THE DAUGHTER
Australia, 2015, 95 minutes, Colour.
Geoffrey Rush, Odessa Young, Ewen Leslie, Miranda Otto, Paul Schneider, Sam Neill, Anna Torv, Nicholas Hope.
Directed by Simon Stone.
The Daughter seems a rather generic title, especially when one discovers that it is an adaptation of Norwegian Henrik Ibsen’s play, The Wild Duck. (There had been another Australian version of The Wild Duck in the 1980s, set in Tasmania, with Jeremy Irons and Liv Ullman in the central roles.)
Ibsen’s play has been adapted by theatre director, Simon Stone (who contributed a story to the omnibus film, Tim Winton’s The Turning). He has certainly made the transfer credible, locating the contemporary story in southern New South Wales, in mountainous timber country, with a logging industry that is collapsing, filmed around Tumbarumba and Tumut. The film has visually impressive photography.
Stone has the advantage of an expert cast. In the background, though not dominating, is the patriarch of the family, who has inherited the logging company and has to face loss of contracts, workers losing their jobs, and the repercussions for the town. He is Henry, played by Geoffrey Rush. Henry has been married, his wife has died and his son, who was born in the United States, has returned there after doing his schooling in Australia. Henry intends to marry again, a younger woman who has worked in his house. And the son, Christian (Paul Schneider), returns to Australia for his father’s wedding.
Obviously, some potential for conflict, social and personal.
The film focuses more on another family, that of Oliver, who has been working on the mill, went to school with Christian, and his wife, Charlotte. They have a teenage daughter, Hedvig. Oliver and Charlotte are played by Ewen Leslie and Miranda Otto, and the daughter is played by Odessa Young, who also made an impression as a teenager in the title role in Looking for Grace. Also in the picture is Oliver’s father, growing older and seemingly with the touch of Alzheimer’s, a former partner with Henry, but living on the farm, Walter, played by Sam Neill.
While there is quite some focus on the daughter, her tending the wild duck that had been shot by Henry but not killed and is now in the care of her grandfather, Walter, who has a collection of wounded animals, she is the pivotal point of the plot and the long keeping of secrets. She is seen at school, sexually curious with a young fellow student who then has to move from the town because of the unemployment situation. She then becomes a victim of the secrets.
One of the main thrusts of Ibseb’s drama is the nature of secrets and whether they should be kept secret or, if they revealed, consequences can be disastrous. And that is certainly the case in The Daughter, with Christian at the centre of the secrets, tense with his father, relying on his bond with Oliver, some wariness of Charlotte, concern for Hedvig.
The performances are very good, the atmosphere of the town created admirably, the interactions of the characters involving – which means a great challenge to the audience concerning the secrets, and the importance of their being kept and the consequences of their being revealed.
1. Acclaim? Impact?
2. The work of Henrik Ibsen, the adaptation, hemispheres, the 21st century, an authentic Australian setting?
3. The strength of the cast and performance?
4. The town, the background scenery and the glimpses of the mountains, clouds and weather? The city, the University? Homes, the hut, school? The mill and the forests? The musical score?
5. The social setting, the mill, the meeting, the closing of the mill, the issues, the lack of contracts? The visuals of the mill, the wood, making the timber, the machinery? The men, the workers, the meeting and their reactions, hostility? No jobs, having to leave the town? The effect on the life of the town with people leaving, students leaving the school? The importance of the setting for the personal interactions?
6. Ibsen, the title of The Wild Duck? The hunting of the ducks, the wounding of the duck by Henry, his being unwilling to shoot it and kill it, getting the help of his assistant, giving it to Walter to care for it? Walter and his sanctuary for animals, the rabbits, the birds, saving them and nurturing them? Hedvig and her help? The duck as an image for Hedvig, her care, tending it, her fondness for it, encouraging it to fly at the end? Its freedom?
