PETERSEN

Australia, 1974, 107 minutes, Colour.
Jack Thompson, Wendy Hughes, Jacki Weaver, Arthur Dignam, Bud Tingwell, Belinda Giblin, John Ewart, Helen Morse.
Directed by Tim Burstall.

Petersen: the production know-how behind this film, music, acting of Jack Thompson and Wendy Hughes especially, is quite impressive, but Petersen is an odd mixture of the real and unreal. There are many sharp observations of your supposedly average Aussie male who is not content with his traditional anti intellectual poses, booze and women; but they are placed within a succession of rather contrived pieces – most well done in themselves (although too much nod in the direction of violence, nudity and the colour aura of the cigarette commercial) but straining credibility: the sex demonstration on the Uni lawn, bikie party invasion, police bashing.

1. An enjoyable film? How successful was it as comedy, drama, observation of Australian life and manners?

2. Comment on the use of colour photography, the impact of the music, the acting styles. Comment on the Australian tone of the film.

3. Were the characters in the film real? Were the situations authentic? Or were the characters more of caricatures?

4. Comment on the change of image of the Australian male in this film; the ocker man goes to the University. The intellectuals' clash with the anti-intellectuals? The tradesman trying to make the transition from work to intellectual work? Was this theme well explored?

5. How did the film make Petersen central? Jack Thompson's style of acting, the incidents all focusing on him, the ordinary man, his good qualities and his bad, the presumption that he was likeable, loveable? What were Petersen's main qualities as a person? What were his main defects? How were these best illustrated?

6. Petersen as the typical Australian male; his attitude of live and let live, the aggressive tone, his work, football background, education, drink, attitudes towards his wife and v women, attitudes towards authority, to the police, to religion? Were these themes well explored?

7. Petersen as a human being; his relationship with his children at the start, his saving people from violence at the party, the softer tones to Petersen's character and his picnic with Patricia, etc?

8. What was the quality of the relationship between Petersen and Suzy? The love aspects, the sexuality as presented, Suzy and her limited suburban world, her inane comments, Petersen being ashamed of her, their relationship and style at home, their support of one another? Was this a typical Australian suburban marriage?

9. How did the relationship between Petersen and Patricia contrast with his home life? The study background, Petersen's ambition, Patricia amusing herself, sex on the floor of her office, each of them using the other, their relationship at the party, the weekend, the prospect of having the baby, the Oxford job, Petersen forcing her to correct his work? What kind of person was Patricia? Was she meant to be typical of the university world? The attractive qualities of her character, the unattractive qualities?

10. The example of mateship with Petersen and Heinz? How good was the support? At the party, at the university?

11. What comment was being made on universities, their style, hypocrisy, attitudes towards education through the character of Kent? The human relationship side of the Kents, especially Jane? The quality of the relationships between the Kents? What comment was being made on manners and morals?

12. The importance of the incident with Pete and Marj in the country? Petersen and Suzy contrasting with Pete and Marj? Petersen not moving from the city for a lucrative business in. the country? The party, the dance, the drinking, the emotional clashes, the embarrassment?

13. Was the film too episodic? How did it make its points through the episodes? Comment on the style of the important episodes and their impact? Their meaning; the tutorial, the women speaking, the sex demonstration on the lawn, Petersen's clash with the driver, the party and its violence, the fiance salesman and Petersen's clash with him, the country dance, the weekend with Patricia, the interaction with his father, their discussion on the Church, the police bashing, his failure in his exams, the end with his electrical work and meeting women?

14. How well explored was the theme of human relationships?

15. Comment on the presentation of gaps; the gaps in relationships and loving, the work gaps, the intellectual gaps, generation gap.

16. What had Petersen achieved by the end of the film? Was his return to his trade realistic or an avoidance of his ambitions?