KID SNOW

Australia, 2024, 127 minutes, Colour.

Billy Howle, Tom Bateman, Phoebe Tonkin, Mark Coles Smith, Hunter Page-Lochard, Nathan Philips, Jake La Torre, Robert Taylor, Tristan Gorey, Vito de Francesco, Tasma Walton.

Directed by Paul Goldman.

Once upon a time in Australia, there were travelling fairs, including a boxing troupe, with a boxing tent, featuring boxing stars ready to take on the locals as part of the show. They were popular during World War I and continued. In fact, the story opens in 1961, the main action taking place in 1971. The fairs were very popular, beginning at the time of the introduction of radio, before television, certainly long before social media. In fact, in one sequence here, a boxing bout is watched on television, black-and-white, even in 1971 before the coming of colour TV.

A reviewers noted that this is the kind of film we used to make in Australia. It is a story of ordinary people, very ordinary people, often referred to in the past as “battlers”, and not just because of the boxing, but of the struggles in making a living. The characters here all have these stories, Irish migration, fixed fights and betting, returning from Vietnam, single parents, dancing in Kings Cross nightclubs, aboriginals involved in the boxing troupes, sometimes hand-to-mouth subsistence…

In 1961, we are introduced to two boxing brothers, Rory and Kid. Their father manages them, bets, tough fights, setups, knockouts, Kid knocked down, giving way to his brother – drinking, driving, a disastrous car crash.

1971, Rory, with a limp from his leg injured in the crash, runs the touring fair, Kid being the featured boxer, the backup from some of the aborigines travelling with them. British actor, Billy Howle, plays Kid, looking unkempt, often bewildered, his brother dominating him. British actor Tom Bateman plays Rory. Mark Coles Smith and Hunter Page-Lochard feature in the entourage. Haunting them is the memory of the defeat by the national champion, Hammer (Tristan Gorey) who runs a boxing training centre.

An American journalist, played by Robert Taylor, from Life Magazine is following Hammer, interviewing Rory and Kid, trying to get a story about the boxing world in Australia, such travelling troupes not part of the American boxing scene.

A further complication is Sunny (Phoebe Tonkin), battling with her young son, Darcy, her husband has been wounded in Vietnam, time in jail, slyly picking pockets of the boxing audience, confronted by Rory, becoming a dancer with her own tent, able to survive with her son, a strange relationship with Kid who become something of a babysitter for the boy, creating a bond.

In the background the entrepreneurs are trying to organise a bout between Kid and Hammer (who hates Kid), a set up, betting and profit, Rory indebted to these entrepreneurs, forcing Kid to train.

Which means there are a number of boxing sequences, especially that final fight. However, a lot of the film focuses on personal struggles, the two brothers, resentments, yet brotherly feelings, Sunny and her situation and background, concern for Darcy, the interventions of the American journalist, a truth confrontation between the two brothers.

We know where the story is going but, satisfyingly, it is not exactly what we might have expected and the final, perhaps inevitable, visualising of the meeting leaves the audience satisfied.

1. The title and the focus on Kid? In the context of his family? In the context of boxing and the troupe?
2. An Australian story, the travelling boxing troupes, the fairs and the fairgrounds, the small country towns, the tents, the shows, boxing, the dancing? The audiences? The tradition from the First World War years to the 1970s?
3. The West Australian settings, the small towns, the range of the countryside, deserts, farmland, the coastal sequences? Atmosphere? Musical score?
4. The opening fight, the introduction to Kid, Rory, to their father? To Hammer and his trainer, Frank? The situation of the fight, the competition, the bets, the arrangements for knockouts? Kid, his fight, falling? Rory and the arrangement to win? Hammer and his dominance?
5. The aftermath, the drive, Kid and his drinking, the arguments, the oncoming truck, the accident? The father’s death? Rory and his leg injury?
6. 1971, Rory and the setting up of the travelling fair, the visuals of the tents, exteriors and interiors? The dance tent, the eyes, the lascivious sketches of the women?
7. The entourage, Rory as the boss, unable to fight? Kid, the fighter, the locals and taking them on, the bets? The other members of the group, the aboriginal men and their presence, Bill and his being a follower? His later taking Kid’s place in being brutalised by Kid’s antagonists? The atmosphere, their characters, performances, the crowds?
8. Sunny, coming into the tent, Rory watching her, picking the pockets, his confronting her, her concern about Darcy in the car? The interactions, the job, her dancing, the money, costumes, the tent and its style, the increasing audiences, their responses to her? Her suspicions of Kid, mellowing, letting him be babysitting for Darcy? The growing attraction? Darcy and his wariness, memories of father, the father and his Vietnam experience? Sunny, her explanations of herself, growing up, jail, dancing at Kings Cross, Betty teaching her? With the bigger audiences, better dresses, more elaborate performances, popularity? Rory and his approach, her resisting, Darcy attacking, her being sent away? Going to the coast, meeting Betty again, the ice cream parlour for the tourists?
9. The journalist from Life Magazine, visiting Australia, comparisons with the US, his interviewing Hammer, Hammer at his gym? Interviewing Rory? Interviewing Kid? Rory’s attack on him, typing the story, present at the finale?
10. Darcy taking the money, kid in pursuit, Darcy not knowing the money was Kid’s? Returning it?
11. Rory, the entrepreneurs, the setting up of the fight against Hammer, Rory and his memories, Kid and his abilities, fixing the match but not telling Kid? Kid the training, the aboriginal trainers and his running, exercise? And continuing with the bouts with the locals?
12. The buildup to the confrontation between Kid and Rory, the accident, Rory and his limp, the fixing of matches, treatment of Sunny? Kid leaving, driving, finding Sunny and Darcy, reuniting? The prospect of the fight?
13. The decision to fight, going into training, the return, his visit to the entrepreneurs, the bet to win that he could last three rounds? The visuals of the fight, hard, collapsing, lasting the three rounds? Going to the fourth, throwing in the towel, the fans, Rory’s reaction? And the entrepreneur making money, money for Kid?
14. The reconciliation with Rory, his going to find Sunny and Darcy, the ice cream parlour, and the way that the final sequence was handled, expected but controlled?