PHAR LAP
Australia, 1983, 107 minutes, Colour.
Tom Burlinson, Ron Leibman, Richard Morgan, Robert Grubb, Martin Vaughan, Celia de Burgh, Les Foxcroft, Warwick Moss, Pat Thomson, Judy Morris, Vincent Ball, Peter Whitford, John Stanton, Don Reid, Tim Robertson, Gia Carides.
Directed by Simon Wincer.
Phar Lap is one of Australia’s most entertaining films. It takes up a story from an Australian passion: horse racing. (Another film on an Australian racehorse was Archer, the 19th century champion.)
Phar Lap was written by playwright David Williamson and directed by Simon Wincer (The Light Horsemen).
Phar Lap is a legend in Australia – a horse which came from nowhere, was not backed by its owner but supported by its trainer (played by Martin Vaughan) and his stable boy, Tommy Woodcock (Tom Burlinson). Ron Leibman plays the owner.
Initially, Phar Lap loses races but eventually is well trained, comes from behind, and begins to win races. He had an enormous reputation in the early 1930s. He won thirty-seven of fifty-one races, second or third in five others. He also set new records in the Melbourne Cup, the Victoria Derby, the W.S. Cox Plate and the Melbourne Stakes.
Eventually, he travelled to the United States and won at Agua Caliente in Mexico in 1932. He died under mysterious circumstances – and there was speculation that he was killed by organised crime.
The film is vivid, has good horseracing scenes, has a range of Australian character actors in interesting roles – and recreates the atmosphere of the racing industry in the 1930s.
1. An enjoyable and entertaining film? Quality? Acclaim? Impact in Australia? Overseas?
2. The popularity of horses, horse-racing, training? The background of competitiveness and betting? Australian racing traditions? New Zealand horses? Performance in Australia, the United States? The tradition of the horse? racing film: the emphasis on the horses, training, racing, the crowds, the aura of success? The techniques used for highlighting this aura of racing: camera work, editing, pace, music etc.?
3. Audience knowledge of Phar Lap and the status of his legend? The structure of the film focusing on his death and reputation, the search for explanations, reaction, headlines, questions about the killing of the horse? The return to the experience of Phar Lap's arrival, the nondescript horse, the training and the build-up, the human reactions to his success, both for and against? The collage repeating this material at the end?
4. The quality of the re-creation of period in Sydney and Melbourne, the United States and Mexico? Decor, locations, clothes and sets? The race tracks? The city suburbs. homes, society? The training studs? The authenticity of the locales? The rousing musical score and its use?
5. The focus on Phar Lap as character: audience response to the horse as character - the ‘human' touch? The impact of Phar Lap at the time of his death, success, legend, Australian suspicions of Americans? Telford's grief? Tommy Woodcock upset? The questioning of Telford and the story from his point of view as well as that of Woodcock? The initial visuals of Phar Lap arriving in Australia: warts, ugly? The presentation of the horse as battler? Slow performance, size, bones? Coming last? Telford's intuitions about Phar Lap? His getting his name from the Filipino commentator? The sequences of training - especially the slow motion of the sand, dune sequences? The horse suffering and working hard? Harry Telford and his hardness on the horse? The contrast with Tommy Woodcock and his tenderness? Davis skeptical about the horse and wanting to sell it? The comments of observers, the strappers, the stable boys, the press? The invitation to him to train, the trust? The techniques for development? The flu? Riding in the park? The confrontation between Tommy and Telford? Tommy’s ability to handle Phar Lap - in the stalls, in the park? His skill in understanding how he ran and riding him well? The interest and the curiosity? Davis and the deals - allowing Telford to train Phar Lap? Bea and her interest? The build-up to Phar Lap's racing, The Derby and the win, reaction? Telford's nervousness, unbelief? Tommy and the stable-hands and their success? The collage of Phar Lap's success? The effect on Telford, on Tommy, on Davis? The build-up to success and prospects for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups? The deals? The racing establishment and their continued attacks on Phar Lap? The money deals and Phar Lap being scratched from the Caulfield Cup? The pressure on Telford? The hopes for the Melbourne Cup? The criminal element - and the tense sequence of Phar Lap being shot at and protected by Tommy? His being hidden in the country? The delays before the arrival for the Melbourne Cup? Popular acclaim? His win - with the emphasis on style of racing, placing, Tommy knowing the right time for him to surge forward? A hero to the Australian nation? People's reactions, cele¬brations? The aftermath of the Melbourne Cup? Success, the growing addition of weights for handicaps? The racing establish¬ment and their blackmail for Davis to withdraw the horse or put ex¬cessive weights? The run in the 1931 Melbourne Cup, his losing, the crowd turning against the establishment? The American deal and his going to America? The Agua Caliente racing track using Phar Lap's reputation to re-establish itself? Training in the United States, stumbling and the injury, the decisions about the horseshoes etc.? The build-up to the race, the dramatic win? A sense of achievement? Phar Lap's death in context? The screenplay establishing Phar Lap as a character, The battler, looked down on? An Australian Symbol? Success of the battler? Popularity and heroism? Tragedy and mystery? The appropriate ingredients for a legend?
