GHOSTHUNTER
Australia, 2018, 96 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Ben Lawrence.
This is not quite the documentary that might have been imagined from the title.
In fact, there is an introduction to Jason King, a Sydney man in his 40s, who has set himself up to hunt ghosts, fielding applications to visit homes, sensing a strange presence, even hostile presence, and ridding the house of it. Clients are grateful. Jason is proud of his work, the title appearing on his T-shirt as well as on the side of his car.
But, this is something like a Mc Guffin in an Alfred Hitchcock movie – a focus of attention while the real story is elsewhere. Or, perhaps, not exactly like a Mc Guffin but a metaphor for what the film is really doing.
British-born director, Ben Lawrence, saw an advertisement for the Ghosthunter and rang Jason. Jason agreed to an interview – and interviews continued for the next six years, from 2010 to 2016. There are also many interviews with Jason’s sister, friends from childhood days, social workers, a policewoman.
This is the kind of film where a reviewer needs to note Spoiler alert. As happened with this reviewer’s viewing of the film, knowing nothing, it proved to be an intriguing detective story, step-by-step unfolding a mystery. It is sharing Ben Lawrence’s quest through his interviews with Jason. It is sharing Jason’s discovery about himself and about his family, recovering memories, disturbing memories, even most disturbing memories.
In that sense, the film is a psychological case study. Ben Lawrence asks many questions, take steps on behalf of Jason to delve into his past. He also advises him, ultimately, to seek out counselling because, as some of the memories surface, as Jason revisits locations from the past, is involved with a childhood friend, a forthright woman called Cathy, an abusive past emerges. Jason has not always been direct with Ben Lawrence either, and has some of his own inner ghosts or demons to encounter.
What begins like a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at, even exposure, of the ghosthunter at work with his hand-picked team, soon becomes far more intriguing and well worth a visit.
1. The impact of the film as a documentary? As a psychological case study?
2. The Sydney settings, the suburbs, homes, streets, the outer areas of Sydney? The New South Wales countryside? Authentic feel? The musical score?
3. The title, Jason and his using the title for his work, T-shirts? On his car? His setting himself up as a ghost hunter? The director’s curiosity, phoning him? Following him and interviewing him, relatives and friends for six years?
4. Jason, the seriousness of his interviews, his work as a ghost hunter, the particular episodes of seeing him in action, going to houses, sensing presences, confronting the presence, reassuring the inhabitants, their satisfaction? His working alone? His team, hiring them, friendships, clashes?
5. The literal ghost hunting and as a symbol of the deeper meaning of the film?
6. The mystery of Peter, Jason’s brother, admiration for him? His death in an accident? Jason always sensing his presence?
7. Jason, hunting the ghosts of his past? The role of the interviewer? The interviewer and his trust? Jason and his trust? The revelation that Jason concealed a great deal from the director?
8. Jason, in himself, age, appearance, weight, tattoos? His changes over the years, hair, shaved head…?
9. The case study as the equivalent of a detective story, gradually uncovering facts, characters, mysteries?
10. Jason, as a child, his sister, their mother, drugs and drinking, treatment, disappearance? (And her unwillingness to be interviewed for the film, the insulting note to the director?) Jason and his not being able to remember much detail? Photos, the different ages, the fish and chip shop? Upstairs? Revisiting and the recovery of memories?
11. The photo of his father, the father disappeared? The fish and chip shop? Jason and his felt need to find his father?
12. The process over the years, the role of the director and his getting information? Going to visit the various social workers, their interviews with Jason, helping him to remember?
13. The emerging truth about his father, sex offender, the young girls, friends with Jason when young? The father moving to Western Australia, further offending? The detective, her continued information about tracking the father, his arrest, trials, imprisonment?
14. Cathy, a strong character, the information from the interviews, re-creating the past? Her being careful with Jason, gradually giving more information? Her own experiences, the experiences of the friends, the sexual abuse?
15. The arrest of the father, coming to New South Wales? Jason and the various attempts to see his father, going to the courts? Writing him a letter? The eventual reply from his father from jail, Jason not believing it?
16. Jason and his relatives, the interviews with his sister, uncovering the darker side of Jason and his angers? His girlfriends, the revelation that he had orders against his contacting the women? His not telling the director?
17. The gradual revelation, Jason admitting the truth, his angers, violence? His finding Julia, her being able to assess him, supporting, the possibility of marriage?
18. Jason coming to the stage where he needed to talk to a counsellor, the effect, the male social worker and his being able to help Jason?
19. The future for Jason, the process of recovering his past, admitting the truth about himself?
20. The director as director of the film as well as facilitator of Jason’s transformation?
