THE QUIET EARTH
New Zealand, 1985, 91 minutes, Colour.
Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge.
Directed by Geoff Murphy.
The Quiet Earth is a New Zealand science fiction film about the end of the world. It received international box office and critical acclaim. It is very similar to the end of the world films of the '50s and '60s like The World, the Flesh and the Devil and The Last Man on Earth (The Omega Man).
The film uses New Zealand settings in an arresting way, a blend of the normal and the extraordinary. Bruno Lawrence (Smash Palace) has to hold the film - the end of the world is seen from his point of view. He is joined by Alison Routledge as Joanne, one of the survivors and Maori Pete Smith as Api. This means two men and one woman at the end of the world, a scientist with skills in technology and a modern Maori warrior. The film capitalises on the isolation as well as the strange threesome. The film ends enigmatically - seeming disaster, possible rebirth. The special effects are good and the film excels with sets and decor presenting New Zealand bereft of people but still looking as if the people were about to come back.
An interesting work directed by Geoff Murphy, director of Goodbye Pork Pie, Utu, who then went to the US.
1. The impact of this science fiction? From universal appeal? Popularity and acclaim?
2. The use of New Zealand locations: the countryside, the city, homes, shops? The empty city? Sets and decor for the apocalyptic tragedy - the laboratory, the crashed plane? Special effects? Stunts? Musical score and atmosphere?
3. The title, the end of the world - or humanity? The same Earth? The finale and the new dawn? The opening with the sun - normal but-seeming apocalyptic? The finale with the new planet?
4. The theme of the end of the world, the responsibility for the experiment and its failure, human responsibility, experiments, technology? Human victims? The clean world - the irony of the normal and the technologically normal world?
5. Zack and the opening, on his bed, naked, the time? The experience? The effect? His search, homes, shops, visits? The laboratory and the explosion and his escape? The radio and his messages? His drinking, depression? Changing his style: clothes, the wealthy house, living it up? His taking control? The setting up. of the cardboard cut-outs of the dictators, his fascist speech and taped cheers? Playing God and taking control?. The effect on him? A move to lower-key ordinariness? The irony about the experiment and technology? The fact that he had committed suicide - and had missed out on the transcendent experience of death?
6. Joanne and her appearance, Zack's fright, her surviving, her death and the accident? The flashback illustrating this?- Her journey experience? Friendship with Zack, fear? Changing, sharing? Ordinary husband and wife style? Api and his appearance? Her being fascinated by him? Together? Tensions? The laboratory, the danger? Being with Api at the final explosion? The last woman on Earth?
7. Api as Maori, Maori warrior. survivor, the flashback and his being murdered, his mystical experience of death, return? His frightening Zack and Joanne? Relating to them, sharing, surviving? The final danger and his plan? Zack outwitting him?
8. The plan, the car, the truck, the explosives? Dangers? The attitude Of each? Api and Joanne watching? Zack going in?
9. The final explosion? Transformation of the world?
10. The apocalyptic theme: life on Earth, its quality, technology, nature, human ingenuity? The role of the U.S.? The parallels with nuclear destruction? The transformed Earth? The disappearance of humanity?
11. Themes of human life, values, the effect of the annihilation of humanity? Themes of coping, survival? Ordinariness and heroism?
