27A

Australia, 1974, 86 minutes, Colour.
Robert Mc Darra, Bill Hunter, Graham Corrie, Richard Moir, Haydn Keenan.
Directed by Esben Storm.

27A was one of the very striking films of the Australian film industry soon after its renaissance in 1972. It was written and directed by Esben Storm who was to direct In Search of Anna in 1978, With Prejudice (about the Ananda Marga trial) in 1982 and a number of children’s films for the Winners series. He also directed an interesting and provocative thriller about Aboriginal issues, Deadly.

The film focuses on a middle-aged man who is on the margins, a metho drinker. He joins AA in order to get some help. He undergoes a psychiatric examination and it is decided to hold him in an institution for the criminally insane. The reason for this is the Queensland Mental Health Act and its number 27A. His treatment in the institution is appalling.

Robert Mc Darra portrays Billy Donald, the alcoholic. It is a very strong performance. Mc Darra had appeared in a number of television series and appeared in Mad Dog Morgan the following year before his death. In the cast are Bill Hunter, one of the most reliable of Australian actors, who appeared in Ned Kelly in 1970, in most of the television series like Division 4 as well as making a name for himself in many Australian films, especially Newsfront and Gallipoli. A young Richard Moir, who worked for Storm in In Search of Anna, is also in the cast.

An interesting piece of social comment as well as a perspective on history of legislation about alcoholism and the criminally insane.

1. What was the overall impact of the film? Why?

2. How real did it seem? The explanation of the legislation about 27A? The reality of the character of Bill and the explanation of his beckround? The realism of the mental home? The realism of the Australian setting and Bill's ecapes from the home? The brutal realism of the interaction between patients and nurses? the kindliness of the doctor? How important was this sense of realism for the success of the -film?

3. Where were your sympathies? Did you symp-athise entirely with Bill? What defects of character besides his alcoholism? Were you sympathetic with Peter the doctor? Why? dislike of Cavendish? of the young assistant in the asylum and his change from ordinary clerk to LSD victim? What of Billy's daughter? How did this playing of sympathies give a rich response to this particular film and make its impact more telling?

4. How typical an Australian was Billy? Comment on the techinque of the film's comnunicating his background, a file? What had reduced him to the state he was in at the beginning of the film? Whose fault was it? Wife and family? His own? The war? What were you impressions of Billy's life in the early days at the hospital? The treatment that he received? His being pushed around, the loneliness of his room, communication by whisper between walls?

5. Was Cavendish a realistic figure? Was he too brutal? What motivated him? Was he power-addicted? Did he have any sympathy for the people that he helped? His philosophy of not being emotional? His dislike of the doctors? Was he too much of a caricature for audience sympathy? Was this fair to nurses in hospitals who do similar kind of work? Were you sorry when he was killed? Why?

6. How interesting a character was Dr Peter? The contrast of his treatment of Billy with Cavendish's? The use of first names, the casual talking, Billy's suspicions, his change of attitude, the playing of golf together and Billy's reminiscing? What effect did Peter's treatment have on Billy? Even when Billy continued escaping? The importance of Peter's allowing Billy to go to his dying wife? How sympatheric were the film-makers to Peter's approaches?

7. Comment on the overall impression that the staff at the institution made? The nervous assistant to Cavendish and his emotional breackdown and final going? The Cavendish types? Their actions, the patients?

8. Comment on the picture of the patients, the variety of personalities in the cameo performances? The young marihuana users, the guitar-player, the migrant and his wanting a present when Billy escaped and his helping him with the key? How interesdting was this picture of suffering mental patients? What audience response did it demand?

9. How intense was the picture of suffering in this film? How did this come across most forcefully?

10. What impressiorns of asylums did the film give? Of government-run asylums and their inadequacies? How fair was this? what audience response did it demand? Futher action in Australia?

11. How hard was the judgement on families in the film? On Billy's family? The nature of his daughter's visits and wanting him to stay? Her inability to look after him? Did she have any othe options? If he came out and stayed with her?

12. What compelled Billy to keep escaping? His sense of freedom? And his wanting to be cured? Which was the best place for him? How well was he rehabiliated?

13. Comment on the irony of the young university student and his working in the asylum. What effect did it have on Billy and his plight? How did he disintegrate in working in the office in the asylum? His use of drugs? Why did he go berserk? The striking nature of his stark walk through the asyum and its madness? The fact that he then became a file and a patient to be looked after?

14. How rushed was the resolution of the film? The visit to the cemetary, the need for freedom, the legal proceedings about the by-laws? Were they too rushed or did this give a satisfactory ending to the film?

15. The film was made by local talent, with limited resources. How good a film was it technically? Camera work, editing, photography? The nature of the acting for a film like this? As an important documentary for Australians? The possibility of its being seen and impressing?