Title: THE REMOVALISTS
Year of Release: 1975
Director: Tom Jeffrey
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: A woman assists her sister in reporting an incident of domestic violence to the police who become involved in the case, with surprising but horrific results.
Within a film history context: Themes of domestic violence, and disintegrating marriages/unions, have appeared many times as an element in cinema over the years. One of the first documented films dealing with the issue was George Melford's silent film THE COST OF HATRED (1917). Starring Kathlyn Williams, it was about a woman who had an abusive husband, and her love affair with another man which led to consequences years later for her amour's son. Due to the Hays Code and its rules for filmmaking from the 1930s until the 1950s when it began to weaken, domestic violence did not appear much on film in only anything but its mutest form. One of the major exceptions was William Wellman's 1937 A STAR IS BORN. The first version of a story also filmed in 1954, 1976 and, most recently, in 2016, it centered around a fading Hollywood star who marries a woman who eclipses his fame, this causing tension in the marriage. Psychological in intention, and tragic in its ending, it is one of the most moving portrayals of domestic violence, the performances stellar. The 1950s, though, brought some of the most famous films which dealt with domestic violence.
George Cukor's BORN YESTERDAY (1950) had the boorish, emotionally abusive Broderick Crawford verbally, and physically, taking out his anger on the vulnerable Judy Holliday. It was a film which deftly combined comedy and drama in a manner that has rarely been seen in cinema with the domestic violence theme. Daniel Mann's COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA (1952) was another variation on the theme. In this film, a young woman comes to live in the house of a drunkard and his wife, her arrival creating waves in what was already a shaky marriage. WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956), directed by Douglas Sirk, had a small domestic violence component which was evident in the marriage of Kyle and Lucy Hadley, this largely marked by Kyle's drinking and insecurity. Moving into the 1960s and later, further portrayals of domestic violence and related themes were candid, and eye-opening for audiences at the time, still having power in the present age.
Mike Nichols' WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (1965), a watershed in censorship history for its language and themes, featured a couple who swapped verbal insults with abandon, this reflecting their tenuous marriage, and tumultuous relationship. It could be said that they abused each other in equal measure, something never before seen as it was usually one person being dominated by another within the filmic world. X, Y AND ZEE (1971), helmed by Brian G. Hutton, was similar to WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF as it again starred Elizabeth Taylor in the role of the main female protagonist. This time around, though, she verbally throttled husband Michael Caine, driving him into the arms of another woman, and causing further untold misery within the course of the film. Francis Ford Coppola's THE GODFATHER (1972), within its expansive framework of themes, also touched upon domestic violence. Connie Corleone, Michael Corleone's sister, had an abusive husband who was swiftly dispatched in the film. In the case of THE REMOVALISTS, it shared some elements from the afore-mentioned films, but added original touches of its own to the theme of domestic abuse and verbal violence.
Unlike many of the films above, THE REMOVALISTS did not show the audience scenes where Marilyn was physically hurt by Kenny. Instead of this, the film displayed the scars which Kenny inflicted on Marilyn's body at the police station which carried an emotional impact on Marilyn, her body language and tiny voice the obvious signs of trauma. The movie, in terms of its victim Marilyn, was most similar to BORN YESTERDAY's Billie, with a loud male character drowning out her voice, but, this is where the affinities end. Unlike Billie, Marilyn is a wife and mother, and it appears that she harbors doubts as to whether she is doing the correct thing for herself by reporting her husband to the police. She also shared with Lucy from WRITTEN ON THE WIND in that she could not comprehend her husband's behaviour, and became somewhat withdrawn in the process.
What makes THE REMOVALISTS most striking, and diverts from the other films, is the role of the police in the domestic violence situation. This makes the film two-pronged, in that it is both an examination of a failing marriage but also, how police intervention may sometimes make a difficult situation only worse. The police take on the role of the vindicator of Marilyn's life in the film, but also, are the villain that they are not supposed to be. Their repeated thrashing of Kenny is shown as being justified due to Kenny's ongoing swearing and disrespect of women, but the film asks questions as to who exactly is the victim through the actions of the policemen, with Kenny's, and their own, fate resting in their hands. The relationship between Kenny, Neville and Dan ranges from sad to comical, fierce to sympathetic, which makes their interactions engrossing, and is symptomatic of the absorbing, beguiling nature of THE REMOVALISTS.
