CACTUS
Australia, 1986, 93 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Huppert, Robert Menzies, Norman Kaye, Monica Maughan, Banula Marika, Sheila Florance, Peter Aanensen, Julia Blake, Jean- Pierre Mignon, Ray Marshall, Maurie Fields, Sean Scully, Tony Llewellyn- Jones.
Directed by Paul Cox.
Cactus is one of Paul Cox’s earlier small-budget small films, made in Melbourne in the mid-1980s. After making many documentaries, Dutch-born Cox made feature films in the late 1970s. They include Illumination, Costas, but he broke through with his award-winning Lonely Hearts featuring Wendy Hughes and Norman Kaye who were to appear in many of his films. He followed this with the award-winning Man of Flowers, with Norman Kaye, My First Wife with John Hargreaves. He also won best director for this film in the AFI awards.
At this time Cox also made the docudrama, Vincent, about Vincent Van Gogh with readings from his letters by John Hurt. During the late 1980s and early 1990s Cox made a number of films but was comparatively less successful although Sheila Florance won the best actress award for the 1991 A Woman’s Tale. Cox has continued to make films spasmodically since.
The film shows Cox’s interest in Europe as well as in Australia. The location photography in the Dandenongs is very beautiful indeed with many sweeps and pans, accompanied by classical music score. Isabelle Huppert, who had emerged in the 1970s as one of the leading French actresses – and has continued for the next thirty years – is a visitor from France who has a driving accident, losing the sight of one eye and in danger of losing sight in the other. Her hosts, played by Norman Kaye and Monica Maughan, introduce her to a blind young man who cultivates cacti. He is sensitively played by Robert Menzies. There is a strong supporting cast including Sheila Florance and Julia Blake as a lecturer on cacti with veterans Ray Marshall, Maurie Fields as guests in the party sequences.
In some ways, the story is slight. However, the beauty of the photography, the warmth and ordinariness of life in Melbourne plus the acting gives it great strength.
1.The film as drama, Australian, international flavour?
2.The work of Paul Cox, small films, local, universal interest and appeal?
3.The title, the visuals, the appearance of cacti, the growth in the desert, cultivating them? A symbol?
4.The narrative and the local interest, the inserts to Paris, to France? Colo’s memories in the home movie style?
5.The musical score, classics, popular songs?
6.The Dandenongs, the beauty of the forests, the trees, the panning shots, the sweeps, the views from the lookout? The house in the forest? The cacti and the hothouses? The lyrical tone? A context for the story?
7.Melbourne, the suburbs, the buses, ordinary? Melbourne city and the centre? The meeting hall and the assembly? The film’s naturalism, audiences identifying with even the mundane details?
8.Tom and Bea? Colo as their guest, their care for her, the bonds, the tensions between the two? Tom and the drive with Colo, the beauty, the lookout, her wanting to drive, the accident? Hospital, Tom introducing Colo to Robert? As a favour for Robert to meet her? The cacti group’s meetings? Francois coming, highlighting the tension between the two in their married life? Tom marching on Anzac Day, coming home drunk? The party to celebrate Martha’s birthday? The care for Colo?
9.Isabelle Huppert as Colo, her character, the visit to Australia, her delight, the beauty of the Dandenongs, the drive, the accident? Not wishing Francois to come? In hospital, the diagnoses of the doctors, the eye specialist, the loss of one eye, the possibility of sympathetic loss of the other eye? Her coping, meeting Robert, walking with him, feeling loved, the experience? The alienation from Francois? The cactus, Robert’s blindness? Going to the meeting, the love, the truth, the lies? Their watching the Anzac Day parade, Martha and George, the birthday party? The decision about the eye? Colo wandering in central Melbourne? Francois’ arrival, their talk, saying she did not love him? Going to Robert? A future with him?
10.Robert as a sympathetic character, blind (and narrating the moment he bumped his head as a child and could see momentarily)? Cultivating the cacti, his hothouse, the gardens, coping with life, his loneliness? Friendship with Tom, doing the favour to meet Colo, visiting the house, awkwardness, their talking, walking together, attending the meeting? The bonds, sharing, the sexual relationship? The parties, the television? His first love? The effect, Francois’ arrival, Colo’s choice? His friendship with Banduk, her working for him? Her past story and marriage to the Dutch psychiatrist?
11.Francois, wealthy, busy, Colo as a trophy wife, his arrival, weariness, talking with Colo, wanting to go to bed, the shock of her saying she did not love him?
12.Banduk, the Aboriginal themes, the Aborigines at the society meeting?
13.Martha and George, sociable, the parties, Anzac Day, her birthday, George and his speeches, the songs, George and his grumbling? Martha reading Colo’s palm? Saying that happiness was hers from the beginning of time?
14.Elsa, her singing, the other friends at the party, the chat, the jokes, imitation of the camel?
15.The cactus society meeting, the lecture, the detail, the chairing of the meeting, the votes, the lecturer leaving in anger?
16.A glimpse of Australia, people, support? The difference between Australia and Europe? Colo’s future?
