THE LONG WAY HOME

Australia, 1985, 75 minutes, Colour.
Richard Moir, Genevieve Picot, Peter Kowitz, Joanne Samuel.
Directed by Catherine Millar.

The Long Way Home is one of a series of telemovies produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for screening in 1985. It was written by playwright Stephen Sewell. Director was Catherine Miller (who directed a previous ABC telemovie, Every Move She Makes).

The film is a psycho-drama for Vietnam veterans, re-assessing the effect of the war on them, in Vietnam itself and their moral crises, the aftermath and their marriages and the effect on family. The film is quite powerful,- though, with the psycho-drama style, it seems to go over the top. The film uses the convention of the reunion, the truth games played - ultimately moving to a re-enactment of an attack on a Vietnamese village staged in an Australian hotel. The parallels are quite clear, almost making the film an allegory.

The film has very strong performances, dramatic staging, powerful (if sometimes talky) dialogue. The original title of the film was Losing.

1. The impact of this telemovie? For what audience? The impact on an Australian audience? Overseas?

2. Production values: interiors and exteriors, the Australian countryside, the country hotel? The parallels with Vietnam? Lighting? Special effects? Editing and pace - the opening collages, the final siege in the hotel? The atmospheric score?

3. The film as an allegory of Vietnam and the Australian soldiers' experience? Of the aftermath of the war? The film seen as a psycho-drama? Combining realism with symbolism?

4. The audience and its attitude towards the war? The impact of the war in Australia in the '60s, the late '60s with the demonstrations against the war, the '70s? The young men who were drafted, their experience of soldiering? Their reputation? The comments about the loss of the war, the use of drugs? The effect of stress on the soldiers. on their physical health? Unwelcome back home? The criticisms of the war and the soldiers as voiced? The impact on their wives? A change in understanding and sympathy in the '80s?

5. The significance of the title? Its references to Graeme and Bob? The original title, Losing?

6. The credits and the range of information. atmosphere? The detail of the collage: Bob with the photos, Graeme and his family at Mass, Bob in the classroom and the discussions about World War, the television clips of the Vietnam war. the execution of the Vietnamese, the boy playing cricket, the Green Beret style of activity, family relationships, husband and wife intimacy? Bob clashing, the revolver in his mouth and shooting, the Holy Communion, Graeme angry with his son? The introduction to characters, situations? The background of the ordinary Australian way of life and these characters, with their Vietnam experience, inserted back into it?

7. The ordinary Australian life: homes., school, church. family, the picnic - and the transition to the strange atmosphere of the picnic, the stopping in the countryside, the target practice, the racing down the highway, the picnic, the hotel, the pool games, the transition to the final night and the extraordinary re-enactment of the Vietnam strategy? Audiences identifying initially and then being jolted?

8. Bob and his fear, the experience of the war and its effect? His friendship with Graeme, the grudge, his friendship, the dead friend? The question of re-enlistment? His not finding any meaning in his life. becoming reckless? His relationship with Robyn? Seeing himself as unlovable? The planning of the outing, his reasons? The impact for Graeme, his comment on the baby, racing along the road, the merging bitterness, articulating his fears and anger, the game of pool, the clash with Kenny and accusing him of picking up Robyn, gradually getting drunker, the challenge and its madness, re-creating the atmosphere of Vietnam, the men and their clash, the strategies, his place in the psychodrama, the provocation of Graeme, his death - a suicide? The pessimism for the Vietnam veterans in the character of Bob?

9. Comparisons with Graeme, tough, his guns, the background of his experience, staying with it, tough, re-enlisting? His relation ship with his wife and children? Catholic, going to Mass yet not believing in God anymore? His mods, playing cricket with his son, his violent reactions against him? Communicating and not communicating? Julle and her never having asked questions? His arrogance, shooting, playing games, racing along the road and terrifying his family? The decision to stay at the hotel, playing pool, the men and their reactions, Ken? Antagonism? Drinking? The clash with Julie and the children? The build-up to the fight, re-creating verbally and in action the Vietnam situation, his own guilt and responsibility, shooting Bob - murder? Or prearranged?

10. Robyn and her support of Bob, the twelve years of marriage. nursing and her meeting him, the going out, the comment about the baby, talking with Julie. not being able to create a bond with her? The clash about the truth? With both Bob and Graeme? The encounter with Kenny? The build-up to the battle, her grief? What could she have done?

11. Comparisons with Julie? Her meeting Graeme, never talking about the war, not wanting to hear? Her love for her kids. pregnancy? The injury? Going out and the awkwardness? Having to look after the children, clothes? Her taking Jake's part against his father? The road and her fear, being miserable, the difficulties about the clothes and the food in the hotel, the men drinking, her love for her husband yet fearful for and of him? The clash with Robyn and not believing her? The finale with the battle, her praying the Hail Mary, huddling with the children? Her paralleling the images of families under siege in Vietnam? What could she have done?

12. Jake as a boy of six. playing with his father, telling stories, the reactions of his father. fear? The baby and its illness -and the film's comment about the veterans' stress, the chemicals and the repercussions for the children?

13. The men at the hotel, their attitudes and talk, their being against the refugees, the criticisms of the Asian refugees? Talking about shooting protesters, shooting the boats and nuking the Chinese? The Redneck attitudes? Their taunts? Kenny as 20, his flirting with Robyn. Bob's reaction? The pool competition? Fear? Losing? The men caught up in the re-enactment of the siege?

14. The role of cinema in bringing such psycho-dramas to the audience? Audiences' emotional response? Understanding?

15. Australian themes of war, the memories of World War Two, Korean involvement? The judgment about the 'Vietnam war? The experience of the veterans, their trauma? The response of the Australian public? The passing of the decades? The need for resolution of the problems?