Within a film history context: Themes of domestic violence, and disintegrating marriages/unions, have appeared many times as an element in cinema over the years. One of the first documented films dealing with the issue was George Melford's silent film THE COST OF HATRED (1917). Starring Kathlyn Williams, it was about a woman who had an abusive husband, and her love affair with another man which led to consequences years later for her amour's son. Due to the Hays Code and its rules for filmmaking from the 1930s until the 1950s when it began to weaken, domestic violence did not appear much on film in only anything but its mutest form. One of the major exceptions was William Wellman's 1937 A STAR IS BORN. The first version of a story also filmed in 1954, 1976 and, most recently, in 2016, it centered around a fading Hollywood star who marries a woman who eclipses his fame, this causing tension in the marriage. Psychological in intention, and tragic in its ending, it is one of the most moving portrayals of domestic violence, the performances stellar. The 1950s, though, brought some of the most famous films which dealt with domestic violence.
George Cukor's BORN YESTERDAY (1950) had the boorish, emotionally abusive Broderick Crawford verbally, and physically, taking out his anger on the vulnerable Judy Holliday. It was a film which deftly combined comedy and drama in a manner that has rarely been seen in cinema with the domestic violence theme. Daniel Mann's COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA (1952) was another variation on the theme. In this film, a young woman comes to live in the house of a drunkard and his wife, her arrival creating waves in what was already a shaky marriage. WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956), directed by Douglas Sirk, had a small domestic violence component which was evident in the marriage of Kyle and Lucy Hadley, this largely marked by Kyle's drinking and insecurity. Moving into the 1960s and later, further portrayals of domestic violence and related themes were candid, and eye-opening for audiences at the time, still having power in the present age.
Mike Nichols' WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (1965), a watershed in censorship history for its language and themes, featured a couple who swapped verbal insults with abandon, this reflecting their tenuous marriage, and tumultuous relationship. It could be said that they abused each other in equal measure, something never before seen as it was usually one person being dominated by another within the filmic world. X, Y AND ZEE (1971), helmed by Brian G. Hutton, was similar to WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF as it again starred Elizabeth Taylor in the role of the main female protagonist. This time around, though, she verbally throttled husband Michael Caine, driving him into the arms of another woman, and causing further untold misery within the course of the film. Francis Ford Coppola's THE GODFATHER (1972), within its expansive framework of themes, also touched upon domestic violence. Connie Corleone, Michael Corleone's sister, had an abusive husband who was swiftly dispatched in the film. In the case of THE REMOVALISTS, it shared some elements from the afore-mentioned films, but added original touches of its own to the theme of domestic abuse and verbal violence.
Unlike many of the films above, THE REMOVALISTS did not show the audience scenes where Marilyn was physically hurt by Kenny. Instead of this, the film displayed the scars which Kenny inflicted on Marilyn's body at the police station which carried an emotional impact on Marilyn, her body language and tiny voice the obvious signs of trauma. The movie, in terms of its victim Marilyn, was most similar to BORN YESTERDAY's Billie, with a loud male character drowning out her voice, but, this is where the affinities end. Unlike Billie, Marilyn is a wife and mother, and it appears that she harbors doubts as to whether she is doing the correct thing for herself by reporting her husband to the police. She also shared with Lucy from WRITTEN ON THE WIND in that she could not comprehend her husband's behaviour, and became somewhat withdrawn in the process.
What makes THE REMOVALISTS most striking, and diverts from the other films, is the role of the police in the domestic violence situation. This makes the film two-pronged, in that it is both an examination of a failing marriage but also, how police intervention may sometimes make a difficult situation only worse. The police take on the role of the vindicator of Marilyn's life in the film, but also, are the villain that they are not supposed to be. Their repeated thrashing of Kenny is shown as being justified due to Kenny's ongoing swearing and disrespect of women, but the film asks questions as to who exactly is the victim through the actions of the policemen, with Kenny's, and their own, fate resting in their hands. The relationship between Kenny, Neville and Dan ranges from sad to comical, fierce to sympathetic, which makes their interactions engrossing, and is symptomatic of the absorbing, beguiling nature of THE REMOVALISTS.
Overview: Tom Jeffrey was an Australian director of three motion pictures, also working on television series, and in the capacity of writer and producer of his own motion pictures, and those of others. His movies are brave, brutally honest examinations of aspects of both contemporary, and past Australian society. Despite only helming three movies, he had a varied and distinctive output. His second film, WEEKEND OF SHADOWS (1978), was set in 1930s Australia, and was concerned with the murder of a woman in a small town, and how a Polish man is accused of the crime, leading to violent repercussions. Mr Jeffrey's third and final film, ODD ANGRY SHOT (1979) was a film that detailed Australian soldiers' experiences while serving in Vietnam, done with candour, and containing many comic asides. THE REMOVALISTS, being Mr Jeffrey's directorial debut, shares the ability to relate to both sides of an issue that also exists in his other films, but deviates with its subject matter in this instance.