6. Davis sceptical about the horse and wanting to sell it? The comments of observers, strappers, and stableboys, the press? The techniques for developing Phar Lap, the running in the, park? The confrontation between Tommy and Telford? Tommy’s ability to handle Phar Lap - in the stalls, in the park? His skill in understanding how he ran and riding him well? The press and the curiosity? Davis and the deals? allowing Telford to train Phar Lap? Bea and her interest? The build-up to Phar Lap's racing, the Derby and the win, reaction? Telford's nervousness, unbelief? Tommy and the stable hands and their success? The collage of Phar Lap's success? The effect on Telford, on Tommy, on Davis? The build-up to success and prospects for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups? The deals? The racing establishment and their continued attacks on Phar Lap? The money deals and Phar Lap being scratched from the Caulfield Cup? The pressure on Telford? The hopes for the Melbourne Cup? The criminal element and the tense sequence of Phar Lap being shot at and protected by Tommy? His being hidden in the country? The delays before the arrival for the Melbourne Cup? Popular acclaim? His win - with the emphasis on style of racing, placing, Tommy knowing the right time for him to surge forward? A hero to the Australian nation? People's reactions, celebrations? The aftermath of the Melbourne Cup? Success, the growing addition of weights for handicaps? The racing establishment and their blackmail for Davis to withdraw the horse or put excessive weights? The run in the 1931 Melbourne Cup and his losing, the crowd turning against the establishment? The American deal and his going to America? The Agua Caliente racing track using Phar Lap's reputation to re-establish itself? Training in the United States, stumbling and the injury, the decisions about the horseshoes etc.? The build-up to the race and the dramatic win? A sense of achievement? Phar Lap's death in this context? The screenplay establishing Phar Lap as a character? The battler, looked down on? An Australian Symbol? he success of the battler? Popularity and heroism? sporting tragedy and mystery? The appropriate ingredients for a legend?
6. The character of Tommy Woodcock: ordinary young man, stable hand, friendship with the rest of the boys, his skill in handling horses, his ability to put the bridle on Phar Lap, his kindness, friendship with the others, sacked by Telford, after telling him off? His being reinstated? His work and skill and devotion to Phar Lap? Telford relying on him more? The friendship of Davis? Bea and her interest in him and his engagement? The sequences of training and tending Phar Lap? The comments made? His insight into Phar Lap's skills, riding him in Centennial Park, the techniques for his winning? The friendship with Emma at the boarding house, his proper manner with Emma? His shyness? Bea asking him about Emma and urging him to go back to Sydney, the shy proposal, the wedding, the stable hands and the practical joke about his returning to Melbourne? The background of the races, the Caulfield Cup and the scratching, the build-up to the Melbourne Cup, his riding Phar Lap and being shot at, the hiding of Phar Lap in the country and the belated entry on Cup Day, the win and his being given the money? The disappointment with the weights and handicaps? Going to the United States? The training, the decisions made - the possibility of errors especially about Phar Lap's foot? The audience seeing Phar Lap and experiencing the horse with Tommy Woodcock? The nature of the bond, the emotions? A natural and pleasant young man and the real Tommy Woodcock advising for the film?
