CASS

Australia, 1977, 78 minutes, Colour.
Michelle Fawdon, Judy Morris, John Waters, Peter Carroll, Max Cullen, Anna Volska.
Directed by Chris Noonan.

Cass is an odd telemovie. Taking an ordinary young woman of the modern Australian city, it shows her in many complicated situations of work, home, heterosexual and homosexual relationships. The world that she moves in is the somewhat bizarre world of advertising, art, show business. While the material does not seem to have been elaborated well enough in the screenplay (there is too much material), the performances of the expert cast are excellent, giving some credibility to the situations and the events. Michelle Fawdon, a singer who moved into dramatic work, is persuasive in the central role. Her films at this time included the award-winning Cathy's Child and Maybe This Time. Judy Morris also appeared in Maybe This Time. The male cast fare less well - and in fact there is a strong emphasis on women's issues.
Cass is an Australian Film Commission, Channel 9 telemovie, part of a batch of films made for release in 1979. John Waters plays yet another sullen and taciturn husband. Judy Morris portrays yet another eccentric type with sympathy. Peter Carroll is not very convincing as Tom. Sally Blake, who wrote screenplays for many experimental short films in the 70s and Chris Noonan who was a director of short features, worked on the screenplay which was finalised by Laura Jones, screenplay writer of another telemovie in the series, Say You Want Me. There is a feminist viewpoint to the fore in the film. The tone is didactic. The film also contains many ideas but unfortunately there are too many ideas for the time available and for the slander treatment. This means that many of the situations or ways of acting seem implausible and detract from the overall impact.

1. The overall impact of this telemovie? Interest entertainment, message? The quality of the Australian production, techniques, acting?

2. The basic ideas behind the screenplay; men and women and their individuality, relationships? Primitive society and civilisation? Personal freedoms, social freedoms? Work, rat race? Identity and breakdown? How important were the ideas, how adequate their treatment, how didactic, credible, persuasive?

3. For what kind of audience was the film made? The home television audience? "Committed people"? People belonging to groups, causes? The presuppositions about the ideas in the minds of the film-makers?

4. Michelle Fawdon's portrayal of Cass? How attractive, sympathetic? Seeing her in the plane and the flashbacks to her memories of the island, the ceremonies, the singer? Her capacity for work, the quality of her work - and seeing this in the film footage? The fact of the three months and its effect on her, the change of environment, different values and her exhilaration? Her various explanations of the experience and the effect it had on her? The return home, the contrast of Sydney, Mike and his standards, expectations, lack of listening to her, communication? The quality of the love between the two - the bedroom scene and the discussion about the pill, Cass' not wanting children yet? Seeing Cass at work, her dealings with the producers, her reactions against the ogling of the footage? Her reaction to the job on plastics? The visit to Georgie and her discussion about being hostess, entertaining? The formal dinner and the discussion with the psychologist about shock treatment? Her being gradually worn down by nobody listening to her experience? Lack of communication with Mike? The importance of Margo and Tom as support? Their listening as an alternate to her bottling up her feelings? How close was she to the verge of breakdown?

5. Margo and Tom and the audience's being introduced to them by Cass' visit? The nature of their house, representing current trends of conservation, anti-uranium etc? The sayings that they mouthed, especially Tom? The affection of Margo for Cass? The importance of Mike's visit and his antipathy, the way this was expressed, the clash of values? The house as a refuge for Cass and her feeling at home there, the reminder of the Pacific? Sympathy? The outings with Margo eg the swim? Her drunken intrusion and the lesbian interlude? Margo's response to this? Cass' bewilderment, trying to work things out? Her leaving Mike for Margo? Margo's making the break and explaining her selfishness? Tom's sayings and comments on interior journeys? How credible was the impact of largo on Cass?

6. How well did the film build up Cass' desperation? Her reaction to seeing the programme and the way it was made, the party and her drinking, her dance and song and people's reaction, the flight to largo and spending the night with her? The break with Margo? The stealing of the film and the atmosphere of suicide at the Gap? Her throwing the film over? The clash with Mike, his ridicule of her and exposing her to Georgie and her husband?What future did Cass have - peace, the hitchhikers, the lyrics of the final song? How much had her problems been resolved?

7. The portrait of Mike as the respectable student, doctor, middle-class suburban practitioner? His welcoming of Cass, love for her? His impatience at her lateness? His repressions especially of anger? His disdain for Margo and Tom? Friendship with Georgie and her husband, land deals? His treatment of patients as illustrated with Mrs Taylor, his reliance on drugs and Cass' reaction to his treatment, lack of listening, the needle? His wanting to soothe Cass with injections? How credible was his outburst against her? Would he be reconciled with her? His disdain of the affair with Margo?

8. The portrait of Georgie and her husband as a contrast with Cass and Mike? Middle class suburban, affected? Her plans for her list of dresses, meals, outings? Her pregnancy? The friendship with Cass and trying to help her but her inability? The presentation of the dinner and the discussion about shock treatment? Cass' reaction to the psychologist at the party? The people at the party and the various aspects of society that they represented?

9. The presentation of the film people, the television work, the editing? The men ogling the Pacific women? The sensational treatment of the material?

10. The importance of the footage from the Pacific? Did the footage shown indicate the quality of the material and its use for television? Audience response to seeing the women, the initiation rites? The men and their ogling? Cass and her mystical response to it? How much did it mean to her? The production manager and his insistence on trust while he betrayed it?

11. The platitudes expressed in the screenplay, the way of talking, the phoniness and Cass' response to it?

12. How helpful were the comparisons and contrasts of Australian society with those of the Pacific? How well was the message highlighted, in detail? The didactic tone of the film - how convincing?

13. How real do the people seem, how real the situations, crises? How adequate were the solutions and ways of behaviour? A mirror of contemporary society, problems and ways of behaviour?