HOUNDS OF LOVE
Australia, 2016, 108 minutes, Colour.
Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry, Susie Porter, Damien De Montemas, Harrison Gilbertson.
Directed by Ben Young.
What to say about Hounds of Love? It is expertly made and has compelling performances. However, and for some audiences this could be a big however, it is extremely unsettling to watch and, ultimately, gruelling. This is the kind of story that takes its audiences behind the headlines or the news items on television about murders, abductions and psychological and violent torture.
The acting is first rate, to be commended. Ashleigh Cummings is Vicki, the 17-year-old whose parents have separated, who bonds with her father but blames her mother for walking out on the marriage and ruining her life. Stephen Curry, rather puny in many ways, with is self-assertive moustache, is John, who lives in the street a couple of blocks away from Vicki and her mother. Perhaps best performance of all is from Emma Booth as Evelyn, John’s partner, wanting to bring her two young children to live with them.
The film quickly establishes a tone and mood as the audience watches a group of schoolgirls playing netball, the view from a car, voyeuristic, an obsessive gazing at the girls, then one of the players being offered a lift home, accepting…
When Vicki decides to defy her mother go out one night to a party, she is offered a lift by John and Evelyn, quietly chatty, pleasantly persuasive, offering some drugs, with Vicki getting into the car, going to their home, Evelyn nicely persuading her to come inside and have a drink – which is drugged.
Much of the rest of the film takes place inside the home, disturbing for the audience because this is Perth 1987, December, in ordinary suburbs, in ordinary houses, in ordinary streets, with ordinary people living quiet lives. But, inside the house, John and Evelyn, portrayed in an increasingly co-dependent way, especially for Evelyn, who was been with John since she was 13, loving him, her sexual intensity, yet his using her. He buys her a dog which prevents Vicki trying to escape – but there is a later scene with the dog who has a habit of sorting the floor inside, provoking John to sadistic anger which may be the trigger point for the resolution of the film.
With the audience empathising with Vicki and her being tied up, emotionally drained, abused, there seems to be very little letup. John exhibits no qualities which would make him likeable let alone audiences empathising with him. On the other hand, there is always an ambiguity about Evelyn which makes her character the most interesting, audiences understanding her co-dependence while wishing she could see through it, but dismayed at her often sadistic behaviour, a seemingly innate cruelty and, while she can’t dominate John although he depends on her, she can dominate Vicki.
The audience has seen Vicki with her parents, Damien de Montemas her father, and, impressively, Susie Porter (who also played the mother of the victim girl in Don’t Tell) as her mother, trying to deal with her daughter’s antagonism and the desperation of her disappearance. And there is a cameo by Harrison Gilbertson as Vicki’s boyfriend who has a key role in leading towards some kind of resolution because of the letter that John and Evelyn force Vicki to write saying that she had gone to Adelaide and that they were not to worry.
There have been similar kinds of stories from the United States and other countries, often the basis for horror films or genre films with touches of blood and gore. This film is rather different, while it has some graphic moments, it is more of a cinema study of the psyches of two serial killers and of their relationship as well as of the frightening impact on the abducted girl.
1. The impact of the film? Unsettling, gruelling to watch? The suburban story, serial killers, abduction and torture?
2. Based on a true story, actual serial killers? The setting of Perth, 1987, December? Ordinary suburbs, the views, ordinary streets, ordinary houses, the netball game, scenes in day and night? The interiors of the houses, the rooms, bathroom, kitchen, toilet? The outside yard?
3. The musical score, the range of songs and atmosphere of the period, Nights in White Satin, Cat Stevens, Joy Division?
4. The title, hounds, hunt and meaning?
5. The opening, the slow motion of the netball, teenage girls, the voyeur view? Indication of themes? Giving the girl the lift – and the transition to the house, the barred window, John and his digging graves in the bush?
6. Vicki, schoolgirl, age, with Jason, the sexual encounter, essays, his writing them for her, the scenes with her father and the relationship, at home with her mother, against her mother, blaming her for the separation? Her hopes, telling her mother her life was ruined? The meals, wanting to go out, her mother forbidding her? Setting up the bed, getting out the window? The address, going to the party, in the street, the offer of a lift, drugs, her accepting, trusting the strangers? Evelyn persuading her to come in for the drink, the drugs, John and friendliness, the dizziness? Vicki and her collapse, tied up, soiling the bed, a realisation of what had happened? Screams? The gag? Evelyn, her menace, washing her, unlocking her, making up the bed, drinking the water? Evelyn and her ambiguity? The bath, the window in the toilet, yet hiding in the house, caught? The challenge to John and Evelyn? John’s menace, the sexual behaviour, the locked door, her soiling him and his anger? The panties, Evelyn helping her? Her losing hope, getting weaker? Their forcing her to write the letter (the later discovery of the code)? Her story, listening to Evelyn’s story? The second letter? Her being forced to take the pills, her refusal, watching John and Evelyn and their clashes, Evelyn with the knife, hearing her mother call, desperation, Evelyn’s behaviour and Vicki’s escape?
7. A cautionary tale, not trusting strangers? The victimisation of teenage girls?
8. John, his age, ordinary, looking rather puny? Offering the lift? Evelyn and John, the sexual dependence? The psychological dependence? Promising Evelyn to bring her children? John and his hopes and moods, dominating, his getting the dog, cleaning up after it? His treatment of Vicki, in the room, the sexual abuse? His moods, Evelyn and her moods? His owing money, the threats, the men coming to the door? Vicki screaming and the neighbour coming to complain? The dog soiling the floor? The brutality of John’s beating and kicking it to death? The burial? Going on the road, the bush, digging the graves?
9. Evelyn, her age, being with John since 13, away from him, the two children, the dependence on him, his dependence on her? Her role in picking up the victims, pleasant, chatty, persuading Vicki to come in, offering the drinks, tying up Vicki, the sadism and cruelty? The sexual relationship, vehement kissing of John, love, becoming his slave, the codependence? With Vicki, cleaning her, food, the water? Telling her story? Any feelings for Vicki or not? The ups and downs, the threats, forcing Vicki to write the letter, her love for the dog, her response to John’s killing it – as a motivation for her final violence? Vicki taunting her? The next letter, forcing Vicki to take the pills, her mother calling out, holding the knife to Vicki’s neck? The response to John, stabbing him – so many times and so violently? Vicki walking past her – and what was Evelyn left with?
10. The portrait of the parents, the father, professional, the scene with Vicki, her mother, walking out on her husband, blamed by Vicki, the treatment of Vicki, the warnings, the meals, her studies? The disappearance, Evelyn walking the dog and putting the letter in the box? Contacting her husband, the police, no action? The letter and the code, Jason solving it? Going to the wrong house, in the streets, the neighbours watching, her shouting, desperate? Leaving – reunited with Vicki?
11. Jason, boyfriend, sexual relationship, writing the essays, solving the code, helping in the search?
12. The debt collectors, attitudes, the neighbour and his complaint, his porn stash? Secrets in the suburbs?
13. The effect of the emotion in this experience?