With THE REMOVALISTS, which is the film version of a play written by prolific Australian playwright David Williamson, Mr Jeffrey casts a light upon a situation, being how a supportive older sister assists her sibling in pressing charges against an abusive spouse, which results in the police becoming involved in this predicament. Mr Jeffrey tackles this issue in a detached manner, managing his actors to keep their emotions under control, which works in the film's favour as it unreels. The director takes time with the opening acts of the narrative, carefully arranging the characters in what would initially seem to be a simplistic premise peopled by stereotypes, and this bodes well for the film as a whole.
Mr Jeffrey, over the course of the film, delves deeper into what is taking place, examining characters who may have, at first glance, seemed wafer-thin, by progressively peeling away the layers of pretense they were hiding behind. Truths emerge that may never have seen the light of day which cast a different perspective on the characters. Thus, the director provides a tense, cogent representation of a plight that may well have occurred at some time in life. This is the beauty of the film, shifting the view throughout as to who the villains are, but also, showing the emotional undercurrent that exists in their actions. While the film possesses these positive qualities, there are certain lapses without which it could have been even better.
There is a small incident where John Hargreaves' character, Neville Ross, refers to a certain part of the female anatomy in a vulgar term. This takes a little away from the film, making Ross not as squeaky clean as first thought, but it does not detract from Mr Hargreaves' excellent work as the hesitant, thoughtful Ross. Similarly, it would have been good to have known more about Chris Haywood's character, as he does wonders with his small part, and the character should have been connected even more to the main characters. This, though, points to another deficiency in THE REMOVALISTS.
The film would have benefitted, for example, from additional scenes, such as more with Kenny and Marilyn, or flashbacks, to show what went wrong in their marriage. Short scenes would have made certain things about the characters even clearer for viewers, but staying faithful to a source play is understandable. It is a fine line in what to include and exclude in a film, but sometimes further clarification does not hurt the overall effect, only deepening viewer knowledge about the characters. Despite this, Tom Jeffrey should be commended for making THE REMOVALISTS a tight, compelling movie, that leaves the viewer uneasy but also, provides food for thought about humanity.
With THE REMOVALISTS, which is the film version of a play written by prolific Australian playwright David Williamson, Mr Jeffrey casts a light upon a situation, being how a supportive older sister assists her sibling in pressing charges against an abusive spouse, which results in the police becoming involved in this predicament. Mr Jeffrey tackles this issue in a detached manner, managing his actors to keep their emotions under control, which works in the film's favour as it unreels. The director takes time with the opening acts of the narrative, carefully arranging the characters in what would initially seem to be a simplistic premise peopled by stereotypes, and this bodes well for the film as a whole.
Mr Jeffrey, over the course of the film, delves deeper into what is taking place, examining characters who may have, at first glance, seemed wafer-thin, by progressively peeling away the layers of pretense they were hiding behind. Truths emerge that may never have seen the light of day which cast a different perspective on the characters. Thus, the director provides a tense, cogent representation of a plight that may well have occurred at some time in life. This is the beauty of the film, shifting the view throughout as to who the villains are, but also, showing the emotional undercurrent that exists in their actions. While the film possesses these positive qualities, there are certain lapses without which it could have been even better.
There is a small incident where John Hargreaves' character, Neville Ross, refers to a certain part of the female anatomy in a vulgar term. This takes a little away from the film, making Ross not as squeaky clean as first thought, but it does not detract from Mr Hargreaves' excellent work as the hesitant, thoughtful Ross. Similarly, it would have been good to have known more about Chris Haywood's character, as he does wonders with his small part, and the character should have been connected even more to the main characters. This, though, points to another deficiency in THE REMOVALISTS.
The film would have benefitted, for example, from additional scenes, such as more with Kenny and Marilyn, or flashbacks, to show what went wrong in their marriage. Short scenes would have made certain things about the characters even clearer for viewers, but staying faithful to a source play is understandable. It is a fine line in what to include and exclude in a film, but sometimes further clarification does not hurt the overall effect, only deepening viewer knowledge about the characters. Despite this, Tom Jeffrey should be commended for making THE REMOVALISTS a tight, compelling movie, that leaves the viewer uneasy but also, provides food for thought about humanity.
