PATRICK

Australia, 1978, 104 minutes, Colour.
Susan Penhaligon, Robert Helpmann, Rod Mullinar, Bruce Barry, Julie Blake, Helen Hemingway, Walter Pym.
Directed by Richard Franklin.

Patrick practically rhymes with Carrie and certainly derives from it as well as from Johnny Got His Gun and such atmospheric menace films as Burnt Offerings and anticipates Coma. This unhurried derivative thriller is quite well done although plot lines and various devices (ominous ascents of stairs) fairly creak but persuade well enough while on the screen. Comatose psychopath Patrick (deprived of five senses, compensating in his sixth sense) communicates and destroys by psychokenesis. Sympathetic and intrepid nurse Susan Penhaligon occasions a crisis, Doctor Robert Helpmann conducts his experiments. An excellent opening promises more than the film actually delivers. The makers did not forget Carrie's shock at the end.

1. An enjoyable and interesting thriller? The emphasis on the psychic and its popularity in entertainment in the seventies?

2. Was there any distinctive Australian flavour about the film, the setting, style? Technical production?

3. The obvious derivation of Patrick from other and similar films? Does this matter? How well did it use the influences and conventions of particular genres? The psychopathic murder, the coma situation, the psychokinesis, the suggestions of shock and special effects? Did they combine well for a psychic melodrama?

4. The effectiveness of the prologue in creating a mood and communicating information? The special effects with the visuals and what Patrick saw? His mother and her lover and the death in the bath? The focus on Patrick and his attitudes and motivation? His eyes and his madness? His withdrawing into coma?

5. How well was Patrick established as a character? The fact that he lay in coma throughout the film? The background of his character? His knowledge of what was going on? The communication by spitting, the mouth noises, the typing, his vengeful acting? What kind of character did this create?

6. Patrick as comatose? The effect of coma and the audience knowledge of what it means? How technically dead was he? His capacity for pain and the doctor causing him pain? The experiments conducted on him keeping him alive, electric shock? What rights did he have as a comatose person? As a criminal? How well did the film make him present as a sinister character?

7. The contrast with Kathy and the presenting of her during the credits? The explanation of her background as a person, marriage, getting a job again as a nurse? The sequences with Ed and their fighting? Their love for each other, the reason for separating? Kathy’s dedication to her work, her interest in Patrick? The relationship with Brian - at the party, getting him to help her, their visit to Patrick's room, the night together? His letting her down even professionally? How credible was her being reunited with Ed? A credible character sketch of a heroine, an intrepid and compassionate nurse?

8. The portrait of people at the hospital? Were enough people shown both of the staff and of the patients? Sister Cassidy and her rigid control and hold over people? Her bossiness? The contract she made with Kathy and her wanting to dismiss her? Her own attitude towards Dr Roget, towards the patients, towards Patrick? Her fear and the various ascents of the stairs, hesitating outside the door? Her sacking Kathy and wanting to encompass Patrick’s death? The ugliness of her death? An enigmatic character?

9. The portrait of the other patients? Especially the old man walking around, the man in the room upstairs? Their causing frights? Nurse Williams and her friendliness with Kathy, liaison with Brian? A touch of commonsense in the hospital? The nurse with the cola and her reaction to Patrick's seeming to come alive?

10. Robert Helpmann's style as Dr. Roget? His owning of the hospital, his various theories? His experimentation with the frogs (and the later ugliness of his eating them), his tests, the use of electric shock and needles? Patrick's hostility towards him? His wanting to terminate Patrick's life but being unable to? The physical and psychic repercussions of his being thrust out of the room, not being able to enter it? His comments at the end? A characterization, a representation of a type?

11. Brian as a successful doctor, his womanizing, the episode in the pool? His romantic attitudes towards Kathy? His helping her when her room was destroyed? His helping her in testing Patrick? His denying all association at the end and letting her down? Credible type?

12. Ed and his love for Kathy? Violence, love-making, pursuing her? His buying her the car? The drama of the lift and his being trapped there, the flowers. his attempts to get out?

13. The atmosphere of suggestion of menace: Kathy’s flat and the mess, Brian and his swimming, Ed and his burning his hands? The effective eeriness of the suggestion?

14. The theory of Patrick's compensation for the loss of his five senses with his sixth sense? A sufficient explanation for his behaviour? How well was it illustrated especially with the typewriter sequences?

15. The portrait of the Police and their investigations?

16. The build-up to the climax with Kathy defying Patrick? His poem about the kiss and the sword? Her decision to kill him with a kiss? His influence and her beginning to inject herself? Ed's rescuing her just at the right moment?

17. Comment on the various devices used for atmosphere, suspense? Conventional, even creaky and well used devices? How effectively used?

18. The success of the final shock and its visual impact, movement, Dr. Roget's bland explanation? The audience left with this as they left the theatre?

19. How competent an example of the thriller genre? With questions of bioethics and psychic behaviour?