DEEP WATER
Australia, 2016, 200 minutes, Colour.
Noah Taylor, Yael Stone, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Danielle Cormack, Ben Oxenbould, Dan Spielman, Craig Mc Lachlan, William McInnes?, John Brumpton, Simon Burke, Paul Capsis, Lynette Curran, Paul Goddard, Justin Holborow, Deborah Kennedy.
Directed by Shawn Seet.
Deep Water was made by the SBS network in Australia, screened as a mini-series.
The screenplay is based on actual events, especially homophobic attacks on young men during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The location is cliffs between Bondi Beach and Brontë Beach in Sydney – with the film showing very attractive shots of these locations.
The basic plot is police investigation into killings in 2015 which leads back into the investigations of the original period. Yael Stone is the protagonist, an ambitious young policewoman whose brother disappeared in the earlier period, a gay man, his father in denial. One of the sympathetic characters is his then-lover who becomes involved in the investigation. The other detective is played by Noah Taylor, a taciturn and earnest man, sometimes clashing with his younger partner but, ultimately, helping her in finding the solution to the mystery.
While the film is set in the present with the investigation, there are many flashbacks to the past, the gangs of young men and women who prowled the beats, sometimes bashing the gay men, sometimes throwing them over the cliffs. This begins to happen again with the killing of a young man of middle eastern background, his family in denial, and accusation against his partner, originally from Iran.
However, what is uncovered is a continuation of the “poofter-bashing� of the earlier times, some of the offenders getting out of prison, becoming involved in drug deals, managing gay bars, saving reputations of those under attack in the past, especially a sports personality, who is also murdered.
The film has a very strong supporting cast of top Australian actors including William Mc as the police chief in Bondi, John Brompton as a homophobic neighbour, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as the gay friend, Danielle Cormack as a collaborative forensic investigator, Simon Burke as a lawyer.
1. The film based on a true story? The 1980s and 1990s? Crime, the police, bad and careless policing, gay bashings, deaths? The characters based on real-life characters? The families?
2. Bondi beach setting, the continued views, the beach, the ocean, the cliffs and the rocks, homes, parks and beats? Police precincts? Homes and flats? The different suburbs? The musical score?
3. The title, a metaphor, the images of water? Deadly? Tori and her swimming? The lifesavers? Swimming and drowning?
4. The style of the film as a miniseries? The information given about time and place? Characters, issues and their development?
5. Nick and Tori, as partners, 21st-century Sydney police, detective work, their boss? Their ages, personalities, the masculine style, the feminine style? Working together, the clashes, the developing of their friendship and collaboration?
6. Tori, her dead brother, the photos, the background story, her father, his work on the beach, discussions with him, his denial about his son being gay? Tori and her son, home, her care for him, concern and fears? Home scenes? Her past, as a child teasing her brother? The effect of his disappearance? Concern? The lack of information in 1989? Her pursuing the case, emotional involvement? Her friendship with Oscar, discussions with him, the revelation of his love for her brother?
7. The discovery of the murdered man, interviewing the boxing coach downstairs, his homophobic attitudes? The dead body, investigations, his partner, the computer and the gay program? Going to his family, there are upset, the mother in denial?
8. The gay computer program, contact online, images, dating, the killer using the service?
9. Tori going to the former policeman, his memories of the past, leaving the force, his criticism of policing the time, the stick and his giving it to Tori? The discussion about Chris Toohey, her meeting him, the threats? Hammer, the brothers and the gay bar, drug dealing? The increase in the number of deaths? Interviews, the death of the artist, the artist’s lawyer? Truth emerging?
10. Nick, no private life, his work, relationship with the boss, partnership with Tori, their discussions, agreements and disagreements? On the beach, the man with the knife, his shooting him? The subsequent investigations, the appeal to Tori’s loyalty, her answers to the enquiry? Nick with the family of the dead man? The decision to talk to the journalist, the boss realising what it happened, not wanting to be lied to? The discussions with Chris Toohey, the deal, his being caught with the gay man, his explanations? His death?
11. The police chief, in the past, his being there in the 1980s, 1990s, not going into action, blaming himself?
12. The role of the ex-policeman, his evidence? The discussions with Tori?
13. The introduction to Haris, dead, his partner, the family, in denial, the CCTV, the partner’s activity, filmed – and the explanation, phone calls, interaction, leaving? The dead man’s brother, information, the mother at the morgue? Finding the partner, his running onto the beach, caught, the interviews, his past and prison sentences, love, his escape, hiding, the phone call to Tori, in the cave, going to the beach, the police threats, drawing the knife, Nick shooting him?
14. Hammer, the club, the gay clientele, in the past, his gang, the bashings? The jail sentences? The bar, the drugs, the threats, especially to Tori? The photo of the gang – and hammers influence on the killer?
15. The character Oscar, with the surfboards, gay, open, friendship with Tori and her family, admission of his love for her brother, the interactions with her father, is putting himself in danger, the online service, the attacks and the violence, recovery?
16. The families of the victims, their stories, the investigations, wanting closure?
17. The killings in the past? The resumption of killings in the present? Haris, the art dealer, the connections, Chris Toohey and his sporting reputation, the media, his family, sex partners, with his lawyer, the past and catching up with him? His death?
18. The police staff, Brenda, her work in collaboration, DNA, the evidence – and supporting Tori with the sisterhood?
19. The visit to Sally, her past, her concern about her son, the thugs arriving in the street, the threats, the interview and confession?
20. The revelation of the killer, getting out of jail, his relationship with his mother, part of the gang, the interviews, the photo, Hammer, his hiding in the brothel, the final confrontation?
21. An insight into Sydney, society, the police, gay Sydney, the ethos, Mardi Gras et cetera? The bashings? The homophobia of the past – and into the present?
