THE EVERLASTING SECRET FAMILY
Australia, 1988, 94 minutes, Colour.
Arthur Dignam, John Meillon, Mark Lee, Paul Goddard, Heather Mitchell, Dennis Miller.
Directed by Michael Thornhill.
The Everlasting Secret Family was written for the screen by Frank Moorehouse from his stories. The subject is unusual: homosexuality, and a secret society within Australia (and perhaps internationally) whereby people are recruited into a secret family, with its own rituals and lore, for a brotherhood of homosexuals. The film postulates such a society
in Australia, a senator and a High Court judge being involved and prolonging the life of the family.
The film focuses on a boy at school who is recruited to be the lover of a senator, who infiltrates himself into society, especially with a High Court judge, wants, like Dorian Gray, to remain eternally youthful and who ingratiates himself into the senator's household, even to the seduction of his son.
The film is directed by Michael Thornhill (Between Wars, The FJ Holden, and his collaboration with Moorehouse on The Disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain). Filmed in Panavision, it is beautiful to look at in its rather exotic and sometimes esoteric world. We see a public school, glimpses of Canberra, affluent apartments and houses - a background to the life of this family. The background score is male choral voices.
Arthur Dignam is effective as the senator. John Meillon is the judge. At the centre is Mark Lee (Gallipoli, Emma’s War, The City's Edge). He has a striking presence and this is well- exploited to give credibility to the plot. However, his acting is uneven which takes away from the film's impact somewhat. Heather Mitchell is very good as the senator's wife. Paul Goddard is the senator's son. A striking performance is also offered by Dennis Miller as a seemingly sinister chauffeur - but who is one of the boys of the family grown old and caught in his hierarchical place as a chauffeur.
The film is interesting, not always easy to follow - perhaps retaining some of the enigma of the everlasting secret family.
What seemed exotic and esoteric was revealed to have more than a foundation in real life as sexual abuse cases and rings were exposed.
1. The title of the film, its expectations and meanings, explanations?
2. The Australian atmosphere, Panavision photography, Sydney, the countryside, Canberra? Contemporary and fashionable interiors, affluence? Costumes and decor?
3. The musical score and the use of the male choir?
4. The work of Frank Moorehouse, novels and short stories, observation of Australian society, public, private, morality?
5. The audience response to the homosexual themes: of such a family in Australia, its codes, secrecy, rituals, behaviour? In operation,
in politics and law? Practices, relationships, the effect on
individuals' lives and characters, recruiting? The stance of the screenplay on sexuality, sensuality? The evocation of a sexual atmosphere, provocative, the use of postures, clothes, nudity?
6. The characters not having personal names except for Eric? Why the exception for Eric?
7. The youth at school, the Christian school, sports and athletics? appearance, physique, beauty? The secrecy of his being claimed by the senator, seemingly on a political visit? His going from the class (and the art class on the male nude)? The other boys in the school? Driving with Eric, self-assured, clashes with Eric? His wanting to go? With the senator, in the apartment, Creme de Menthe, the bath, the sensuality, the relationship on the edge of the senator's career? The talk about politics, secret documents? His staying in rooms? Dining with the senator? Alone with Eric, games? The senator's theory that he had no other purpose but just to be and be beautiful? His becoming a lover and his acceptance of this lifestyle? The homosexual party for the Japanese businessman, his going with him, practices? The changes in the relationship, the tantrum, not picking things up from the floor in the restaurant, his tantrum with the tablecloth? With Eric and self-willed? Having to obey the rules? Everything supervised by the senator? His worry about his age, not wanting to grow old, not wanting to be a chauffeur like Eric? The visit to the doctor, the medication? His pottery work? His friendship with the pottery woman, her beautiful home, her listening to him? The use of the voiceover to explain his perspective?
8. The ceremonies of the secret family: the clothes, the masks, the ritual dance, the proclamation about the nature of the rose? 'Sub Rosa'?
9. The judge, his presence at the ceremonies, part of the family? His attraction towards the youth? The youth going to court, provocatively? The youth's decision to go to him, provocative in the chambers, the judge and his emergence from the court? Attraction, the bargain? His wanting to read the books about the family? The masochistic practices of the Judge? His death? The youth's reaction, reporting at the dinner in his sports clothes, the senator and Eric and the cover-up? His going to the pottery woman, her ringing and getting Eric to cone for him? Funeral and headlines about the judge and his prominence?
10. The senator and his reputation, part of the family, his going to the school, choosing of the boy, his sexual whims, his political life, the documents tantalising the youth? His public appearances, at the baby show? Meeting the girl, her political connections, going out with her, the dinner? The boy’s tantrums? The judge and his having to cover up at the death? The search for the book? His relationship with Eric? His telling the youth that he was to marry? The effect on the youth, decline, parties, dressing in drag? The senator's inviting the youth to be his son's babysitter?
11. Eric and his work as a chauffeur, in his place, a former lover, his talking with the youth and supervising him, his advice, the advice to the senator, the cover-up, driving the wife and the senator and offering to drive around the block for the wife?
12. The wife and her belonging to the party, at the baby show, attraction towards the senator, the dinner, seeing the youth, marrying, the babysitting arrangement?
13. The 14 years passing: the youth and the echoes or the Dorian Gray story? Others aged? His life, his entree into the family? His companionship for the son? The son and his return from the Cadet camp, the youth at home? The beach and the boy's study? His seductive manner with the boy? The mother and her concern about the youth, her discussions with her husband, telling him the truth about his relationship? The bedroom sequence with her son and its sensual overtones? Her persuading him to get rid of the youth, trying to persuade him with the money? The youth's confrontation, the son backing down in his presence? His reaction to his mother? Her outing on the birthday party for him, his arrival amongst the guests, his clothes, briefly kissing her, the car, going to the homosexual party, the gifts, the relationship with the youth, going to bed with him? The danger for the youth in confronting both the senator and the son? However, his manipulating them and the voiceover comment on his relationship with both? His breaking out of the strict code of the family?
14. The son, his parents, his life, spoilt, only son, the seductive atmosphere with the youth, his return from the camp, the beach, his participation in the secret family ritual? His discussions with Eric, misjudging nim, taking him to the pottery woman, their attempts at seduction and his reaction on the four-poster? His ousting of Eric? His mother's attempt to be rid of the youth? His going back on it? Living with the youth? His behaviour at the birthday party? His wanting the sexual encounter with the youth? His final relationship with the youth?
15. The pottery woman, listening to the youth, sexual encounter, helping him at the time of the judge's death? Later and the attempted seduction of the son?
16. The wife and the feminine presence in the home, sympathetic or not, from the perspective of the homosexual? her hopes, the marriage, her son, the seductive overtones of her trying to persuade her son to get rid of the youth? The art exhibition?
17. The film cohering as drama, but with enigmatic and secretive aspects? Familiar surface, unfamiliar below the surface? Themes of power, sexuality, decadence, codes of behaviour and honour?