7. The contrast with Harry Telford? initially seeing him at the news of Phar Lap's death? The flashbacks? Buying Phar Lap, his intuition and visions, deals? His home life and relationship with Vi and his children? The continual need for financial support? The deal with Davis and his riding Phar Lap hard - especially in the sand dunes? Considering him lazy? The loss of races? Sacking Tommy after confronting him, asking for him to come back? The deals with Davis and his shrewdness in outmanoeuvring him throughout Phar Lap's career? Building up Phar Lap to success? His vision and Grayside and his debts, the buying of the horses, the training? Harry as visionary and dreamer? A cranky man and working his horses hard? Likable and unlikeable, Martin Vaughn’s acting style, and the complexity of Telford? The dilemma about the scratching from the Caulfield Cup, the influence of Vi, his doing it? The success at the Melbourne Cup? Pushing Davis after Phar Lap's failure in 1931? His experience of Phar Lap as champion the reaction to his initial appearance, waiting at the races and not watching, tears at Randwick? They money and the continual pressure for finance in governing his work with the horses? His later seeing Phar Lap as a successful freak and the other horses not so successful? The reaction of the reporters - especially in questions about the Caulfield Cup? His awareness of dangers? Phar Lap's lameness and his sharing the costs with Davis? The reason for his not going with Phar Lap to America? The parallel of Telford with Phar Lap: the Australian type, the battler, the hard man, the dreamer, the winner.?
8. Davis as owner? His Jewish European background and his explanation of himself in Europe? The hard worker? The American salesman? His owning Phar Lap, his caution? His deals with Harry? Working with Tommy? The support of Bea? The sneering of the establishment? His pushiness, his home, celebrations, the papers, dress? Likable or not? The showmen with reporters? His not having successful hunches but being able to capitalise on success? The effect of the winning? Connolly and his financial deals? Persuading Harry and Vi to scratch the horse? McKinnon? and the snobbery of the establishment, the clashes, the blackmail for Phar Lap to be scratched or have excessive handicap? Davis telling off the establishment? His being tricked about the prospects for the United States? His anger? His growing desperation and the dangerous deals with American criminal interests? A complex and interesting character?
9. The presentation of the women in the film - supporting roles? Vi and her low-key presence, yet pressure on Harry? The family, the need for money, prudence, ultimatums? Her lack of faith in Phar Lap? Success and the establishment of Graysides? Bea and her support of her husband, a pleasant woman, kind, having faith in Phar Lap, generosity towards Tommy? Emma and her mother in the boarding house the good girl, the proposal, the wedding, her supporting Tommy?
10. Connolly and the picture of the financial wheeler-dealers? The deals in Australia? Scratching, bets, pressures? The scene on the boat on the harbour and the presentation of the wheeler-dealing types?
11. Financial wheeler-dealing in Australia for the United States? Agua Caliente and its needs? The risk and the use of Phar Lap? The intimations of Mafia dealings and the big turnover of money? plausible background for the killing of Phar Lap?
12. McKinnon? and Sir Samuel Hordern and the anti-Semitic Sydney and Melbourne establishment? Snobbery, manipulation, toffs? Their wheeler-dealing? Their pressures on Davis? Their being booed at the 1931 Melbourne Cup?
13. The background of the jockeys - especially Pike and his eventual riding of Phar Lap and his contribution to the plot? The background of the strappers, the fellowship in the stables, the boarding house, meals, dormitories, saunas etc.? Loyalties? The importance of the jockeys - and their role in contributing to wins, the possibility of corruption etc.?
14. The background of the crowds, the fans, the bookmakers? The media and their role in supporting Phar Lap, in being critical? The, humour of the two possible front pages after Phar Lap's performance in Mexico?
15. Phar Lap as hero to a nation? The background of the Depression? For the 80s? A legend symbol for Australian audiences?
