DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND
One of the best and most comprehensive presentations of priests on screen is found in the Australian mini-series, The Devil’s Playground (2014, directors Rachel Ward, Tony Krawitz). It is also one of the most comprehensive screen presentations of issues of clerical sexual abuse. An American parallel is found in Dan Curtis’s telemovie, Our Fathers (2005) which focused on actual events in Boston, abusive priests and the response of Cardinal Bernard Law, a theme also taken up in Thomas Mc Carthy’s feature film, Spotlight (2015).
The setting for The Devil’s Playground is Sydney, 1988, a time in Australia when there was little public knowledge of sexual abuse, some reporting was beginning to happen, but there was no mandatory reporting and cases had not come to court. The Australian hierarchy was inexperienced in dealing with this dire issue with the difficulties of how to handle the situation in terms of church law and of civil law, church canon law having predominance. Bishops in their lack of awareness transferred clergy from parish to parish where they offended again, situations where it was deemed that the reputation of the church was better preserved by silence. While some clergy left the priesthood or were dismissed, the Vatican authorities had not become fully involved in the way that they were to in succeeding decades.
It is a period of harrowing difficulties for the victims, some killing themselves, as well as for the parents who never expected or suspected such attacks on their children. The series takes up the issues of the period, limitations of experience, desperate moments of expediency, the depression of the victims, the growing anger of the parents who have been very loyal to the church. Disillusionment is setting in.
The screenplay is particularly well written by four writers and the episodes directed with sensitivity and insight, the first three by Rachel Ward, wife of Bryan Brown, and the second three by Tony Kravitz, a South African with a Jewish background who came to Australia and established a career. His writer-director wife, Cate Shortland wrote an episode. The production team had been behind the very successful long-form drama of 1991 about nuns and changes in the post-Vatican II church, Brides of Christ.
The series is well-researched by Gerry Windsor (who is not responsible for minor mistakes like that of design of vestments). Other contributors, well-known from ABC radio and television include Paul Collins and Stephen Crittenden. Father Tony Dougherty, who had been adviser on Brides of Christ, also met with the production team. Devils Playground is very Catholic, critical of the abuse scandals, of the crisis of authority, but ends, especially with Tom Allen affirming his faith in the church and his beliefs, his church.
The screenplay takes up the story, first told in Fred Schepisi’s The Devil’s Playground (1976), the story of Tom Allen (Simon Burke) who, in the succeeding thirty years from the 1953 setting, has become a psychiatrist, has a family, a son. He is a practising Catholic and is asked by an auxiliary Bishop of Sydney to handle the case of an offending priest. While he accepts, he finds himself put in a difficult situation as regards the hierarchy and the implications for family friends, especially a mother with whom he has had an affair and her abused son.
What is of particular interest is the portrayal of priests, a wide range of priests, more so than other films and serious series. The priests who are portrayed and whose characters are explored include the Cardinal-Archbishop? of Sydney, two of his auxiliary bishops, the Papal Nuncio, the chaplain to a Christian Brothers’ school, the head of the Centre for priests guilty of abuse or misconduct, the legal adviser to the Archdiocese of Sydney, an elderly retired priest who lives in the Cathedral community, and some glimpses of other parish priests. Two brothers are involved in the narrative, the principal of the school and a young brother concerned about the scandals.
Audiences in the know would realise that several of the characters resemble real life characters. For instance, the Cardinal of Sydney, played by Jack Thompson, is not like Cardinals Gilroy, Clancy or Pell. The closest would be to Cardinal James Freeman, Archbishop of Sydney at this period. With the production being screened in 2014, in the aftermath of the Victorian enquiry into clergy and abuse, the enquiry in Newcastle, and sessions of The Royal Commission into Institutional abuse, and a number of clergy being called as witnesses, including Cardinal Pell, Australian audiences had a substantial background that they brought to watching the series, the revelations of abuse, the handling of reporting of the cases within the church and to the police, or not, and the public apologies. In time to come, audiences will bring different backgrounds to the series.
Of course, the writing of the screenplay draws on post-1988 experiences and sees the dramatic happenings of that period with retrospective wisdom and hindsight.
