JINDABYNE

Australia, 2006, 123 minutes, Colour.
Laura Linney, Gabriel Byrne, Deborra- Lee Furness, John Howard, Leah Purcell, Stelios Yiakmis, Alice Garner, Simon Stone, Betty Lucas, Chris Haywood, Eve Lazzaro, Sean Rees- Wemyss, Tatea Reilly, Charles Tingwell, Max Cullen.
Directed by Ray Lawrence.

The Festival of Cannes, 2006, was something of a showcase for Australian cinema. Three features were in the Un Certain Regard section. One of Jane Campion’s shorts was included in a special directors’ program. And Ray Lawrence’s Jindabyne was chosen for the Directors’ Fortnight.

This was gratifying for Ray Lawrence who attended the screening with several actors. His first film, Bliss, had been hissed when screened at Cannes in 1985.

Ray Lawrence also directed one of the best Australian films in recent years, an intelligent drama that engages an adult audiences at several levels, Lantana. He has followed it up with this equally intelligent drama. It has been skilfully adapted to an Australian setting from the United States by Beatrix Christian. The source is a Raymond Carver story, which was also used as one of the segments in Robert Altman’s Short Cuts (1993).

In this film, Jindabyne is certainly a place, identified and beautifully photographed along with its mountain environment, its lake and the local rivers. We are given a glimpse of a social studies class at the local school with the teacher explaining the Snowy River scheme and the flooding of the old town. But, Jindabyne is also a state of mind, and the film develops this with increasing interest as well as challenge for the audience. It is one of those ‘what would you do in similar circumstances?’ stories.

It actually opens with a murder, all too plausible in this setting. We know who did it, so there is no murder mystery and detecting with clues. Rather, the plot takes us into the lives of several families in the town and sets up a strong set of characters. The central family are the Kanes: Irish father (Gabriel Byrne in one of his best roles), mother with an unexplained American accent (the excellent Laura Linney) and their young son Tom. Friends and neighbours are Jude and Carl (Deborra- Lee Furness and John Howard) who have care of their alienated and rather scary-imaginative young granddaughter, Caylin- Calandria.

Fishing is the key subject of talk – and will soon become the centre of a crisis as four friends go into the mountain for a weekend with rods and reels. Plenty of character development here and a portrait of male bonding.

Most of the characters live in the present, focused on the practicalities of their lives. Stewart Kane has been a champion racing driver, is now retired and runs a local garage. His close friends are Carl and Rocco. Along with Billy, they immerse themselves in the mountains and streams and the fishing.

But, they discover the murdered girl’s body. After the shock, they make sure the body is secure and continue their fishing. No comment, which seems a little strange.

What would we have done? Continue as the men did? Pack up and inform the police? Get help?

This crisis is argued in the second part of the film. Relationships grow tense. The police and the town disapprove of the men’s inaction.

The crisis can be considered in terms of criteria for decision-making. The men are practical, even pragmatic. Their aim is to do the right thing. While they are upset by the discovery of the body and express a certain sympathy, it does not occur to them to break their weekend sport. They consider that they have done the right thing by securing the body so that it does not drift downstream and over a waterfall. They have done their duty and, after the catch and the proud photos, they will let the authorities know. It is only Billy who has some qualms.

The police and the townspeople, especially Claire Kane, respond quite differently. All kinds of subjective and personal criteria for action are expressed. There is a surge of feeling for assessing what should have happened. This is challenging for the audience, especially if they have identified with the reactions and behaviour of the men. On the other hand, those who have felt uncomfortable with the reactions of the men, will experience some vindication.

Claire takes it very personally. There is a powerful back story about the marriage of Stewart and Claire and her depressive running away from husband and son after the birth of Tom and her staying away for 18 months. Her domineering mother-in-law does not let her forget this. In the aftermath of finding the body, tying it up and touching it, Stewart has had a sensual experience which is expressed in passionate love-making. Only afterwards does Claire learn of this. She is shocked and repulsed.

There is a further complication. The murdered girl was aboriginal which leads to all kinds of expression of racism. Stewart, normally a straightforward and honest man, is affected by the town’s reaction and Claire’s rejection, drinks at a barbeque and lets fly with all kinds of shadow, ‘beside himself’, subjective intuitions of a virulent racist kind.

This crisis is powerfully explored, all angles looked at. Some resolution is possible at a smoking ceremony for the dead in the bush. Claire has been collecting money for the dead girl’s family – which is met with racist scepticism. She also asks Stewart to apologise to the family. This possibility for apology is the sign of hope – and of some kind of individuation for Stewart (and consequently for Claire). The apology is made but not immediately accepted. This solution is not some quick, magical formula. It needs to be absorbed. The audience has to be satisfied that the film ends when it does, but will give some thought and emotional response to what they think might happen for the Kanes, the other families and for the children. The open ending is both rational and hopeful.

Jindabyne is well acted, well written, the countryside a treat for the eye, with a plot and issues that challenge the mind.

1. An intelligent adult drama? Issues?

2. The adaptation of a Raymond Carver American story to an Australian setting? The town, the terrain, the isolation and beauty? Race issues?

3. The visuals of the mountains, the town, the lake, forest and river? The fishing sequences? The atmospheric score?

4. The use of songs, the opening song with Susan driving? The Irish songs and blessings? The final song at Susan's commemoration?

