HOLY SMOKE

Australia, 1999, 114 minutes, Colour.
Kate Winslett, Harvey Keitel, Julie Hamilton, Pam Greer, Sophie Lee, Paul Goddard, Tim Robertson.
Directed by Jane Campion.

Holy Smoke is a return by writer-director Jane Campion to her black satiric style of her short films of the '80s and of Sweetie (1989). While there were these elements in The Piano and Portrait of a Lady, they are to the fore in this story, co-written with her sister Anna Campion, of a young woman from Sydney seeking spiritual enlightenment and finding it in India. However, in India she falls under the spell of a guru, abandoning family, her name, dress...

However, the family (portrayed in an ultra ocker way) are concerned and employ P.J. Waters, the alleged expert on deprogramming from the United States (Harvey Keitel). Later, his assistant (Pam Greer) arrives.

The film shows the confrontation between Winslett and Keitel, making Keitel seem a phoney like the guru in his breaking the boundaries in a sexual relationship with his client. Winslett excellently portrays the confused young woman, both insecure and seductive, the interaction of religion and sexuality in her search. Julie Hamilton is very good as the mother, Sophie Lee exaggerates (as what she calls in the production notes a "dingbat") as Winslett's sister-in-law.

While the film is critical of fashionable gurus and phoney conversions, it actually shows, for a younger generation, the actual searches that took place since the '60s in such countries as India for spiritual enlightenment.

1.The work of Jane Campion, her classics, her early work, satire and black comedy? The collaboration of her sister? The discussions with young people on their search for spirituality and enlightenment in India?

2.The title and its tone, serious and flippant? Suitable for the whole film?

3.The location photography in India, Delhi, its atmosphere? The contrast with the neat laid-out suburbs of San Souci? The contrast again with the Outback and the use of the Flinders Ranges dwarfing the characters in a magnificent desert environment? The musical score, the range of songs? Blend of East and West?

4.The Indian experience for young Australians, for young people from all over the world? Their age, experience, not settling, wanting to search? The westerners in Asia? A young girl, the trek, the atmosphere of the group, the peer pressure, egging each other on, the search? The charm of the guru, his mystique? Taking the promises personally, the love of the guru, the bride of the guru? Talk of universal love? Ruth adopting sari and Hindu names? Genuine and phoney? Her inability to see through the guru? The visualising of rituals and paraphernalia and their effect? The contrast between Ruth and Prue? The audience response to this Indian sequence and their own sympathies and antipathies towards gurus? Towards young people seeking such enlightenment?

5.Prue's arrival in Australia, scared, terrifying the family? Ruth's mother and her concern, her narrow Australian perspective, xenophobic, wondering about India, strange religions? Dad and his casual approach, in the house in his underpants - and later revelation of his behaviour with his secretary? The introduction to the rest of the family, the brother and his "dingbat" wife? Tim and his gay friend? How authentic a family, dysfunctional, caricatured?

6.The reaction to Prue and her story? Stan and his friendship, his spiel about deprogramming and the experts from America? Persuasive with the family, their decision about the money? The decision for Mum to go to India and bring Ruth home, the lie about her father's dying?

7.Mum in India, in an alien experience, the crowds, the dust and the dirt, the different ways of doing things, her observations? Meeting Ruth and her dismay? Her friends? Lying about Dad? Her being persuaded to look at the guru and her collapsing and being taken back home? Ruth accompanying her?

8.P.J. Walker and Harvey Keitel's performance, his arrival in Australia, his thinking himself above people, his own phoniness and spiels, yet his skills? Reaction to all the family, Yvonne and her approaches, Robbie and the security? His meeting Ruth, the initial attraction and antagonism? Travelling to the Outback?

9.Cate Winslett's presence and style as Ruth? Her reaction to the family, to P.J? Her insecurity yet hopes, her defensiveness? Her discovery of her father playing golf and her disillusionment? The support of the family, including Aunt Puss?

10.The drama of the confrontation between P.J. and Ruth? His speech to her, the conditions, the deal? The details of their interaction, the statistics of deprogramming? The isolation in the hut, their interactions, the program and the method, its structure? Ruth not keeping to it? Her hostility, adverse reaction to P.J., comments on his dyed hair and phoniness? Signalling help with the stones? The phone calls, the talk? Her understanding of the experience in India, explaining it? The value of P.J's insights, his own insecurity, experience? Sex and religion? Who was seductive? P.J. and his stating the boundaries, breaking them?

11.P.J. and the effect of breaking the boundaries, the sexual encounter, affection, love? The cover-up with the rest of the family, with Carol? The continued interactions? P.J. becoming as phoney as the guru in India? His allowing the outing to the pub, the fights, the drinking? The sexual encounter and Ruth making him put on the red dress, the effect on him, masculinity, macho attitudes, the feminine? The chase in the desert? Ruth and the collapse of her framework? Relating to the family?

12.Carol and her arrival, skills, help, confronting P.J? Her finally contributing to the deprogramming?

13.The sketch of the family, Yvonne and her sexual repression, her eccentricity, naivety? Robbie and his wanting to do the security, his own insecurity? Tim and his not being able to help?

14.What happened to Ruth, the experience, for her future? What happened to P.J., the breaking down of his self and expectations?

15.The aftermath and Ruth and her mother going to India, the father leaving, P.J. going back to America, Carol and the twins? The letters? The future?

16.Themes of the search for religion and spirituality? God and beyond? Relationships and needs? Advisers and their boundaries? Sexuality and religion? Solutions and no solutions?