creek. The voyage was ill-fated poorly organised by the moneyed powers in Victoria, wilfully led by Robert O'Hara Burke, wilfully ignoring the help that might have been gained from the aborigines. These themes are strong in the film.

Jack Thompson is strong as Burke. Nigel Havers is, by way of contrast, gentle and loyal as Wills. There are some interesting supporting performance from Matthew Cargher as King. The film highlights the adventure of the period. the political and financial wranglings, the attitudes of British supremacy at the time. Aboriginal themes are well explored.

Photography is by Russell Boyd. There is a Peter Sculthorpe musical score. (At the same time, a small-budget parody: Wills and Burke, the Untold Story was made with Garry Mc Donald and Kym Gyngell in the central roles. While it was more historically accurate at times, it parodied the foibles of Burke and Wills as well as of the Establishment, it was no cinematic rival to this film.)

1. The quality of the film? Its impact, acclaim? Interest? Appeal? Australian audiences? International audiences?

2. Budget, re-creation of period: Melbourne, the Princess Theatre, the Outback: the desert locations, Cooper's Creek, the Gulf of Carpentaria, the sea? Panavision photography, landscapes, desertscapes? The contrast with the English sequences? The musical score, themes, songs, 'I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls'?

3. The structure of the film: Wills' remark, the transition to the desert? The sequence recurring? The expedition, the drive behind it, the memories of each man? Memories and fantasies interspersed with the exploration? The Melbourne sequences interspersed with the desert? The finale, King's speech, the flashback to the death of Burke and Wills? The dramatic impact of this structure? Heightening the drama and the tragedy?

4. Audience knowledge of Australian history, the explorers? Facts and difficulties? The challenge of the continent? Rivalries of explorers, their backers? The expertise and lack of expertise, heroism, folly?

5. The exploration and the experience of 19th century British Empire expanding? The colonies? Australian landscapes? Colonial atmosphere? presumptions about civilisation? Fame and honour? Conquering the land (as for Burke?) Seeing the land (as for Wills)? Scientists and their achievement? The exploiters of the land? Problems of communications, supplies, alien landscapes, the relationship with the aborigines? The opening up of the land for white settlement?

6. The aboriginal background - and the perspective of the 1800s? Australian consciousness? The land being that of the aborigines, their being in harmony, surviving for thousands of years, peaceful? The suspicious attitudes of the 19th century explorers? The ignoring of culture, the clashes and challenge of culture? Burke not understanding, suspicious, finally hostile? Wills willing to learn? Suspicions and shooting? The caves, the caves as the equivalent of a church? The initiation ceremonies, the dances, the painting, the wall-paintings, the sacredness of the atmosphere, the land and the animals? Hunting, fishing? The ironic humour of the cricket match and throwing back the cricket ball, the gifts, the fish and the cricket bat? The aborigines tracking Burke and Wills, miming the funny stories in their dances? Their respect for the dead? healing King? The possible harmony between black and white? The black guide and his explanations? Insight into black-white relationships in the 19th. century?

7. The Geographical Society, its ambitions,-.fanfare? The setting for the expedition? Business and financial backing?. The elders and their decisions? The choice of Burke? Belief in him? Wills, his father, the letters? The hesitations? The rivalry with John McDowall? Stuart? Not paying the wages, abandoning the expedition? News coming through too late? The press conference and the humiliation of Kyte? Conscience? King and his speech, the text given to him, the gold oath, his putting it down? His being moved to speak? The applause and the standing ovation? The critique of the Geographical Society?

8. Burke and his police background, Irish, attitude towards civilisation, reputation for being lost? The infatuation with Julia Matthews, the return from Essendon? The night with her? His later imagining their wedding and the celebration? Burke as leader, relentless? The clash with Landells about the camels, the rum, crossing the Murray? Landells pulling out? Hiring Wright at Menindee? The bond with Wills? Sharing vision, loyalty? The experience of the expedition, Cooper's Creek and the aborigines, cricket, decisions. going towards the Gulf? The wisdom in his decision - or not? His leaving William behind? The harshness of the desert, the achievement of* the Gulf? The exhilaration on the shore? The return, the hunger, the swamps? Greg and his stealing the flour, his flogging him? The burial and the loss of a day, his motivations? The return to Cooper's Creek, hallucinations, the bagpipe? His death? The tragedy - although a great show? The achievement of Burke, his place in Australian history and exploration?

9. The contrast with Wills: the opening, the English family, the game in the maze, his quest to get out, his sister's anxiety? The transition to the expedition and his being lost? His father and his support, the chat with Burke? The letter and the watch for his father at the end? The expedition, his knowledge, determination? Keeping the diary, the narrative voice-over device? His estimate of the expedition, of Burke? Travel, progress, observations? The dilemma about the sepoy and the eating of pork? The difficulties in crossing the Murray? Difficulties at Menindee? The clashes, going to Cooper's Creek? The terrain, the loss of the compass? At Cooper's Creek, the aborigines, the gift of the cricket bat? The wisdom of the dash to the Gulf? The four, relating to the travel and the heat, water and food, the compass lost, the aborigines, the sea and the achievement? Going back, the hardships, the death of the camels, Grey stealing the flour, the flagging and the sense of duty, the burial and the dag lost, the struggle, his feet, the maze memory, the arrival, the decision to go on, the clash with Burke, the aborigines, his death? His achievement?

10. Grey as the grizzled explorer, age, experience, antagonism and hostility towards the aborigines, suffering from the heat, his throat, his stealing the flour, being flogged, his discussion about religion and prayer with King, his philosophy about God, death, burial? King' s memory of him? the watch ?

11. King and his youthfulness, amongst the final four, earnest, his praying, the funeral and his prayer for Grey? Being helped by the aborigines, the return to Melbourne, encouragement of Julia Matthews, reading his text, his spontaneous speech, his memory of the achievement?

12. The Members of the expedition: the Scotsman, his fishing, the bagpipes, presence at the final speech and his applause? The man at Cooper's 'Creek, delirium, shooting the rats, hostile to the aborigines? the trust given to him, German background, watching the distances, with his telescope, the decision to leave, burying the supplies, his return, presence at the final speech?

13. Landells and his eccentricity, dress, the camels, bringing then from India, his stances against Burke, the crossing of the Murray, the problem of the rum, his return, presence at the end?

14. Wright and his skills, not leaving Menindee, demanding his money, his presence, at the final speech - and his consciousness of what had happened?

15. Kyte and society, the money, his infatuation with Julia Matthews, his wife, not sending the money, elegant meals, with the members of the Geographic Society, discussions, Julia Matthews' concert and the news about the expedition? The hostility of the press? His trying to save face at the end? His humiliation? Sir William, and the other authorities, their motives, decisions? Kyte's wife, society, disdain for Julia Matthews, presence at the theatre and concerts, her standing at the end?

16. Julia Matthews and her background in the theatre, at the launching of the expedition, in the public eye, her song, 'I Dreamt that I dwelt in Marble Halls', the infatuation of the night with the concert and her concern and attack on the aristocracy, her place in Burke's fantasy, her support of King at the end, the ring and her declaration of being Burke's wife?

17. A piece of Australiana, 19th century exploration? failure? The memory of the expedition? Success and failure?