ONE EYED GIRL
Australia, 2014, 103 minutes, Colour.
Mark Leonard Winter, Steve Le Marquand, Craig Behenna, Tilda Cobham- Hervey, Matt Crook,
Directed by Nick Matthews.
One Eyed Girl is a film about a cult, set in South Australia, distinctively Australian tone and interesting in comparison with films from overseas about this kind of community.
Mark Leonard Winter is Travis, first seen in a suburban train, earphones on, ignoring the girl offering pamphlets to passengers, asking them to think about their lives and meaning and inviting them to come to a meeting. Travis begins to shuttle his memories, thinking of his work as a psychologist and meeting with his patients, a variety of interviews, their mental health, his response, paying attention but distracted, some of them challenging him. His memories also include a disturbed young woman called Rachel. She comes to his apartment, plays the violin, makes advances affecting his insecurity. He also has memories of his supervisor questioning him about Rachel’s death and her advice that he take several weeks off and to deal with his pill addiction.
Travis does go to the meeting, watches the video of a military veteran from Iraq, his speaking about the effect on him of shooting someone, his use of drugs, three years of his life lost and his setting up The Farm, which gathers together people who are in need of therapy. He calls himself Father Jay (Steve Le Marquand), gathering his disciples, trying to heal, wanting their complete loyalty.
Travis takes an overdose and collapses, is rescued by the meeting leader, Tom, and the girl, Grace. He is taken to The Farm, goes through a process of detox, gradually becoming part of the community – though he still has troubles with his self-image (a fearful little boy) and some questions about the way Father Jay operates. When he witnesses a situation of sexual abuse, there are more questions and doubts, talking with the victim who is in denial, challenging Father Jay who responds with all kinds of rationalisations.
Travis also befriends, Grace who makes advances which he rejects.
As expected, this leads to a crisis Travis wanting to leave Father Jay giving him the keys of a car. But, he returns. Travis is allowed to leave by Tom who seems disillusioned. It is not long before there is violence, confrontations, and drastic behaviour which may remind viewers with long memories of Jim Jones and his hold over his community in Jonestown, Guyana, in the 1970s, which led to mass suicide.
The film does not end easily, an exposé of what had happened, Travis trying to save Grace, Travis having to face himself and what his life means.
The title? “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed girl is queen”.
The film looks good, capitalises on locations, has interesting performances. And it does challenge an audience sympathetic to those with mental health problems but also challenging audiences to be concerned about self-proclaimed leaders, their behaviour, their hold and demands for loyalty, and the exploitation of this loyalty
1. A film about cults, leaders and followers, problems?
2. South Australian settings, the city, medical and psychological practices, apartments, hospitals? The countryside surroundings? Credible situation? Musical score?
3. The title, “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed girl is queen”?
4. The introduction to Travis, in the train, Grace and the pamphlets, his ignoring her, the blend of memories, shuffling the memories? As a psychologist, the collage of his patients the symptoms, mental health, talking, problems, challenging Travis? His encounter with Rachael, her coming to his apartment, his interview, the sexual approach, misconduct, wanting her to play the violin on the balcony? The later visuals of her suicide, falling from the roof? Travis signing the document about her health and mental condition? The interviews with the nurse and supervisor, the issue of suspension? The effect of the pills, his addiction, self-image despair, the overdose, the phone call, Tom and Grace coming to help him?
5. Hs going to the session, the video with Father Jay, Tom running the meeting, Grace present? The discussion, Jay and his experience of the war, Iraq, the glimpse President Bush, three years loss of life, getting clean? Setting up The Farm?
6. Travis being transported to The Farm, alone, the detox, Jay talking with him, Grace, Tom, the steps of his recovery? The need for painkillers? Sleeping, dreams? Going out of the room?
7. The sessions, the group, the cult atmosphere, love for Father Jay, loyalties, offering a sense of freedom?
8. Jay and his personality, leadership, dependence on him? His exploiting this but seeming good and charming?
9. Travis walking, Seeing Marcus and Jay, the sexual encounter, the aftermath with Marcus, Jay and his rationalising his behaviour, exorcising Marcus of his problems? Travis talking with Marcus, his denial, yet his sadness?
10. The gathering, supposed to be celebrating Marcus and his happiness, Marcus sad, Travis talking to him, the challenge to Jay, Jay’s explanations,? Giving Travis the car, Travis stopping, return?
11. Tom urging Travis to go, shooting himself?
12. Grace, her sexual advance Travis stopping her?
13. Travis in the van with Marcus, Marcus getting out, the gun, Jay trying to reason, Marcus shooting him?
14. The group against Travis, the young men bashing him, his offer to help Jay as a doctor? Jay dying, saying that he was happy and had fulfilled his life?
15. The happy families, the celebrations, the children? The aftermath of Jay’s death, Jay on the chair, Travis seeing all the dead bodies and their having drunk poison?
16. Travis following Grace into the city, the underground station Travis following her?
17. Grace, the carriage, the pamphlets, her preaching, the man and his scoffing, Grace and the gun, the reaction people, challenging? Grace and the
pamphlets, urging everyone to sing? Travis coming into the carriage, reasoning with Grace, taking the gun, pulling the alarm?
18. Grace, her sense of self, the crisis?
19. Travis, taking the gun, emptying the bullets, the police arriving, his holding the gun, the shooting? His death, his achievement his sense of self?
20. How incisive a portrait of cults, leaders, hypocrisies, destruction?