The Cardinal, played by Jack Thompson, is a jovial presence presiding over an archdiocese, not really aware of clerical abuse, preparing the diocese for his resignation and for his successor, favouring one of the bishops whom he considers somewhat progressive rather than the other who gives the impression of being a serious-minded, rather humourless conservative. The Cardinal is mainly seen in his Archbishop’s house, presiding at meals, friendly, enjoying chatting, a good wine, being a friendly host.
The main drama concerns are two auxiliary bishops. One, played by John Noble, seems to be open to change, has a pastoral concern, is the Bishop who employs Tom Allen and is concerned about the treatment of the offending priest, Fr Andrassi (played by Andrew Mc Farlane with some earnest charm while being quietly sinister). The bishop seems a hail-fellow well-met type, has ambitions, and is not on particularly good terms with his seeming rival Bishop Quade (played by Don Haney). During the drama, the Bishop is pastorally concerned, visits the town where some offences took place, shows a concern for the priest while not condoning what he did, but, seems to be wanting to preserve a calm surface atmosphere, not exposing the priest to the public or to the police. To that extent, the drama is intriguing as sympathies for the Bishop from the audience begin to diminish.
In fact, much of the interest in the drama centres on the other Bishop, Bishop Quade. He gives the impression of being far too serious in himself and concerning the church, worried about some of the changes and what it will mean in terms of the role of bishops, the role of the laity. The screenplay emphasises this in his dealings with a member of the New South Wales Parliament, played by Toni Collette, who has a number of discussions with the Bishop, and who raises the issues in the Parliament.
However, she becomes somewhat friendly with Bishop Quade, visiting a soup kitchen where he works, discussing his background, surprisingly discovering that he comes from a broken family, with drug addiction in the family, a very earnest sense of vocation, wanting to make a new beginning, to be of service, a man who can be outwardly obedient but who has a great deal of rage inside. He is shocked when he discovers some of the realities of the abuse and begins to make enquiries, which are shown with a touch of secrecy and intrigue, advising his secretary, something of a clerical yes-man, to make enquiries about the offending priest and his parish. There is also a link with the Papal Nuncio who is in favour of Bishop Quade to succeed the Cardinal, who also has a something of an obsequious career secretary, sending reports to Rome (or delaying them) and trying to ensure the succession of Bishop Quade.
The offending priest, Fr Andrassi, has been in parishes, but now works as a school chaplain. The opening of the series shows a boy who has drowned, a victim. The priest is a predator, having in his sights the young boy, the son of the mother mentioned previously, whom he grooms. The screenplay shows aspects of the grooming, the friendship, the affirmation, the special treatment, being taken out with a gun to hunt, the priest a familiar visitor and welcome to the household, nobody suspecting his motives or behaviour.
The abuser is sent by Bishop Noble to the psychiatrist. A number of sessions are shown, the attempts of the psychiatrist to get the priest to surface the realities of his behaviour, and the reluctance of the priest. A young brother in the school, who seems to be friendly with the boys and, the audience probably suspecting that he is an abuser, but in fact he is one of those who recognises what is happening, tries to help the boy, reports the issue to the principal of the school who is, initially, most reluctant to believe or to act but who eventually has to.
A different priest is introduced to the plot, a priest in charge of the Institute for wayward priests, Kyrie. He is presented as a professional, wearing clerical suit, smarter and dignified in demeanour. When Bishop Quade visits, they discuss the priests who are there for treatment, but states that Father Andrassi’s case is classified. The screenplay gives this priest the opportunity to explain to the bishop as well as to the audience something that they might not quite be aware of. He talks about the situation of offenders, their drives, especially the strong sex drive, even to 10 orgasms a day. He mentions that 25% of priests have some kind of psychosexual issues. He also speaks of the end of treatment and the transferring of priests to other parishes and dioceses. He is sympathetic to filling these needs, stating that so many priests have left the priesthood in recent times and the people are crying out for help.
This character is drawn from the help given to clergy at this time in such institutions like that at Morriset, New South Wales, run by the St John of God Brothers and the later institute setup, Empower, for clergy and religious withdrawn from ministry and staffed by lay experts and religious, providing therapy. There is reference to priests going overseas, to the United States where there were a number when to institutions, especially St Luke’s, Baltimore.
This episode offers the audience an insight into what was available for treatment of the priests, being taken out of ministry, put in a community where they worked with psychiatrists with the possibility of acknowledging their desires and their behaviour. But this is 1988, only a beginning, on the most part, of the church for this kind of treatment (although a religious order, the Paraclete Fathers, was established after World War II with the setting up of houses for priests with psychological needs, alcoholism, sexual deviancy or misconduct).
