THE GREAT MACARTHY (1975)

Title: THE GREAT MACARTHY

Year of Release: 1975

Director: David Baker

Genre: Comedy, Sport

Synopsis: A rising young football player is recruited by force for the South Melbourne Football Club, and becomes involved with many colorful characters in his journey.

Within a film history context: Movies about Australian Rules Football actually appeared after THE GREAT MACARTHY'S release in 1975, making it the first movie in Australian film history about the topic. The next picture om the subject, Bruce Beresford's THE CLUB (1980) was about the goings-on at an Australian Rules Football Club, particularly emphasizing the schemes taking place among those involved in the club. AUSTRALIAN RULES (2002), directed by Paul Goldman, was entirely contrary. It was about white and Aboriginal people in a South Australian town, and how they find common ground in football, but also, detailed what separated them. Richard Gray's BLINDER (2013) concerned itself with a football player who inadvertently became embroiled in a compromising situation, leaves town, and returns years later to try and mend fences. In a similar vein was THE MERGER (2018), directed by Mark Grentell. A former football player comes back to his hometown to coach a team which is in dire need of inspiration, and how refugees are enlisted to play on the team. Jason Perini's CHASING COMETS (2018) was a comedy with a young football player, and his difficulties not only with the game, but also, his personal life. THE GREAT MACARTHY was the earliest of the films about a football player, and one of the most irreverent.

The movie had an outrageous vibe about it, sending up not only the Australian preoccupation with football, but also, the personalities involved in the clubs who pull the strings, particularly with reference to players. It was a light-hearted take on THE CLUB, which viewed these subjects in a more serious manner, although it had many sharply satirical moments. The club members in THE GREAT MACARTHY could be classified as being cartoonish, while THE CLUB's members, and their behaviour, were based more in reality, and rooted in drama. Aside from this, THE GREAT MACARTHY had elements in common with films such as BLINDER, THE MERGER, and CHASING COMETS, which focused upon the personal life of their main protagonist. This is something THE CLUB shied away from, that is, focusing one character in particular. It was a multi-character narrative in this way, offering various viewpoints rather than concentrating on one key character, something that AUSTRALIAN RULES also did. THE GREAT MACARTHY and its counterparts, in comparison, offered an intimate portrait of the principal character, and how events in the movie revolved around him. The most brazen of the films about Australian football, THE GREAT MACARTHY is a beguiling motion picture.

Overview: David Baker is an Australian director who made two motion pictures, and a segment in an anthology film. He was more active on television, helming episodes of series for a number of years. His inaugural directorial credit was for 'The Family Man' segment in LIBIDO (1973), a film which explored the subject of sex in four parts, all made by various directors. Mr Baker's movie was about a man whose wife was in labour, and how he and his friend invite two women to his beach house, where issues of feminism, masculinity, and sexuality play out. His final movie was BEST ENEMIES (1985) a complicated love quadrangle of a young man, his desire for his cousin and another young woman, and the latter woman's affair with another man. THE GREAT MACARTHY was David Baker's second, and best-known film, one which reflected his ideas of love and romance present across his other contributions.

With THE GREAT MACARTHY, David Baker has created an amusing movie with some surprising moments of periodic introspection. The movie focuses specifically on a talented football player, and how his sporting prowess assists him in also gaining employment not only in an office, but also in a prominent football team. It is a boisterous examination of the effect of fame on a young man, MacArthy, the game of football itself with the shenanigans of a club, and, in particular, his various dalliances with the opposite sex. Mr Baker handles all these differing elements with a sense of style and je ne sais quoi, making this one of the most original Australian films ever made. It is a likable movie that never becomes boring or staid, which is it a credit to the director, and his personnel. On the other hand, when seen on a deeper level, though, the film has certain deficiencies which do not assist it overall.

