THE LAST CONFESSION OF ALEXANDER PEARCE

Australia, 2008, 59 minutes, Colour.
Adrian Dunbar, Ciaran Mc Menamin, Dan Wylie, Don Hany, Bob Franklin, Chris Haywood, Tony Llewellyn- Jones, Bob Young, Socratis Otto.
Directed by Michael James Rowland.

In fact, priests did not arrive as chaplains to the colonies for almost thirty years, in 1817, though some had passed through as convict priests. Fr John Joseph Therry arrived in New South Wales. Fr Philip Wilson was appointed to Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land. Fr Wilson has a central role in the brief historical drama, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce.

Pearce was a convict who escaped from the penal colony of Sarah’s Island with seven other convicts and survived the rugged terrain by participating in the decision to kill successive men and eat them. He was the last survivor. Imprisoned again on the island, he escaped with another convict whom he killed and ate. The film shows the authorities in Hobart and the decision to hang Pearce. Wilson goes to the prison to hear Pearce’s confession. Though repelled by the crimes, he listens as Pearce recounts his story (and it is visualised) and is moved by the narrative and the hardships and the cruelty, especially with lashings of convicts. They are from the same village in Ireland and Pearce appears to find some peace in telling his story.

At a dinner scene with the lieutenant governor, Wilson is challenged for his stances and asked whether he will attend the dying man by a socially-polite but bigoted anti-Catholics – there had been an earlier reference to a pageant of Catholic convicts going to the gallows. Wilson, a priest of rather stern and direct disposition, delivers a speech about the Irish, the cruel English, the inhumanity of the convict system and its consequences. He does attend the hanging, gives Pearce communion before the hood is placed over his head, and continues to pray as Pearce hangs.

It is a picture of 18th century clergy and ministry in a harsh environment, not really shown in 20th century films. Pearce’s escapes and the cannibalism were portrayed in a longer feature film released at the same time, Van Diemen’s Land (2008, director Jonathan auf der Heide).

1. Audience knowledge of the history of Hobart and Van Dieman’s Land, of the convict settlements, of the treatment of convicts, of the role of the lieutenant governor?

2. A short running time of the film, effective?

3. The terrain of Tasmania? The mountains and isolation, the rivers? The islands? The settlements on the islands, the aboriginal encounter encampments? Hobart Town itself?

4. Audience knowledge of Alexander Pearce? His crimes, imprisonment, treatment, the lash? His two escapes? The cannibalism?

5. The device of his speaking with Father Wilson, recounting the events, a confession, but his no regrets in what happened?

6. The flashbacks of Pearce’s imprisonment? On Sarah Island, the other convicts, the brutality of the guards, the commander, the lash, other convicts giving the lash? The group going out, Greenhill and his leadership? The decision to escape? Those who did not? The group of eight? The boat, trekking through the mountains? Mountain after mountain? Not seeing aborigines? No game to hunt? The situation of the food? The decision to start killing? The men struggling to keep up? The brutality of the deaths, the continuing, the killing of Greenhill? Pearce and his killing the last man, surviving, the cannibalism? His coming to the settlement, the aborigines allowing him to eat? In the village, their not believing his story? His return to Hobart? The decision to send him to Sarah Island again? The second decision to escape, with only one companion? Killing him, eating him, even though he still had food in his pocket? His arrest, trial, condemnation to hanging?

7. For the Wilson, the first priest in Tasmania? Irish, from the same village as Pearce? Serious and somewhat severe in his manner? In his discussions with lieutenant governor? With the other officials, hearing the story about Pearce? His being invited to the meal, the anti-Catholic prejudice, the discussions of the table, Mrs. Brown asking about his ministering to Pearce? His serious answer, his speech about the English, the injustices, the treatment of the convicts, the lash, the issue of hunger and being ready to do anything to stave off the hunger?

8. The conversations between Father Wilson and Pearce? How sincere was the convict, his explanations, rational narrative, the issue of killing, the needs for survival, the impact of hunger? His lack of regret for what he had done?

9. The narration as a confession? His going to the gallows, Father Wilson accompanying him, giving him communion before the hood was placed on him, Father Wilson continuing his prayer? The hanging, death, shaking?

10. The reaction of the crowd, callous, sightseeing, buying apples, Knopwood chewing the apple and saying that that was that?

11. An insight into that period? And the convict situation, capital punishment, public attitudes, the role of religion, the attitudes towards Catholics?