Father Gregory Lincoln is the legal adviser to the Archdiocese of Sydney. He appears in several scenes discussing the legal complications from the abuse cases in Sydney. He prefers to keep his processes confidential, participating in a plan to intimidate Tom Allen’s family, warning Tom of further investigations and to desist from psychiatric interviews with Father Andrassi. In a key sequence in the final episode, he appears, along with Bishop Quade, at a meeting with the Kellys, the Darcys and Tom Allen. In a line, similar to a number spoken by ecclesiastical officials and received unsympathetically, he states that the Church authorities are also the victims of Father Andrassi. His perspective is that of practical moves. In order to help the abused boy, an offer is made for him change schools, to go to a big reputable college.
The film also shows some of the victims, the background of the boy who killed himself, the little boy who throughout the series is in danger, has some kind of instinct that there is something wrong, but is inexperienced and responds to the attention of the predator priest. There is also a victim who has now become a male prostitute, involved with the psychiatrist’s son. Tom Allen also visits and finds the priest outside on the footpath, sweeping away leaves, representative of the average priest of the time who is only vaguely aware of the problems, oral ulcers in semi-denial, unable to cope, and he gives short shrift to the victim, blaming him for the scandal for the church and for his family and for the town.
Another anonymous priest is also involved in the threats to Tom Allen, appearing unexpectedly at the motel where Tom has moved his children for security and taking them for a meal, not explaining who he was. Tom had already moved the children to the motel after receiving ominous phone calls but, after the episode with the meal, he takes them back home. This is a sinister voice and face of the church.
Living at Cathedral in retirement is an old Irish priest, Father Joyce. He dines with the Cardinal and the auxiliary bishops, they offering some sympathy, although they subscribe to the saying that pain is a gift. They think that Father Joyce should retire to a residence for the elderly. This is a glimpse of an old priest, loyal to the church, comfortable with his ecclesiastical superiors but not wanting to retire to a residence. It is Bishop Quade who is kindly towards him, visiting him, giving practical help, praying with him. In fact, at the end of the series, Bishop Quade is able to kneel and pray with some desperation in Father Joyce’s room .
When Father Joyce falls in the shower, it is Bishop Quade who helps him up and showers him. Bishop Mc Ginley doesn’t see it this way, and says that Bishop Quade is selfish in not encouraging Father Joyce to go away to a place that would care for him. He condemns Bishop Quade for letting him down.
When the decision is made, it seems that Father Joyce is to go to an institution, Kyrie, but he is unwilling, stating that it is for mad and bad priests.
The inclusion of this character offers an opportunity for audience sympathy for old and faithful priest who have led a long life in ministry.
A small glimpse of a parish priest occurs when Tom Allen finds the town of Cotilon where Father Andrassi abused boys when he was the parish priest. Tom comes to the church and sees a man in T-shirt and shorts sweeping the footpath. He introduces himself as Father Michael Drake, the parish priest. He has no sympathy for Tom, telling him that the abuse accusations, which were not believed, have pulled the community apart. Brendan, who accused Father Andrassi, as a troublemaker. Father Drake goes on to express his wariness, hostility towards psychiatrists, stating that dream therapy is bloody ‘hypnosis’. It is a quick sketch of a hard-working parish priest, disbelieving the abuse situation and in no way approving of suggested therapies.
Ultimately, it is Bishop Quade who faces up to something of the realities, finds a report (in which four actual names of Australian abuser priests are spoken aloud), challenges the Vatican authorities, has a meeting with the parents allowing them to vent their angers as well is an attempt to try to find a way to deal with the issues, with some sympathy, although the Bishop is something of a hard man, and not easily finding ways for solution. This is 1988.
The series was shown on television in 2014, just over a quarter of a century later, in the wake of an extraordinary and horrifying numbers of accusations, charges, of both clergy, diocesan and belonging to religious orders, and of religious teaching brothers. The series was shown during the time of the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Abuse, established in 2013 and with continuing widespread hearings throughout the whole of Australia, into the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Salvation Army, the Scouts movement, the entertainment industry, the YMCA, and various communities, including sect-like groupings. The series was topical – and went on to award to win the major awards of the Australian Film Institute.