5. The title, Jindabyne as a place, as a state of mind? The children in class, the historical film about the development of the Snowy River and the formation of Jindabyne?

6. The prologue, the driver, the binoculars, his stalking the girl in the car? Susan and her singing, Jindabyne, her joy? His chasing her, stopping, dragging her from the car? The murder? Disposing of the body? The body being found in the river? The driver and his role in the town, working for the priest? His stopping Clare on the road? His hovering at the ceremony? His reappearing at the end, the sting? No solution to his arrest?

7. The Kane family? A portrait? Tom and his waking, his parents in their room, the bonds between them? Clare and her being sick, testing for the pregnancy? Her asking about an abortion? Her fears, the revelation of the past, her illness after Tom's birth, leaving for eighteen months? The possibility of doing this again? Stewart and his criticisms of her? Vanessa and her criticisms? Jude and her blunt comments? Her picking up the children for school, the difficulty of Tom and Caylin-Calandria? and the pet, the knife? Their being grounded? Stewart and his career, as a driver, running the garage, working with Billy? Friendship with Rocco? With Carl? Taking Tom fishing and finding the clock, his explaining the drowned town? His hopes for Tom? Seeing him at work?

8. Jude and Carl, their problems with Caylin-Calandria? Her moods? The memories of their dead daughter and Jude blaming Caylin-Calandria? Going to school, the issue of the knife? Jude and her friendship with Clare, their talking? Having the drink, blunt comments about Clare to Carmel? Carmel as teacher, as friend? Carl, his age, experience?

9. Vanessa, her intrusion in the house, arguing against Clare? The clashes, the grounding of the children? Bringing them to the restaurant? Her comments about coming from Ireland, a godforsaken place? Her comments about Stewart's previous marriage? Keeping in touch? Her continually intruding, arguing? Cleaning the fridge? Saying that he treated Clare as a daughter?

10. The importance of fishing, testing the rods and reels? The dinner with everyone gathered, the humorous toast? Everybody happy together? Carmel speaking with the Aborigines? Vanessa's arrival, the change of mood, Clare and her anger, seeing Stewart as weak in his decisions?

11. The expedition, driving, walking? The scenery? The talk in the car, the expedition as a kind of quest? Billy and his mobile phone, talking to Elissa, interrupting Carl's jokes? His standing near the power line? The electricity, the singing (and the memory of the killer and his comment about the power coming from the electricity into him)? Setting up tents, Carl's fall, the fishing?

12. Stewart discovering the body, the impact, his grief? The reaction of the others? Decisions, tying the girl's leg to keep her from floating down the river? Not putting her in the sun?
Their behaviour seeming reasonable at the time or not? Their continuing fishing, the joy, the energy, the success? Taking the photo? Stewart and his gently touching the body - and the repercussions for his touching Clare and saying her skin was soft, the sexual impact? Billy wanting to leave? Their waiting - phoning the police, being responsible to the police?

13. The impact of the return, Clare not knowing, the night, Stewart making love to Clare, her reaction when she knew what had happened? The police at the door? The four at the station, the sergeant rebuking them? Highlighting their responsibility? The toing and froing about the reasonableness of what they did, the lack of human feeling? Issues of respect for the dead? The responsibility for the death, responsibility to the police? The reactions in the town, people staring
at Stewart, the Aboriginal information and his comment? Throwing stones by the Aborigines?

14. The growing tensions, the screenplay putting forward the arguments for and against what they did in terms of each of the families? Billy and Elissa talking about it all night? Billy going to
work, the decision to leave with Elissa? The farewell to Stewart? Carl and Jude, the strong stance, Carl not seeing there was anything wrong? Jude and her backing him up? The barbeque, Carmel's arrival, Stewart and his strong words about Catholicism and superstition? Rocco and his reaction on behalf of Carmel, breaking Stewart's nose? Issues of blame? Clare, her conscience, the growing horror of what happened? Wanting to see the body of the dead girl - and Carmel angry with her about her
disrespect? Clare's decision to go with Tom and collect money for the funeral, the varying reactions? The implicit racism? Saying that Aborigines looked after their own?

15. Stewart and his becoming more morose, Clare blaming him, wanting him to express his feelings about what had happened? The argument, Vanessa intervening? Stewart at work, Billy's leaving? Clare and her going to the priest, asking him to give the money to the Aborigines? His suggestion that she go to the memorial ceremony in the bush?

16. Clare and her asking the others to go, Jude and her stance? Clare travelling, pursued by the driver, the confrontation and his going on? Her arrival, sitting quietly in the bush, the man attacking her for being Stewart's wife? The group arriving, Stewart and his apology to the dead girl's father, the father spitting and turning his back on him? The remaining during the song? The possibilities for reconciliation? Carl and Jude? Clare and Stewart and his asking her to stay with him?

17. The background of the children, their talk, zombies, the buried town, the rituals with the rat and the dead bird? Their being grounded, Vanessa letting them off? Their playing, going swimming, Tom and the session with his mother to hold his breath underwater, his thinking Caylin-Calandria? was drowning, his diving in, his swimming - and then being proud of his achievement? Jude and her being upset, blaming Clare for her absence, Stewart blaming her?

18. The culmination of the film in the ceremony, the pathos in the singing of the song in memory of Susan? The visual and aural effect? The effect on the people at the ceremony?

19. The strands of the film coming together? Characters and issues?