MAN OF LETTERS

Australia, 1984, 83 minutes, Colour.
Warren Mitchell, Dinah Shearing, Carole Raye, Arna Maria Winchester, Genevieve Mooy, Judy Connelli, Steve Jacobs, Pat Bishop, John Clayton.
Directed by Chris Thomson.

Man of Letters was one of a series of telemovies produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and shown in 1984. This film was based on a novel by Glenn Tomasetti. The film was directed by Chris Thomson (Waterfront, The Empty Beach).

The film has an unusual subject for Australian films: an academic, universities and government bureaucracy (especially for the film industry). It portrays a self-satisfied man who is successful on the surface but, during the film, undergoes a psychological collapse. Warren Mitchell is excellent in the title role. He is well supported by a strong cast led by Dinah Shearing. Both Warren Mitchell and Dinah Shearing won Penguin Awards for their performances. The film captures the artificial atmosphere of the university, the Film Commission and its discussions as well as the brittle success of affluent suburbia. The film finally focuses on the relationships between men and women, assumptions about role stereotypes and the threat of emerging feminism.

1. An interesting telemovie? Entertaining? For the A.B.C. audience? The appeal to the popular audience - or not? Success in presenting a serious and offbeat film? For Australian audiences, overseas?

2. The adaptation of a novel? Transfer to the television screen? Colour photography - the use of Canberra and city locations, homes, the university, the Film Corporation, the mental institution? A particular world of academia and wealth and its environment? A 'cultured' world? The ivory tower, the blend of reality and unreality? Mental breakdown? Realism blended with the styles for the breakdown? Musical score?

3. The presentation of the Australian academic atmosphere? The intellectuals, the world of philosophy? The world of the media, film corporations? Real, rarefied atmosphere? Art and reality? Pretensions? Movements and trends? Minorities? Finance allotted and its rationale? The members of the committees? Change? How accurate the portrait? How satiric?

4. The title and its literary allusions? The literal meaning of Sir Dorton and his correspondence? Sir Dorton and the recipients of his letters. a communication of mind - as an alternate to physical communication? The film as a critique of the man of such letters? His image, arrogance, fears, unwillingness to face reality, unwillingness for face-to-face communication? The focus on sexual relationships? A literate and intellectual sexual relationship?

5. Warren Mitchell as Dorton: his career, knighthood? His work in philosophy - how wise a man was he? His delight in things intellectual? Sensual compensation? His wife and his affairs? His children - not seeing the grandchild born? The party? The fruits of his career? His membership of the Film Corporation Board? Reactions? The other board-members' reactions to him? His qualifications? The encounter with Ursula and her memories of her virginity? Doona and sensuality? The argument with Con: films, ideology, relationships, the lunch together, the visit, the lesbian encounter and its physical reality and his reaction? His fear, revulsion, breakdown? His wife, antagonism, ignoring her, his return? The collapse? The party? The thinker not able to cope with reality? The asylum and his committal, treatment, healing? His return, alive - and antagonistic?

6. Dorton's wife, in herself, his version of her, the facts and realities? Her skills, plant-growing, presidency of the organisation? Her ability to cope, exasperation, relationship with the children, the birth? The final relationship
with him?

7. The portraits of Ursula, Doona? In reality, his versions of them, receiving his letters?

8. Con and the meeting, attractive, Dorton imagining her sensually, the reality of the lunch, the lesbian background and relationship. the brutal turning on Dorton, their taunting him?

9. The Film Commission - the film's comments on membership. attitudes, apportioning of money? Real, satiric?

10. The portrait of the family, Sir Dorton's daughter, son-in-law?

11. The affluent background? middle class money, intellectuals, culture? Films?

12. Themes of men and women, roles and stereotypes? A feminist tone in the film? The critique of man? Image and reality? Sex. sexuality and sensuality? Theory and reality? Fears and coping?