THE PROMISED LAND

UK, 1991, 105 minutes, Colour.
John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Rhonda Findleton, John Jarrat, Noah Taylor, Max Phipps.
Directed by John Madden.

The Promised Land is an interesting and entertaining Inspector Morse mystery. Beginning in England, it soon transfers to Australia, outback N.S.W. The film offers attractive landscapes of Australia, a picture of the small town (attractive and ugly) as well as culmination near the Harbour Bridge and on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The film has a complex mystery, Morse remorseful because of a wrong imprisonment, a change of violence that he tries to break - and complications as regards witnesses, gangs and their power, the replacement of witness programmes. The familiar Morse material but with the exotic touches of the Australian locations.

1. Popularity of the Inspector Morse series? Quality of the mysteries? Morse and Lewis and their investigations? Characters? Themes?

2. The Oxford settings? The
Australian outback, the country town, the glimpses of Sydney? The Australian atmosphere? Musical score?

3. The title, the witness location programme? The choices of Australia for relocating - and the memories of the convict transport system, the English using Australia, the resentment of the Australian police?

4. The opening with the funeral, Morse and his superior watching? The puzzle about criminal presence at the funeral? The re-opening of the case? The death of Peter Matthews (and the drawing on the AIDS experience making it topical)? The grief at the funeral? Morse and the investigation, the need to go to Australia to check on the testimony? His decision to take Lewis?

5. Morse and Lewis in Australia, Lewis and his easy adaptation, clothes, country and western music, a beer, friendship? Morse and his being morose? Driving, trying to listen to the opera? The distances? The flies? His questions, conscience?

6. The Australian town, people in the pub, watching the races? Their finding Mike Harding's service store? His disappearance? Their attempted pursuit? Visiting the home, the daughters, Anne? The reaction of the locals? The complications of the plot - the kidnapping of the daughter? The Australian police coming in, the locals, Macallister and his angry resentments? The admission of the truth?

7. Morse finding David Harding, talking with him, understanding his father? The
disappearance of the father, the phone call, going to his special hideout? Finding him dead? His suicide?

8. The mystery of the kidnapper, the taking of the daughter, the phone calls, the attempt to track him down? Morse and his interventions? Macallister clashing? Lewis and his friendship with the local police, having a drink together, talking? Lewis realising that Anne was having an affair with the policeman? the repercussions?

9. Anne, the background, story, the gang in England, false testimony, re-locating to Australia, her family? The injury? Her mother, her mother's death? The kidnap of the daughter and her grief? The phone calls, admitting the truth to Morse? Running out to save her daughter - and causing the death of her lover? Her having to face the truth, her decision to go back to England? The sketch of the daughters, their life in Australia, the terrorism of the kidnap?

10. David Handing, his work, relationship with his family? Support of Morse? His ability to face the truth?

11. The Australian police, the locals, the policeman and his affair with Anne, talking with Lewis, the siege, his trying to save Anne and being shot? Macallister and questions of jurisdiction? Resentment? Final friendship with Morse?

12. Morse's conscience, sending the wrong man to prison, blaming himself, Lewis trying to help him to see the truth? His decision to go alone and confront Paul Matthews? Matthews motivation, the family anger about his brother's death in prison? The confrontation, the seige? Anne disrupting it, Morse spattered with blood? The death of Matthews?

13. The aftermath in Sydney, Lewis having the holiday with his wife? Morse going to the opera - but sobered by the experience? Themes of police, detection, justice and justice not being done? Violence and the chain of revenge? Resentment?