THE LITTLE DEATH
Australia, 2014, 97 minutes, Colour.
Josh Lawson, Bojana Novamovich, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvaney, Patrick Brammal, Kate Box, Alan Dukes, Lisa Mc Cune.
Directed by Josh Lawson.
Quite a while ago, actually in a theology class, we were told that everything human, everything finite, could be the subject of humour. Otherwise it would become something of an idol, placed on a pedestal and needing to be toppled. That included sex and sexuality – and we were reminded of the tradition of Rabelaisian humour. Writer-director, Josh Lawson, was not born at the time that we received this advice, but it is something like this that he has in mind in his screenplay for The Little Death.
The Little Death, as we are reminded at the opening of the film, is from the French Le Petit Mort, which is a poetic way of referring to orgasm. This is a film of several episodes, some of them intercutting, where we are introduced to each of the couples by name. Already with the first story, Paul and Maeve (Josh Lawson himself with Bojana Novakovic). She confides to her husband that one of the fantasies that sometimes preoccupy is her is that of being raped. Paul is rather shocked, as many of the audience might be, especially the female audience identifying more readily with the character of Maeve. The fantasy is accepted, with a challenge to Paul – with some moments of apprehension and some moments of embarrassed laughter.
After that, the different sexual fantasies, the technical name and description put up there on the screen, are more laid back. For Richard and Rowena (Patrick Brammal and Kate Box), Rowena finds that she is stimulated by Richard’s tears, noted at the time of his father’s death, which means that she puts pictures of his father around the house, pretends that his pet dog has run away, and tries to get him weeping until final confrontation.
Confrontations are standard for (Alan Dukes and Lisa Mc Cune portraying something of a harridan wife). It emerges that he is aroused only when he sees his wife sleeping, which means that he has wide awake nights which have repercussions on his sleeping at his job, irritating his boss (Lachy Hulme) threatened with the sack – and his story not ending happily.
There is more humour to be had with Daniel and Evie (Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvaney) had been recommended by their counsellor (Zoe Carides) to be more experimental in their relationship. They decide to go for roleplays, she sometimes getting the gigles, remarking about his acting abilities, which he takes ultra-seriously and get acting classes.
The odd character is Steve (Kym Gyngell) knocking on everyone’s door, newly moving into the suburb, bringing everyone a gift, a box of biscuit golliwogs, and to announce that he is a registered sex offender and is obliged to let them know. Those who open the door are more preoccupied with their own questions to give Steve much notice, except remember remark on the racist nature of golliwogs. To say that the offender is crucially involved in the ending does not give anything of what happens rather it is an alert for the audience to be ready for it!
There are many laugh out loud moments and bits of dialogue which means that the audience is focusing on farcical aspects of sex and putting this kind of perspective on taking sexual behaviour too seriously.
It is the same with the final story, which does not seem part of the whole, but one of those sequences about phone sex. A hearing-impaired man uses a video relay company to make his phone calls. Monica, who has shift-work for this kind of work, is a very nice and proper person, concerned about growing hearing-loss. She takes Sam’s call which is to phone a sex company. It is the old joke of the unlikely individual on the other end of the line who is also preoccupied caring for her mother with dementia. She has to sign the questions for Sam, relaying them, as well as the answers. This story ends more positively with Sam obviously liking Monica.
And then there is a sudden ending, bringing some of the stories to a connection which, definitely, we and the characters were not expecting.
1. The title, meaning, sex, sexual experience?
2. The Australian settings, the Australian term, sense of humour? Homes, offices, counselling, and insects, the streets, the musical score?
3. The story, the names of the couples, introductions, indicating their stories, the addition of the phone sex story and the ironic resolution?
4. Josh Lawson, writing and directing, his central role as Paul?
5. Humour in sex, funny, ironic, not to be taken too seriously? The farcical touches?
6. Paul and Maeve, ordinary, the characters, in love, at home, the fantasy of rape, a reaction to this suggestion, female reaction? Real or not? The discussions about the fantasy, Paul and his hesitation, asking his friend about it? Maeve and her reactions? The attempts, friendly because she recognised him? The dinner, the gift of the earrings, the parking lot, the men in the attack, audience response to this ugly situation, the reality and the fear? The irony that Paul was paying the actors? His taking over, Maeve knocking him out? In hospital, Maeve going along with the story? The proposal? The visit of the sex offender and Maeve not taking much notice?
7. Daniel and Evie, going to the counsellor, the tension between them, trying something new, the dramatic stories and scenarios, the doctor and the nurse, the prison sequence, Evie remarking how Daniel was acting, his becoming obsessed with this, going to classes, Evie and her pregnancy, the impossibility for him to listen? Forgetting the appointment with the counsellor? The sex offender at the door and his perfunctory reaction? His performance, wanting Evie to respond, her failing to communicate with him? Leaving?
8. Richard and Rowena, the tensions at home, the sexual encounters, Rowena being upset? Richard and his work, his father dying, his crying, Rowena’s reaction to this? Putting pictures of his father round the house, giving the dog to Maeve to mind and its running away? The notices and her saying she put them up? His finding them in the rubbish? The continued lies? Her pregnancy, leaving?
9. Phil and the tension with his wife, her being something of a harridan when awake? Sleeping at his job, the threats from his boss? Giving him the pills, his wife taking them by mistake, sleeping, his sexual arousal, more pills, awake during the night, sleeping at work, getting the sack, his lies to his wife? Going out, in the car, the crash?
10. Monica, her hearing difficulties, at the video relay centre? Her boss? Taking the call from Sam, his being deaf, their both signing, yet his being able to read her lips? The sex call, Monica’s reaction, the responder at the other end of the phone, looking after her mother, his impatience? The details of the sexual encounter questions, Monica and her embarrassment? The responder hanging up? Monica having to feel the calls, the effect on her?
11. Monica, going to her car, having trouble, the sex offender and his offering her a lift, his getting out to fix the car, being knocked down by Phil, Monica not hearing?
12. The overall effect, the very funny lines and sequences? The subject, the treatment, the couples, real problems and their definitions plus the farcical touch?
