Saturday, 18 September 2021 18:52

Horseman, The/ Australia, 2008






THE HORSEMAN

Australia, 2009, 96 minutes, Colour.
Peter Marshall, Caroline Marohasy, Brad Mc Murray, Jack Henry, Evert Mc Queen, Christopher Sommers.
Directed by Steven Kastrissios.

Not a horse in sight. This particular horseman drives around in a van full of pest control tools.

The thing is that he is a modern horseman of the apocalypse, bringing death to the evil, an avenger. And the name on his overalls is Christian. The other thing is that he does not act like a Christian (except for those who believe that apocalyptic vengeance in the name of God is the only way to deal with those whose principles and practice they judge to be against divine law). Christian drives from Brisbane up the Queensland coast on a mission to confront all those responsible for the 'adult' film in which his daughter appeared.

We don't know Christian's full motivation or whether is anger is fully against the exploiters of an anger at himself for not being able to care for his daughter and save her from her fate: leaving home, drugs, pornography and abandoned, drug-fuelled, to die in the streets.

Needless to say, the pornographers are scum in their attitudes and behaviour but are shocked at Christian's confrontation and his killing them.

While the plot is repetitious, one confrontation and fight and killing after another, there is a sub-plot where Christian eventually gives a lift to a pregnant young woman (Caroline Marohasy) who wants to talk things over with the father. Christian's support of her is clearly his way of making up for any neglect of his daughter.

This is a first feature film by a young director, Steve Katrissios, who knows how to create atmosphere on screen. And Peter Marshall is believable as the avenging Christian.

1.The immediate impact of this film? A violent world? The presentation of violence? The vengeance theme?

2.The Queensland setting, the city, the homes, the warehouses, the pornography warehouse? The highway, the petrol stations, the isolated homes? Night and day? The musical score? Atmospheric?

3.The moral issues: the background of the pornography industry, the young woman and her voluntarily making the film, her being drugged, her dying? The producer and his attitudes, the distributor? The performers and their motivations? Their insensitivities and cruelty? Drugs, sex, violence? The film’s attitude towards this industry? The film, the title, the brief clips?

4.The religious and moral tone of the title – the apocalyptic horseman for vengeance? The central character being called Christian? Yet the vengeance theme more of the Old Testament and an eye for an eye…?

5.The exploitation aspects of the film? Appropriate for this kind of film? Beyond the limits? Visually, thematically?

6.The introduction to Christian, pest control, his uniform? The confrontation of the actor, the interrogation, killing him? His initial seeming to have no feelings? The information to go to Finn?

7.The structure of the film: Christian and his mission, the repetition (and the similarities of the confrontations)? The numbing of dramatic effect by the repetition? His driving through the Queensland countryside? The encounter with Alice, her request for a lift? His consent, the discussions and getting to know Alice? The revelation of himself? The flashbacks? The cumulative effect, his being taken, Alice being abducted? The build-up to the confrontation and his rescuing her?

8.Christian as a character? His love for his daughter, the fact that his girlfriend was pregnant, marrying her? The home movies of Jessie as a little girl? His love for his daughter, identifying the body, the cremation, half the ashes for her mother, his travelling with the urn? Tipping out the ashes, the decision to collect them again and sifting them? Carrying them in the car, going to the water to distribute them? The influence of Alice? The importance of the father-daughter relationship? His regrets? Wanting to help Alice, a substitute daughter figure? His being able to act like a father and save her?

9.The characters involved in the industry, their rationalisations, callous attitudes? The distributor and his warehouse, Christian wanting to buy all the copies? The callous attitude of the man, Christian killing him? Taking the copies? The producer, his callous attitude, his fears? His henchmen and the confrontation, Christian killing them both?

10.The police, the information on television that they were in pursuit?

11.The actors, callous, his torturing them? Information? The fights? The irony of the actor’s wife, finding the cassette, sending it to Christian with the note? Her wanting him to destroy her husband? His brother? The fights?

12.Finding the man with his family, the attack, his giving the information? Did Christian spare him?

13.The policeman, holding them up, handcuffs, arresting them? His being a bent cop, taking them to Derek? Getting the money, the possibility for his assaulting Alice? Her being saved by Christian?

14.Derek, his brutality, his friends? The violence towards Christian? The plan for Alice, the set-up for the film?

15.Christian, his ingenuity, his fighting the men, destroying them? Alice giving him the key, his getting free? The increasing brutality of the fights? His being vindicated – and his saving Alice? The final sounds of police sirens?

16.The tradition of Death Wish, hardcore, the Limey, fathers vindicating their children? Their grief and anger and rage? Credible? Putting the vengeance into practice – and making the audience share in these attitudes? A catharsis for the characters – for the audience? Or a creation of vindictive attitudes in the audience?
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