VISITORS
Australia, 2002, 89 minutes, Colour.
Radha Mitchell, Susannah York, Ray Barrett, Dominic Purcell.
Directed by Richard Franklin.
Visitors was the last film by director Richard Franklin (Patrick, Psycho II, Cloak and Dagger, Hotel Sorrento).
The film is a blend of drama at sea and ghost stories. Radha Mitchell plays a young woman, a skilled sailor, who plans a long sole sea voyage. Her partner is played by Dominic Purcell, who had failed in his attempt at a lone voyage. Her genial father is played by Ray Barrett, her neurotic mother by Susannah York.
During the voyage, she talks to her pet cat, whom she had rescued from the boat. He talks back to her, indicating the mental state of the young woman. As the voyage continues, there are flashbacks to her relationship to her father, confrontations with her mother, tensions with her boyfriend, the plans for sponsorship for her voyage.
As she continues, she has nightmares, apparitions of her parents, her chatty aunts, a Maori, from the company, and vicious pirates, whom she had encountered on the high seas. For some sanity, she talks to her boyfriend by phone each night, as well as to an American sailor who is concerned about her trip.
The film depends on Radha Mitchell and her screen presence. It is interesting to see both Ray Barrett and Susannah York.
Apart from the psychological dimensions of dreams and apparitions, the film makes points about the loneliness of a sailor in such a long voyage.
1. An Australian drama? Sailing? Psychological drama, imagination, ghosts?
2. The Melbourne setting, the yacht club, Melbourne society? Business companies? Offices?
3. The sea, calm, rough? The yacht on the water? Under water? Ships in the distance? The pirates?
4. The situation, Georgia and her parents? Her skill in sailing? Her wanting to break the record? Her determination? Her personality? Love for her father? Exasperation with her mother, the flashbacks and the confrontations? The accident and its consequences?
5. Bill, at the social and the launch, love for his daughter, the accident, leaving his wife? His boat?
6. Carolyn, the result of the accident, her mental states, antagonism towards her husband, blaming Georgia? Institutions?
7. The death of both parents while Georgia was at sea?
8. Luke, the relationship with Georgia? His own attempt at a record? Georgia holding this over him? The sponsorship? Casey? Georgia not willing? Suspicions?
9. The calls from Luke, his concern, the relationship with Casey, Georgia’s suspicions and erratic behaviour?
10. The pirates and their violence? Boarding the boat? Georgia and her concern about not having human contact and so staying in the competition?
11. The friend in the ship, the contact, his warnings, concern?
12. The importance of the apparitions on the ship? The seeming real to Georgia? Then the sight and disappearances? The New Zealand man and his attraction? Dressed as a Maori warrior? The various visits of her father, his friendliness, encouragement, intimations of his death, his reliance on the Georgia finishing? The appearances of her mother, angry, cantankerous, the fights and arguments, the slaps, her mother blaming her for ruining her life? Georgia and her defeating her mother?
13. Luke and Casey, waiting at the end? The people at the pavilion, the announcer?
14. Georgia sailing into Port Philip Bay, her achievement, her motivation in turning back, going to New Zealand, a different future?