The mood of irreverence is one that works quite well in THE GREAT MACARTY, but sometimes it can be taken too far. While there is a spirit present of anything goes, and this can be charming, it often tends to be grating. THE GREAT MACARTHY does jump from one situation to another with regularity, and the viewer has to be keen-eyed to keep up with the assorted derring-do. This, in effect, does blunt the emotional power that should have been there in many an instance, making matters cavalier. MacArthy's romantic pursuits, for example, flitting from one woman to another, was presumably intended to be satirical, which is the overall tone the movie promotes, but only one of his amorous relationships has a sense of poignance. MacArthy and his English teacher Miss Russell provide the best moments in the movie in this vein. The remainder of his female relationships are just a display for outrageousness, and overdone sexual frolics. Other aspects of the film do stand out for being overwrought.

The portrayal of the characters involved with the club, and the Ball-Miller family, for example, are sometimes over the top. There is a tendency for dealing in caricatures, and while this does raise a smile from time to time, head shaking often follows when it occurs too often. MacArthy himself, Miss Russell, Andrea, and Stan are notable exceptions to this. Andrea's scenes at the hospital with MacArthy are, though, utterly ridiculous, but thankfully do not impact much on them to a great degree. One does wish for a little more seriousness at times, to get to the heart of things, but it appears in fits and starts. The sense of pathos present in David Baker's other works such as in the LIBIDO segment are largely not in evidence here, sending the movie seesawing from one emotional extreme to another. In saying this, some things can be said about THE GREAT MACARTHY. Even though it is not successful overall in its execution, it is a fun movie that tackles the topic of Australian Rules Football in a breezy, if sometimes exaggerated, manner.

Acting: THE GREAT MACARTHY has several excellent acting contributions. In the lead role of MacArthy, John Jarratt makes a fine film debut. An actor with an amiable, low-key manner, he makes it understandable why three women pursue him in the movie with his effortless charm. As his true love, teacher Miss Russell, Judy Morris provides another thoughtful performance to her collection of excellent interpretations. An actress with a soft voice, subtle mannerisms, and air of mystique, Miss Morris scores in her part. The complete antithesis to Miss Russell can be found in the person of Andrea, MacArthy's second dalliance, played with force and humor by Kate Fitzpatrick. With her dominant manner, strong voice, and ability to chew the scenery with utter control, Miss Fitzpatrick makes another of her distinctive characters come to vivid life with the volatile Andrea. 

As Rerk, a motor mechanic seen in the beginning of the movie, Peter Cummins makes an impression in a small role. An actor with an ebullient nature and livewire attitude, Mr Cummins makes every second count with his too-short screen time. The Ball-Miller family butler Stan is given subtle comic treatment by Max Gillies. A performer with the uncanny ability to keep a straight face in the eye of wacky situations, Mr Gillies rounds out the fine acting in THE GREAT MACARTHY. 

Soundtrack: In terms of its soundtrack, THE GREAT MACARTHY's use of music is just right. Bruce Smeaton's score is featured throughout the movie in a spare manner. Mainly featured in the movie's most farcical moments, there are more serious scenes where music is employed that works. Aside from this, the film uses the same piano musical piece both during the opening and closing credits. It expresses the movie's anything goes feel in an effective, jazzy way.

Mise-en-scene: THE GREAT MACARTHY is convincing on a visual level as a viewing experience. Cinematography by Bruce McNaughton captures the movie nicely, the Eastmancolor stock striking a suitably muted note in a movie which is otherwise given to outrageousness in many an instance. Art direction by David Copping is of a high level, with all interior locations and the furnishing of these excellent. From the football locker rooms to Miss Russell's gothic home, to the grand Ball-Miller home and the office rooms, settings in THE GREAT MACARTHY are one of its best features. Costuming is another standout in the film, with all characters dressed appropriate to their characters' personalities. The outfits worn by Kate Fitzpatrick and Judy Morris are stylish, with the former more glamorous in keeping with Andrea's wealthy status. John Jarratt is also well-outfitted as MacArthy, with his suits and more casual attire reflecting the changes the character undergoes through the course of the picture. 

Notable Acting Performances: John Jarratt, Judy Morris, Kate Fitzpatrick, Peter Cummins, Max Gillies. 

Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, male nudity, female nudity, adult themes.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page

THE REMOVALISTS (1975)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Frequent coarse language, adult themes, medium-level violence.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page

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