HAMMERS OVER THE ANVIL

Australia, 1992, 102 minutes, Colour.
Charlotte Rampling, Russell Crowe, Alexander Outhred, Frankie J. Holden, Frank Gallacher.
Directed by Ann Turner.

Hammers Over the Anvil is an adaptation of an autobiographical book by novelist Alan Marshall. It is set in the early decades of the 20th century in a country town and re-creates the period well. Films of Marshall's books include his autobiography, I Can Jump Puddles, made by a Czech company in the 1970s. Gillian Armstrong also made a short film of his story One Hundred a Day.

Ann Turner directed the experimental short on religion and sexuality, Flesh on Glass, as well as Turtle Beach and Dallas Doll. The film was one of the earliest of Russell Crowe's Australian films. Alexander Outhred is very good as the young Alan and Frankie J. Holden gives another sturdy performance as his father.

The film focuses on life in the town where Alan Marshall's father is a storekeeper. Alan himself, suffering from a disabling disease, polio, uses crutches to walk and has a great desire to ride a horse. At the end, in order to help his friend East, he mounts a horse but is dragged to the town in order to help. He has to resign himself to being a writer.

The film focuses also on a young man who lives by himself, who is excellent in training horses. The other focus is the Mc Alister couple who have come from England. Grace Mc Alister (Charlotte Rampling) is an older woman who is restless and becomes infatuated with East. The film is from the point of view of Alan Marshall with his voice- over, commentary, observations on characters, and his discovery of sexuality. The film reminds us of The Go- Between where the young boy is made to be complicit in an affair. The film did not get much release at the time of its making, which is a pity as it has a great deal to offer. In hindsight, with the pairing of Russell Crowe and Charlotte Rampling, it would probably get far more attention these days.

1. Alan Marshall? His boyhood, crippled, ambitions to ride, ambitions to write? His later work? His perspective on his childhood?

2. The period settings, the décor, the town, buildings, the farms? The countryside? The musical score?

3. The title, the blacksmith's, the horses, the saying about the horseshoe being between the hammer and the anvil, being able to be shaped in any way? The scenes with Thomas the blacksmith illustrating this?

4. Alan Marshall, his age, experience? His dead mother, his storytelling about her, visiting her grave? His relationship with the rest of his family? With his father, the storekeeper, their bonds, the story-telling? His father angry with him when he found out about East? The clash between the two, each saying they hated each other? His being in hospital and the reconciliation with his father, his father reading his stories? The voice-over and his perspective? His putting East on a pedestal, the opening with East riding naked on the horses, Alan's admiration? The fascination with the Mc Alisters, his kissing Grace Mc Alister's hand? The long discussions with East, the friendship with Grace, the discussions, going to tea? His discovery of the sexual relationship? East losing his temper, Grace swearing him to secrecy? His being used at the dance to get Grace to meet East? People blaming him? His attempts to ride, trying to get on the horse and failing? Practising on the fence? His friendship with Joe, their shared experiences, kissing Lucy? His story and Joe's reading it about the ants in the tea, yet his continued friendship? Alan and his watching East riding, going out and finding him? Getting on the horse, lying on it, being dragged so that East could be treated by the doctor? The old lady, talking with her, the frosty nights, finding her dead? The finale in the hospital, seeing East as a vegetable, Grace taking him away? Settling down to life in the town?

5. The character of East, initially with the horses, naked in the river, riding the horses literally bareback? His way with them? His friendship with Alan, talking with him? Meeting Grace Mc Alister, her request about the horse, bringing him over? The beginning of the relationship, the sensuality? Their reaction to Alan seeing them? East and his growing desperation, dressing for the dance, calling Grace out through Alan? The dance, Mc Alister sending his steward, the fight? His riding desperately in the dark? Alan finding him, falling from his horse, the injuries, in the hospital, becoming a vegetable? Grace taking him to care for him?

6. Grace and her husband, from England, her restlessness? Wealth, fashion? Her husband's age, possessive of her, jealous? The visiting the store, the discussing of the materials and fabrics? Meeting East, the discussions about the horse, the bargaining for the price of the horse, the cup of tea? Alan and his witnessing the haggling? The affair with East? Her swearing Alan to silence? The dance, her trying to protect her husband, her touching East's face, her husband seeing it, the scene? His taking her away? Her coming in the night to take East away, the conversation with Alan about his being like a baby? A restless woman, ambitious, getting older, needing to settle down?

7. The Marshall family, the dead mother, the father and his keeping the store, giving himself to his children, the family scenes, the girls playing the piano? With his customers? At the dance? His fall-out with Alan, the reconciliation?

8. The blacksmith, as a preacher, his work, the competition with the pigs and Joe and Alan losing, Nellie winning, their seeing Nellie go into the barn, prying and seeing the sexual encounter? Her pregnancy, being sent off? Thomas and his threats to the boys? Their escaping him? His finally congratulating them?

9. Joe, family, poor, friends with Alan, sharing everything, playing together, his infatuation with Lucy, his pig not winning the competition? The story about the ants in the tea? Yet his remaining friends with Alan?

10. The old lady, mischief-making, the boys supporting her, hiding, going back for meals? The talk with Alan, her life, the frosty nights, Alan finding her dead?

11. The life of the town, the pig competition, the Catholic dance, shops, horse-training, the train coming, the ostrich sequence and East and Grace riding off to find the ostrich? The religious meetings? Families? The turn of the century and the beginning of a new era?