FALLOUT

Australia, 2013, 86 minutes, Colour/Black and white.
Directed by Lawrence Johnston.

What an interesting documentary!

Lawrence Johnston made a number of interesting short films in the 1990s, especially Eternity, his evocative and poetic documentary on Arthur Stace, the man who went around Sydney writing the word ‘Eternity’ on footpaths and walls. This time he turns his documentary attention to Melbourne. As the title indicates, there is a focus on the consequences of the dropping of a nuclear bomb. But the even more particular focus is on the dropping of the bomb and the end of the world in the novel and the film version of Neville Shute’s On the Beach.

By the end, the audience is amazed at the amount of footage that Johnston has found and assembled, the film being a fine example of what one can do with archival material. It is always interesting and, very often, quite evocative. And, in just under 90 minutes, Johnston has really made the equivalent of four films in one, so full of information and insight is the film.

First of all there is the brief history of the development of the atomic bomb, the Manhattan Project, the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, the visuals of destruction, the close-ups of people suffering from radiation, the information about the reality of the destruction and the radius of collapse and death from the centre point. There is the development of the cobalt bomb, the tests throughout the world and in Maralinga, South Australia, with the Menzies government interests in participating in nuclear development. And there are the American fears, the familiar scenes of that ‘Duck and Cover’ commercial to warn people for their safety. And the film opens with a very sobering reflection about the future of the nuclear age and potential for destruction spoken by John F. Kennedy.

Then there is a biography of Neville Shute. Once again, this is particularly interesting, with commentary throughout the film by journalist and author Gideon Haigh, with intelligent insights, as well as from Shute’s daughter, Heather, also articulate and intelligent on her father, his work, and On the Beach. Johnston uses footage of England at the beginning of the 20th century to illustrate Shute’s origins, his work in the air industry, especially for the development of air ships, establishing his own company, his war service among the intelligence boffins, his disillusionment with England under Atlee, his decision to migrate to Australia, his settling in Frankston, the farm in Langwarren. And, all the time, his writing and his popularity and success.

Stanley Kramer, the producer of On the Beach, also gets a brief biography, glimpses of some of his social-minded films, including Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, scenes from a documentary about him, his acquiring the rights for On the Beach, the decision to film it in Melbourne, the rejection by the American navy for help and his appeal to Robert Menzies who agrees to contribute, and the marketing of his film and its ultimate success. His wife Karen also contributes a great deal of commentary to this documentary.

Fallout also serves as a mini-documentary about the making of On the Beach, the decisions about production, the arrival of the stars, scenes on the Mornington Peninsula, especially Canadian Bay, of the filming. There are interviews with Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, many scenes with Anthony Perkins but no mention of him by name. Donna Anderson was introduced in the film and is one of the talking heads in Fallout. One gets quite an impression of the film, its plot, the drama about the nuclear destruction of humans, an empty San Francisco, the empty Melbourne streets, and the human drama of the romance, the submarine leaving Melbourne, the young couple and the challenge about their baby, having to kill her so that she may not linger after they both have died.

Neville Shute did not like the adaptation for the screen, was critical of Stanley Kramer in correspondence. He did not attend the premiere and died three weeks later, his daughter suggesting that the experience of the filmmaking caused his illness and led to his death.

The film is also something in a documentary about Melbourne in the late 1950s, many visuals, focus on the city, its use in the film, especially for the clearing of the streets for the aftermath of nuclear destruction. It also shows Melbourne’s obsession with celebrities, the pursuit of Ava Gardner by the media, a cultural cringe to the United States, the contribution of the government to the making of the film.

As mentioned, the running time of this documentary is brief, but it incorporates a great deal of material, all of it interesting.
1. A quality documentary? The capacity for documentaries to communicate insight visually, the use of archives, interviews, clips? History and the recapitulation of issues? Nuclear issues from the Manhattan Project to the dropping of the atomic bomb? Kennedy and his vision, fears and the duck and cover song? The life of Neville Shute and his career? The work of Stanley Kramer, film-making in detail? Australia, Melbourne, celebrities, the making of on the beach? The reactions to On the Beach? All within 90 minutes?

2. Lawrence Johnston and his career, documentaries?

3. An Australian story, issues, world issues, Neville Shute in Australia, the location for On the Beach? And location filming?

4. The narratives, themes and consequences? The introductory interviews, setting the themes?

5. The nuclear story, New Mexico, Robert Oppenheimer, soldiers and weapons, observation of the tests, the clouds going to Utah, loyal Utah, the effect? The visuals of Hiroshima, the explanation of the detail and intensity of destruction? The effect on people? Discussions of the cobalt bomb? Tests? Maralinga, the Australian Liberal government, nuclear political play at the time? Neville Shute’s reaction, novel, film? The implications about its release and American attitudes towards defence and bombs at the time? JFK speaking at the opening of the film?

6. Neville Shute’s story, the interviews with his daughter, the commentary by Gideon Haigh, Shute and his family, going to school in Ealing, the usual aspects of the British School, his work, going to museums, interested in flight, engineering and Oxford, the construction of the saplings, the R 100 and disaster? Owning his own company, become one of the World War II boffins, the D-day vehicles? His reaction to Atlee as Prime Minister, the issue of taxes, interest in Australia, flying, the decision to move, going to Frankston, the farm at Langwarrin, his writing, going to the farm in the afternoon, his health, heart condition? A somewhat irascible personality?

7. The range of novels, their popularity, message, the critics and his ignoring them? The 1950s, On the Beach, his proprietary rights, selling them to Hollywood, the details of the clash with Stanley Kramer, not going to the Premier, his death soon after?

8. The story of Stanley Kramer, his career, a message filmmaker, as producer, the background of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? The rights to On the Beach, an American cast, locations in Australia, wanting a submarine, the American navy refusing, Robert Menzies agreeing? The filming, the difficulties with Ava Gardner, the publicity? His achievement?

9. The Melbourne locations, the Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island and the racetrack, the scenes of the empty city?

10. The cast, Gregory Peck, the interviews? Ava Gardner, the media, the quotes real and fictitious? Fred Astaire and his appearing in a serious role, his discussions about this? Donna Anderson and her observations, memories, the interviews? Anthony Perkins and his appearance, not named? The Australian supporting cast?

11. Filming the scenes, the clips, the narrative, the scene in San Francisco, the scenes in Melbourne, Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner and the relationship? The remance, for the audience, but not for Shute? The final separation, death and the submarine sailing away? The couple and the party? The discussions and Fred Astaire’s character blaming himself? The scene with the crew? The couple, their baby, the issue of their death and so killing the baby?

12. Box office prospects, advertising, the reviews, the claim?

13. This documentary combining personal, biography, world issues, politics, cinema? And the title, Fallout?