7. Henry, his age and character, as head of the mill, inheriting it, his home and estate? Christian, going to school in the town, leaving for New York City? Henry’s time in America? His wife, care for her son, her illness and collapse, her suicide, his being alone, Anna and her working in the house, his dependence on her? The relationship, the planned marriage? Tensions, Henry as a hard man? Christian and his return, expectations, his reaction to his father, to Anna? The discovery about Charlotte and her relationship, Hedvig?
8. The audience understanding the family, Christian’s story, his boyhood, growing up, friendship with Oliver? His return? His relationship with Grace, communicating with her, her not coming? Oliver and the past? The issue of Charlotte and Henry, the secrets and lies?
9. The title, relating to Hedvig, her age, relationship with her parents, her winning the prize and their reaction, love for her mother, devotion to her father? Sexually precocious, the relationship with Adam, their being at school, the walk in the forest, the kiss, postponing sexual relationship to her birthday, out of the forest, the sexual approach, the awkwardness, Adam and his frustration, Hedvig’s decision, in the classroom, her making models of the students who had left, the humour, Adam to go, her discovering it, the effect, the reaction to his leaving? Hedvig and the plans to go to the wedding, being happy?
10. Issues of suffering, secrets, lies, telling the truth? Henry and his deception with Charlotte? Concerning Hedvig? Charlotte and her love for Henry, pregnancy, marrying Oliver, growing in love for him? Love for her daughter? The symbol of the duck for Hedvig, her skill in shooting the gun, and getting the gun after freeing the bird, her attempt on her life, the final images in the hospital?
11. Christian, living in America, his American accent, his age, his decision to return for his father’s wedding, his behaviour towards Anna? The dinner, the clash, his apology? The story of his mother and her death? The bond with Oliver, meeting him in the supermarket, the family, going camping, the speedboat, getting to know Charlotte, getting to know Hedvig? Helping Oliver with his interview, the suit, going to the city, their drinking? Grace, Skyping, her being with another man, not coming – and his waiting at the airport with the flowers? His dilemma about telling Oliver the truth or not? His motivation? Spite after being hurt by Grace? Going to the wedding, being late, as a witness, not looking interested? The confrontation with Christian? Telling Oliver – but this not being seen on screen, and the consequences? His dilemma about telling Hedwig, meeting her, this not being seen on screen but the consequences?
12. Charlotte, ordinary, working for Henry, loving him, the sexual relationship? Her pregnancy, marrying Oliver, the happy life together, their home? Supporting Oliver, his losing his job, going for the interview? Pride in Hedvig’s winning the science prize? At the camp, uneasy meeting with Christian? Her teaching at the school? Going to the wedding, Christian and his confronting her, being upset, the truth? In the class – and Hedvig’s public denunciation? Oliver and his rejection of her? At the hospital, together with Oliver, sadness, reconciliation?
13. Walter, Oliver’s father, the story about his relationship with his wife, her affair, her return, his beginning again, the happy life together – and a foreshadowing of what could happen between Oliver and Charlotte? His partnership with Henry, the deals, dishonesty, his accepting this, going to jail instead of Henry? Henry and his financial help, the hut? His love of animals? His mental state, confused? With Hedvig? The ultimate defying of Henry and wishing him away?
14. Oliver, as a focus of the film, in himself and his work, family and his love Charlotte, his devotion to Hedvig, pride in her, the prize, coping with losing his job, the interview, dressing up, the girls and the bar, drinking with Christian, the wedding, the truth and its effect on him, moving out, the motel, his clash with Charlotte, his not wanting to look at Hedvig, her being so hurt? Her attempt on her life, at the hospital, his coming to his senses, with Charlotte, hope for his daughter?
15. Adam, the boy, at school, sexual behaviour, his expectations of Hedvig, her encouraging him, the attempt, her delay, his frustration, coming to school, his apology, the reaction of the teacher? The sadness of his leaving with his parents?
16. A portrait of people, secrets and lies, interactions, motivations, truth and consequences – and the transition from 19th-century drama to 21st century cinema?
