SCHAPPELLE

Australia, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Krew Boylan, Vince Colossimo, Denise Roberts, Jacinta Stapleton, Les Chantery, Russell Kiefer, Colin Friels.
Directed by Khoa Do.

Schappelle is of Australian historical interest.

This is the story of the young woman from the Gold Coast, Schappelle Corby, played by Krew Boylan, who went to Bali in 2004 (having visited at other times) to celebrate her sister’s birthday. There is some background of Schappelle herself, her relationship with her mother, her sisters and brother, the alienated father who was suffering from prostate cancer. All seemed joyful for the surfing young woman and the prospect of a holiday before her father went into hospital.

At the airport, her luggage was searched and a significant bag of 4 kg of marijuana was found.

According to the screenplay, Schappelle was cooperative with the authorities, mystified by the presence of the drugs because she was not a drug user. She was arrested, imprisoned despite protests, spending six months in jail before her court case. The film shows some scenes of life within the prison, the various visitors she had, including her mother and father and sisters, a variety of friends who supported her. There were also many letters and cards.

The customs officials gave testimony against her, indicating she was unwilling to give her name and for her luggage to be searched, something which she protested against.

The film also shows two lawyers becoming interested in her case and going to Indonesia to help her, Ron Bakir (Les Chantery) and Robin Tampoe (Vince Colossimo). They orchestrated a public opinion campaign, giving stories to the press as well as to radio personalities like Darren Hinch and Alan Jones that Schappelle was innocent – and public opinion changed very favourably towards her, making her a household name.

She was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, she was released on parole at the beginning of 2014 – and this film was made soon after this, presenting her in a favourable light. However, there were challenges to the book written about her case indicating that there was some defamation of the family. Mrs Corby (Denise Robers) seems a rough and ready type (as she did seem in 2017 when Schappelle was finally returned to Australia). There are some indications that her father, played by Colin Friels in both a gruff and sympathetic way, may have had something to do with the drugs in her case, there are many scenes with him and his being willing to take place.

At the beginning of the film, there is a sequence in South Australia where marijuana growers make packages of the drug and they are transported to Queensland where mules are found, or deliberately or unwittingly implicated, to transport the drugs. At one stage, the campaign for Schappelle was to attack the baggage handlers as possible smugglers into people’s luggage.

Whatever the situation – this is a telemovie designed for the popular Channel 9 audience who had great interest in her story from 2004 until the release in 2017 – Schappelle Corby served the time.

The media circus on her return to Australia reflected the public’s interest in her story over the years, the stupid heights to which commercial television, and others, will go to find stories whether there is much content or not, stalking the prison, the airport, the plane, her arrival in Brisbane, the home at the Gold Coast.

Direction is by Vietnam-born Khoa Do whose films include the comedy drama, Footy Legends, and the film about migrants, Mother Fish.

Of historical and Australian social attitudes interest.