THE REHEARSAL
New Zealand, 2016, 100 minutes, Colour.
James Rolleston, Kerry Fox, Ella Edward, Alice Englert, Kieran Charnock.
Directed by Alison Maclean.
The Rehearsal is a very interesting New Zealand drama. It was directed by Alison Maclean, the Canadian director who has worked mainly in American television but made the arresting Jesus’ Son in 1999. With this film, she has come to New Zealand and worked with a strong New Zealand cast led by James Rolleston (Boy, The Dark, Horse, The Dead Lands, Pork High) and veteran and international star, Kerry Fox. Jane Campion’s daughter, Alice Englert is in the supporting cast.
The film centres on Stanley, a young Maori lad from a country town, who comes to the city for an audition for drama school. He is played by James Rolleston, initially rather quiet, affected by the pressures of drama school, especially the lecturer played by Kerry Fox, meeting a young girl and becoming involved with her and her family.
The film has captions for the various months of the year in which the action takes place. He becomes part of a special group at drama school, especially befriending a young man who invites him in as one of the flatmates. He is highly strung, is taunted by the teachers – and later kills himself.
The group also has to find a drama which they can prepare for their assessment at the end of the year and they decide on a scandal, a tennis coach who has had sex with an underage girl – the sister of the girl that Stanley is going out with.
All kinds of complications for Stanley, for the group in the preparation of the drama and their going beyond bounds, for the girl herself who seems still infatuated with the tennis coach, his rather cavalier attitude, and the upset of the girl’s parents.
In the meantime, Kerry Fox’s lecturer is putting pressure on Stanley, urging him to greater things, but also involved in the building of a new theatre.
Interesting characters, situations.
1. A New Zealand story, its tone and characters? Yet a universal story?
2. New Zealand, the city, the Institute, the interiors, classrooms, the theatre? Flats and apartments? The tennis scenes? The musical score?
3. The title, the importance of acting, practising, drama, the group rehearsing, career choices? The tennis story, the devising of the play about the tennis and the abuse, the rehearsals, the implications, not performing it?
4. The structure of the film, the focus on Stanley, coming to the city, audition and training? The captions with the months?
5. Stanley’s story, at 18, from the country town, the close-knit community, his Maori background, wanting to be free? The application, the staff looking at the photos, seeing him as innocent and virginal? On the bus, the encounter with Isolde? The interview, Hannah and her strong words, the touch of harshness? The rehearsals, his performance, her taunting him, his lack of feeling and expression? The range of the classes over the months? The interactions with the students? Getting the flat? William and his friend? Talking and sharing?
6. Meeting Isolde, exchanging phone numbers, the texting?
7. Isolde’s sister, her story, at the tennis, her tennis skills, the coach, Isolde seeing her in the sexual encounter? The prosecution, the coach, his background, married, sex offences? The effect on the sister, the parents and their hardness, the family gathering at meals? The headlines in the media? The difficult situation for the family? The prosecution of the coach? The later port sequences, acknowledging the truth, the effect on his victim?
8. The actors, the groups, having to make decisions, William and his suggestion about taking the audience’s phones, bussing them out and their getting the lost? The reactions, the eventual choice of the tennis scenario? The group, the outings, in the hills?
9. Stanley, the development of his personality, progress? Interactions with Hannah, hard yet sympathetic? The variety of rehearsals, performance?
10. The character of Hannah, with the students, her harsh tone, yet her interest? Her ambitions about the theatre? The final decisions, the meeting, the students not being consulted, the drama teacher and her outburst and walking out?
11. William, the student and his girlfriend? Intimacy? The sessions to portray intimacy, the big girl and her sad story and people moved, William and his personal story about his family, not wanting to be intimate with the group, Hannah’s attack on him? His medication? Hannah announcing the sadness of his death? The funeral?
12. Stanley and Isolde, Hannah and her warning about this friendship, his age, her being underage, the intimacy, the social meetings, with William, the party at the home, the sister, her wanting a phone call, using Stanley for the phone call, Isolde visiting the studio, the news of the play about the tennis, her being upset?
13. Stanley, the range of rehearsals for the drama, the Asian girl and hitting the tennis ball? The contrast with Stanley and the tennis matches in reality? Isolde’s reaction? Stanley and his wanting to stop the play, going to see the parents?
14. Telling Hannah? The event, Hannah and her plans for the big new theatre? Her wanting opportunities for Stanley?
15. The performance, the group sitting in the audience, those on stage, opening the curtain, the various people going through the curtain, to the unknown, Isolde and her going through, Stanley following, Hannah watching?
