NEWCASTLE
Australia, 2008, 107 minutes, Colour.
Xavier Samuel, Lachlan Buchanan, Anthony Hayes, Barry Otto, Shane Jacobsen.
Directed by Don Castle.
A film mainly for teenage and young adult male surfers (and, maybe, oldie surfers as well).
You know the story. Unsympathetic Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) has problems with his abilities and his self-image, with his friends, especially Fergus (Xavier Samuel), and problems with his older brother's putting him down and his treatment by the coach. He does get on well with Debbie in that permissive adolescent sexual encounter way. It's more than a bit hard to keep interest in him.
There is also the disadvantage in the first part of the film that everyone is compelled (not frequently but all the time to use the confined four-letter articulation of every thought (not so many) and feeling – the friends are a continually bickering lot so that these interchanges quickly become expletively tiresome even if it is argued that this is how they all talk in real life.
The plot progresses through a night on the beach with the friends, surfing on a beach which is older surfers' domain which leads to competitiveness, accidents and deaths (with an elaborate funeral ritual on the beach which reminds us that in these non-church times, everyone needs and creates rituals for significant events).
There is a competition at the end – as one expects.
There are some sub-plots about macho friendship and drinking destroying marriages and families as well as Fergus and a friend discovering mutual sensitivity and homosexual orientation.
On the plus side, the atmosphere of the Newcastle waterfront is captured well, especially set up during the credits, and there is fine photography of waves, breakers and underwater.
1.The audience for this film? Young, male, surfers? The success of the film?
2.The ethos, surfing, the waves, skills in surfing, fitness, exhilaration, competition and achievement?
3.The title, the city, the scenes of the waterfront, workplaces, the ships in the harbour, the credits sequences?
4.Youth, age, families, friends, clashes, competition? The language? The inane bravado of the young men, macho styles?
5.The visuals of the water, the waves, the underwater sequences?
6.Jesse as the centre, an interesting or uninteresting character, how much sympathy? Waking up, home, with the family, his room, going to the beach, clashes with Fergus for the bathroom, the interactions with Victor? With the family? His grandfather, going to the beach, at home, sexuality, masturbation, the sexual encounter with Debbie? Going out for the weekend, the car, taking Fergus, hurting him? The waves, the clash, Victor’s death? His sense of responsibility, grief, anger? Andy and the injury, his going into the competition? Deb and her relationship with him?
7.The contrast with Fergus, his being awkward, his surfing, the taunts, the relationship with Andy, Picasso and the discussion about the stars? Sexuality? Andy and sharing, Andy helping him surf, the coaching, the injury, in hospital? His reminiscences about Victor’s negative attitudes towards him?
8.Scott, bravado, language, girls – and failing, the truth?
9.Nathan, part of the group, surfing, relationship with the girl?
10.The girls, going out with the boys, their talk, sexual relationships?
11.Victor, relationship with Sandra, going to see Kylie, his work, the encounter with his father? Drinking with his mates? His attitudes towards Fergus? His death?
12.The ritual for the funeral?
13.The father, the coach, with Jesse, his sadness, his relationship with his wife? His urging the young men on for competition?
14.The grandfather, wise, his words, Jesse crying? The issue of Jesse and whether he intended to hurt Victor or not?
15.Fergus and Jesse, the naked swim, the symbolism of going into the water, exhilaration and cleansing? Their run, going home?
16.The final competition, Jesse’s achievement? The expected ending?
