SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY

Australia, 1975, 94 minutes, Colour.
Jack Thompson, Max Cullen, Reg Lye, Robert Bruning, Peter Cummins, John Ewart, Sean Scully, Lisa Peers, Greg Apps.
Directed by Ken Hannam.

Sunday Too Far Away: the South Australian Film Corporation was pleased with and proud of its achievement in this film. It is entertaining in its vivid portrayal of the shearers as personalities, their hard work, competitiveness, rivalries, friendships, the pathos of their loneliness and drinking. There is a lot of flavour which gives a strong impression of authenticity and there is social comment at the end. Jack Thompson proves his worth as an actor in a more subtle performance as Foley and there is excellent support from Max Cullen as the organiser and Reg Lye as an ageing alcoholic shearer. A fine Australian film.

1. The reputation of the film? Its exploration of Australian themes, skilfully? Its appeal to Australian audiences, overseas audiences?

2. The portrayal of Australia and an aspect of its way of life? The memory about pioneers, working on the land, sheep? The ethos of the Australian worker? The Australian working character moulded by the experience of the outback, the myths about mateship and work? The spirit of the Australian worker, language? How well could a city audience identify with this experience of shearers?

3. The colour photography, South Australian locations, the atmosphere of the outback, the deserts, the towns? The homestead, the shearing sheds, the rooms for the workers? The atmosphere of the homesteads? The skill of the editing, especially in presenting the work in the sheds? Music, the title song?

4. The significance of the title, a working week, Sunday as a break day and how it was lived? The song and its lyrics indicating the meaning? Work, the individuals at work, a men's way of life and outlook? Drinking? Or looking at tomorrow's sheep?

5. The significance of the 1955 setting? The contrast with later decades? Work in that year, the pace of life and style? The significance of the shearers' strike that year, its effect on sheep, the industry, the men working, scab labour, the insult?

6. The structure of the film and the audience entering with Foley: his driving, introduction to his personality, the crash and its effect on him? His walking into the town? Indications of his reputation, memories, self-image, time passing? The situation of the wandering shearer? Living in the past and in the hopes of the present? The importance of the encounter with Tim King and the possibility of a new season? Audience interest in the characters, work, what was to happen?

7. Comment on the characterization of Foley: Jack Thompson's appearance, style, language? The champion young shearer with his memories of the past and being gun shearer and his moving to middle-age? The importance of reputation? The skill that this entailed, the importance of being at the top, the fear of losing technique, skill? Rivalry? Foley as confident and cheeky, joking? The bonds with the men in the bar, with Ivy and her support of him? As symbolized in the challenge by Frankie Davis and the bet? Foley as a leader?

8. The contrast with the characterization of Tim King: a shearer who had succeeded in the business side of things but not perfectly? His interest in the work, a worrier, his office? His deals, tricking the men? Driving them out and then telling them the truth? The mateship allowing the men to stay with him despite being tricked? The importance of the contractor in his hiring, managing? His role and status as a contractor and therefore being excluded from the meetings of the men? Their placing him in an authority role? The demands they make for example about the cook, eliminating the owner from the shed? How interesting a delineation of an ordinary type and character?

9. The presentation of the men as Australian workers: their divisions, union outlook, bosses, offhand elections of representatives, the role of the representative, the distancing of the manager? The importance of showing the owner as prying, stop-work? Eliminating him from the sheds? Discussions about the possibility of the daughter watching? The importance of money, rules in the shearing shed as regards timing, competition, results? The ways of recreation and their limitations in the outback? Limited in expectations? Drinking, talking, writing letters, looking at tomorrow's sheep?

10. The significance of Arthur Black as the rival to Foley? His appearance, type, serious? His skill? The importance of the rivalry as visualized? Its meaning for Arthur Black and his nickname? For Foley? (The humorous irony of the rivalry with Ugly - even to the ability to wash, the comic nature of the washing sequence in the bath house?)

11. The gallery of the men: Ugly and his humorous style, language, stories, support of Foley? Tom as a more serious type? Basher? Beresford and his marriage and the writing of letters? Jim the learner and his telling lies and cutting the sheep but being allowed to stay on? Michael Simpson and his eagerness in the town, the comedy of his opening and shutting the gate, his learning out in the sheds?

12. The portrayal of the owner and the attitude of the men towards him as wealthy, a possible oppressor? Contracts with him, eliminating him from the shed? The daughter and her loneliness, the suggestion of frustration and isolation, her catching Foley with the lemon essence, blackmailing him to watch the sheep? Her watching and it not meaning so much to her?

13. The humour and the reality about the cooks, the lemon essence, the personalities of the cooks, the story about the making of the rissoles? The horrible food, Foley provoking the fight after the lemon essence? The humorous fastidiousness of the new cook?

14. The character of Old Garth: in himself, an old shearer, his ability to work, the story of his life, the scenes with him and Foley in the room, continual drinking, insulted at being called an alcoholic, the clashes with Foley but the pathos of his death? The mercenary attitude of the undertaker? (A vision of Foley in the future?)

15. The build-up to the competitiveness between Foley and Arthur Black? The suddenness of the strike? The deflated atmosphere, the return to town, the big money, the drinking, the gambling and going through the money so quickly? Foley back to nothing? The arrival of the scabs and the confrontation at the railway station? What future for the men, for Foley?

16. Themes of work, quality of life, expectations, class differences, egalitarianism, principles? A critic suggested that it showed the grandeur in limited people and situations. Is this correct?