Acting: The performances of the actors in THE REMOVALISTS give the film an impetus and power that make it an exceptional viewing experience. As the head policeman at the station, Peter Cummins is excellent as the morally ambiguous but engaging Sergeant Dan Simmons. It is one of the most riveting representations of a corrupt, self-deceiving police officer ever filmed. He is matched by John Hargreaves as young Constable Neville Ross, Simmons' antithesis. It is interesting to note Mr Hargreaves' journey in the film from a rookie officer and his neophyte mistakes, to his final show of authority over Simmons. In contrast, Martin Harris offers a complex representation of the foul-mouthed, abusive Kenny. It is a credit to Mr Harris that he is able to mine sympathy out of such a resistible character, who, similar to Neville Ross, undergoes a transformation within the film's running time. The other actors also offer great performances in the film.
Kate Fitzpatrick projects an aura of steely determination as the upper-class Kate Mason, forthright sister of Marilyn Carter. What appears to be a prissy and uptight woman at the outset is made mesmerizing by Miss Fitzpatrick, and it is especially interesting to note her chemistry with Peter Cummins. Miss Fitzpatrick and Mr Cummins have an easy rapport in the film which makes their fieriest moments together both sad, and watchable. As people from opposite ends of the class spectrum, their clash is realistic. As Marilyn Carter, Kate's sister and Kenny's wife, Jacki Weaver brings her inimitable persona to the film, handling her character's predicament with a quiet but touching resignation. There are tender moments where she displays her sparkle, and these are featured in the introspective scenes where she remembers the best times of her marriage before it went awry.
Kate Fitzpatrick projects an aura of steely determination as the upper-class Kate Mason, forthright sister of Marilyn Carter. What appears to be a prissy and uptight woman at the outset is made mesmerizing by Miss Fitzpatrick, and it is especially interesting to note her chemistry with Peter Cummins. Miss Fitzpatrick and Mr Cummins have an easy rapport in the film which makes their fieriest moments together both sad, and watchable. As people from opposite ends of the class spectrum, their clash is realistic. As Marilyn Carter, Kate's sister and Kenny's wife, Jacki Weaver brings her inimitable persona to the film, handling her character's predicament with a quiet but touching resignation. There are tender moments where she displays her sparkle, and these are featured in the introspective scenes where she remembers the best times of her marriage before it went awry.
Soundtrack: As with many films of the 1970s, THE REMOVALISTS has a spare soundtrack, mainly utilized during the opening and closing scenes, and the credits sequence. The piano and saxophone theme featured in the credits is suitably low-key, and in keeping with the film's assured pace, and ruminative outlook.
Mise-en-scene: The sets and location filming featured in THE REMOVALISTS are noteworthy of analysis for several reasons. At first glance, it would be easy to dismiss the mise-en-scene as being drab and colourless. The main settings, such as the police station, and the apartment of Marilyn and Kenny Carter, are hardly what would be considered glamorous, and, not intended to offer the audience pleasant eye candy. This, precisely, is why they function so well in the film. THE REMOVALISTS is down-to-earth in its execution, and this is also reflected in the sets.
The backgrounds are functional in the way that they do not take away from the actors with their prettiness, which is what I presume the makers of the film intended. The film stock is not garish, but suitably understated, reflecting the humdrum lives of the characters. As THE REMOVALISTS is not a Technicolor extravaganza or musical, the subdued Eastmancolor cinematography works in the movie's favour. This is not to say that the viewer cannot see the action. The lighting allows for the characters to be observed properly, without shadows, which is also another very good technical aspect of the film. The film is to be applauded for its stark, naturalistic approach to mise-en-scene that could be said to have taken a leaf out of post-war film noir, or, Italian neo-realism of the 1940s and 1950s.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Peter Cummins, Kate Fitzpatrick, John Hargreaves, Jacki Weaver, Martin Harris.
The backgrounds are functional in the way that they do not take away from the actors with their prettiness, which is what I presume the makers of the film intended. The film stock is not garish, but suitably understated, reflecting the humdrum lives of the characters. As THE REMOVALISTS is not a Technicolor extravaganza or musical, the subdued Eastmancolor cinematography works in the movie's favour. This is not to say that the viewer cannot see the action. The lighting allows for the characters to be observed properly, without shadows, which is also another very good technical aspect of the film. The film is to be applauded for its stark, naturalistic approach to mise-en-scene that could be said to have taken a leaf out of post-war film noir, or, Italian neo-realism of the 1940s and 1950s.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Peter Cummins, Kate Fitzpatrick, John Hargreaves, Jacki Weaver, Martin Harris.
Suitability for young viewers: No. Frequent coarse language, adult themes, medium-level violence.
Overall Grade: B
Link: IMDB Page
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