DOWNRIVER

Australia, 2015, 97 minutes, Colour.
Reef Ireland, Kerry Fox, Thom Green, Charles Grounds, Lester Ellis Jr, Helen Morse, Robert Taylor.
Directed by Grant Scicluna.

Downriver is a mood piece or a very moody piece. It is a story of death, guilt, mystery.

The central character, James, emerges from prison at the beginning of the film and the audience soon discovering that he has been serving a sentence for the death of a little boy, whose body has never been found. The death happened when James was a young boy, playing with his friend Anthony. At the beginning, the audience knows something more than James does with a flashback showing James washing the mud from himself, running away, the information about his epileptic fit and is not remembering – but seeing Anthony, also young, sitting by the river but then going down to look at the body of the dead boy.

James has to report to the parole officer but decides to go back to the family house on the location where the death occurred. He has had an encounter with the boy’s mother, weeping and still angrily confronting James and wanting to know whether body is. James does not know whether body is and over the period of a day or two, he contacts Anthony, a strong antagonism between them. but he also makes friends with the loner, Damien, who lives with his family in an adjoining house.

His mother arrives with her lover, she still upset about the death but in partial denial, especially in acknowledging James as her son to the lover.

James comes across an elderly woman who lives in the mountains and tends dogs, discovering that she and others have hunted wild dogs and disposed of their bodies, James going to search the site and finding underground tunnels.

There is a twist as James continues to investigate, encountering Anthony’s brother and Anthony’s father, leading to a violent confrontation – and the discovery revelation.

The film has beautiful settings, especially from about Warrandyte and the Yarra River.

The moodiness of the film comes from the character of James, his experience, his memories, his search.With the dysfunctional families, and the initial death there is a strong atmosphere of violence. The theme of sexuality is also quite strong, homosexual theme with James, Anthony, the neighbouring boy, the local storekeeper all homosexual with conflicting behaviour. This is the first feature film of the director, Grant Sicluna, who had previously made several short films with gay themes.

The cast is strong with Reef Ireland as James, Thom Green as Anthony, with Kerry Fox as James’s mother and Robert Taylor as her lover and a welcome appearance by Helen Morse as Mary.

1. An Australian story, universal story?

2. The title, the visuals of the river and the water flowing down (in the final glimpse of the river at the sea), the Warrandyte settings, locations, the events, the mystery, death and a body downriver?

3. The locations, homes, the mountains, the river, prison? The musical score?

4. The screenplay and the time shifts? The boys playing, the death of the little boy, the continued flashbacks? Prison, James getting out of prison, visiting the site of the death, his investigation?

5. The situation, James as a little boy, playing with Anthony, their taking the little boy, the audience seeing James washing the mud away, running, his epilepsy? Anthony, sitting, going down to look at the dead boy? The disappearance of the body? The memories?

6. James, the prison sentence, getting out, his relationship with his cellmate? The parole officer, the interview with the mother, the questions, upset? The parole conditions? Lodgings and requirement? His encounters, his personality, seeing him as a fighter? His mother and her history? His decision to go to the house by the river?

7. Going to the house, his memories, the boy and his death? Seeing the family in the house nearby, the father, the son and his aloofness, the little girl? Looking for Anthony? His visit, the confrontation, the memories, the antagonism? Going to the shop, the storekeeper and his sexual relationship with Anthony, Anthony and his father, the house, his brother? The clashes? Seeing Mary at the shop, the dogs? Visiting her, the information about burying the dogs? As mother’s arrival, the tensions, her relationship with Wayne? The discussions, his pondering, in his room? The group going out on the boat, his searching for the place for the burial of the dogs?

8. Anthony, his past, his family, the story of his sister, knowing it or not? The story of the little dead girl? His relationship with his father, with Joe? The masturbation, photos, sending them to the storekeeper? His homosexual orientation, Damien, in the shower, the sexual assault? James and his wanting to choke Anthony? The father, James in the car, Joe, James having to choose between Damien and the truth?

9. The storekeeper, his relationship with Anthony, from 14, the photos, talking with James?

10. Mary, living in the bush, the dogs, information for James, caring for him after the assault?

11. James’s mother, the past, the visit to the house, the memories, in denial about the situation, Wayne not knowing that James was her son? The parole officer discussing with James’s mother? In the house, the talk, drinking, the upset, Wayne’s sympathy, leaving?

12. Wayne, truck driver, the relationship with Paige, out on the boat, talking with James, discovering the truth, wishing him well?

13. The little boy, Anthony wanting a substitute sister, taking the boy, playing, the death? The disposal of the body?

14. Damien, his family, isolation, loner, talking with James, the friendship, gay, the encounter with Anthony in the shower? His being bashed? The final scene in the relationship with James?

15. The twists of the plot, the little girl who died, Anthony and his wanting the boy as a substitute, the death of the child, the father and Joe and the disposal of the two bodies? James’ searching, the father offering him the truth or Damien, his wanting the truth, finding the bodies?

16. Atmosphere of violence?

17. The sexual atmosphere, the predominance of homosexuality, the range of characters?

18. The mood, moody, the resolution?