THE HARD WORD
Australia, 2002, 102 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Rachel Griffiths, Robert Taylor, Joel Edgerton, Damien Richardson, Rhondda Findleton, Kate Atkinson, Vince Colosimo, Paul Sonkkila, Kym Gyngell, Dorian Nkono.
Directed by Scott Roberts.
The Hard Word is a tough Australian crime thriller. While it shows two robberies in detail, it focuses very much on the old mateship ethos. The central characters are three brothers played by Pearce, Edgerton and Richardson. They play very well together and are believable brothers. They are released out of jail by the governor and by crooked police in order to do robberies, controlled by a crooked lawyer played by Robert Taylor. Rachel Griffiths plays Pearce's two-timing wife. Paul Sonkkila and Vince Colosimo are the corrupt police.
The film also nods in the direction of Ned Kelly and the lovable larrikin outlaws. Everybody in this film is amoral/immoral. The brothers are just the least amoral of all the characters.
Bondi Beach and Sydney locations are very well used to give an impression of the city. So also are the scenes of Melbourne. The Australian love for the Big Banana, Big Pineapple and so on receives a homage with a fictitious town and the Big Cow, a statue in which the robbers hide the money.
The action is fast-paced, violent only towards the end - which leaves one in the strange experience of disapproving of all the characters while barracking for the brothers.
Direction is by Scott Roberts, a writer who spent some time in the United States writing The American Way, K2 and Shadow of the Cobra amongst other films. This is his feature film debut.
1. The impact of the film? Entertainment value? Action, robberies, police corruption? Characters and interactions? The tough stances? The amoral stances of the three brothers? Everybody in the film being amoral? The mateship ethos? The lovable larrikins and outlaws in the Australian tradition?
2. The title, the phrase used as the pressure put on people to do jobs they are unwilling to do? Frank Malone putting the hard word on the brothers? The consequences?
3. The use of the Sydney locations, Bondi Beach, the robberies? The cityscapes and the bridges? The comparisons with Melbourne, the vistas of the city, the Melbourne Cup? The country town, the Big Cow? Musical score and songs?
4. The opening and the establishing of the atmosphere of the prison, the brutal basketball game? The setting of the three brothers in the prison? Mal and his enjoying being a butcher? Shane and his eruptions in violence? Dale and his working in the library? Their each being released by the governor? Going to Bondi Beach, the drama of the breakfast orders, especially Shane's violent reactions? The transition to being ready for the robbery, change of uniforms, the swiftness of the takeover of the van and the getaway?
5. Frank and his control, the lawyer, masterminding, getting the contacts? Paying off the governor of the prison? The two corrupt police and their taking a share? Detaining the three brothers, the interrogations, watching them? Framing them with fingerprints and eyewitnesses? Their being returned to jail? Frank and his plan, keeping them there for three weeks, manipulating the plan?
6. Frank and his background, ruthlessness? His relationship with Carol? Carol and her going to meet Dale, sex in the van, her double-dealing with him? After the money? Her visit to Dale in prison and his accusations and her walking out?
7. The Melbourne plan, it going wrong, Shane's birthday and the special sausages and the fly? Salmonella? Shane in hospital, the visit by Jane (with the background of his psychological sessions with Jane, her asking him questions, his exerting charm, seductive, her telling him her story)? In the hospital? The three brothers leaving, going to Melbourne?
8. The Melbourne set-up, their waiting, meeting Tarzan and his henchman? Dale realising that Frank was setting them up to be killed? The plan for the robbery, the explanation of the bookmakers, the security? Going to the hotel, their uniforms, Tarzan and his dyslexia, his anger, impatience with the door code and blasting with his gun, killing people? The contrast with Dale and his MC style in relieving the bookmakers of their money? Tarzan and his shooting the inside man and his death? The three brothers and their escape, the killer pursuing them in the street, Frank in the car? Frank hitting the henchman?
9. The brothers and their commandeering the girl's car, her being tipsy, not wanting to sell her car, the drive to Sydney, Mal being smitten, the joke about meteorology and butchers? Spending the night in the town? Dale's idea for hiding the money? The girl and her reading the papers, beginning to call the police, their driving off?
10. The confrontation with the police, Frank and his bus journey, his feet being shot, his attacking the two policemen and killing them? Carol tied up, deciding to go with him? Dale's return and leaving them be?
11. Six months later, the chalet owned by the three brothers and their managing it? Shane and his massage, Mal and his cooking, Dale and the management? Frank and Carol arriving? The deal about the airport robbery? The brothers deciding that Frank had to go, Carol loading her gun, pointing it at Dale, shooting Frank? Their going off to the airport to do the robbery?
12. The impact of the film, the robbery genre? The touches of the film noir? The Australian atmosphere of bank robbery stories?
