DIRT MUSIC
Australia/UK, 2020, 105 minutes, Colour.
Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Hedlund, David Wenham, Aaron Pedersen, Dan Wylie, Chris Haywood, Julius Stone, Ava Caryofyllis, Syd Brisbane, George Mason.
Directed by Gregor Jordan.
This is a screen version of the novel by one of Australia’s prominent novelists, Tim Winton (That Eye, The Sky and In the Winter Dark during the 1990s, a television adaptation of Cloudstreet, the anthology of The Turning, Breath).
The film was directed by Gregor Jordan, Two Hands and Ned Kelly. However, the film was not well received, considered too cold, even uninteresting. Which is a pity because there is a very strong cast led by Kelly MacDonald and a range of Australian character actors.
The setting is Tim Winton’s Western Australia, some harsh coastal and desert landscapes. The focus is on an unhappy marriage, the wife looking beyond her husband, falling in love with a former musician, his reluctance, then acceptance of the relationship, his escaping into the desert and the wife pursuing him, building up to a final confrontation.
The title is arresting – perhaps a mixture of the career of the musician and his fleeing to the desert.
- The novels of Tim Winton? Screen adaptations? The title, music, the soil?
- The Western Australian settings, the coast, the water, the beaches, cliffs, the islands and inlets, the town, the visit to Perth? The musical score? Songs?
- Georgie’s story? Her background, separation from her family, the death of her mother, summoned by her sister? The confrontation with her father, his past behaviour, causing an upset at the wake? Her relationship with Jim, over the years, his boys and acting as mother to them? The story of her approaching Jim, the relationship? The years passing, her isolation, distance? Helping Jim with the fishing, her work as a nurse and the injured man?
- The encounter with Lou? Swimming, the boat, his stealing? Leaving Jim, the cars breakdown, the lift from blue, the hotel, the sexual relationship? At his place? Gradually revealing their stories?
- Lu, a man haunted with memories, his brother and his wife, her relationship, the little girl, his devotion? Memories of their deaths? His blaming himself? The past and his musical career? The importance of the family locally, his father? His poaching and the antagonism of the fisherman? The relationship with Georgie? His decision to move, packing, going north, getting lifts, the plane and the pilot, going to the island, life in isolation, fishing? His injuries?
- Georgie, discussions with Jim, the decision to leave? His decision to help her find Lu? The travel, in the plane, the pilot, the guide and his advice about the islands? Georgie and the boat, the search of the island, finding Lu’s hut, calling for him, amplifying the music? The decision to leave?
- Lu, injured, hearing the music, struggling to the beach? The plane leaving?
- The final image, Lu and Georgie together on the beach?
