Displaying items by tag: Inside movie Australia

INSIDE

Australia, 2024, 102 minutes, Colour.

Guy Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis, Vincent Miller, Toby Wallace.

Directed by Chris Wallace.

On the one hand, the title, Inside, suggests prison. On the other hand, it could also suggest going into the interior of a person, their personality, motivations and behaviour. Both are relevant here.

There is an arresting prologue to the film, a wedding ceremony which we see taking place in the prison, a pregnant mother, a criminal father – and the focus then on the child, now a late teenager, and his being condemned by his criminal father and inheriting his guilt.

The young man is Mel (Vincent Miller convincing in his first film role), transferred to a prison, assigned to share a cell with a lifer, sentenced for vicious crimes of rape and child murder. He is Mark Shepard, a powerful performance by British actor, Cosmo Jarvis. But we soon learn that there is a reason for this sharing. Mark has got religion, holding his own services in the prison chapel, more than a touch of charismatic faith, testimony are to the fellow prisoners, speaking in tongues, finding that Mel has his own keyboard, enjoys playing it and so invited to play during the happenings in the Chapel.

So, already a different kind of prison film. There are guards, there are glimpses of the criminals but not in the traditional way of prison films. There is a greater freedom of movement, many sessions to prepare those for whom parole is coming up, getting them to write a letter of apology to their victims as a justice healing exercise, a different atmosphere.

And, yet, not entirely, a new character, Warren, played by Guy Pearce a veteran facing parole but seemingly unwilling to face it, granted a day’s leave to visit his son, played by Toby Wallace, not going well, Warren an enigma. But, he is a gambler, and, to pay his debt there is a bounty on Mark Shepard, and Warren choosing and grooming Mel to be the killer, and so find his place in the prison.

Which means then that the film operates as a psychological thriller, the interactions between the three men, the religious mania of Mark, the manipulation by Warren, Mel and memories of his killing a student in the past, the pressures on him – a dramatic resolution of Mark’s fate.

An interestingly different Australian prison film.

1. The title, the prison meaning, the inner psychological meaning?
2. The action in the prison, find entry, allotment of cells, the cells, the meeting rooms, offices, workplaces, the Chapel? Resemblances to prison films? Differences in terms of guards, cells, supervision? The musical score?
3. The story of Mel, the prologue with the wedding in prison, the pregnant mother, the prisoner father, his legacy to his son, the passing on of the criminal mentality? The flashbacks to Mel, as a boy, the clashes, his killing his opponent? Sentenced to prison?
4. Mel, as a character, his past behaviour, family heritage, age and immaturity, susceptibilities? Discussions with the authorities? His being sent to share with Mark? His keyboard? This leading to his presence in Mark’s evangelical gatherings? Mel and his learning through sharing with Mark? The encounter with Warren, Warren as a father-figure, genial, the touch of the sinister, the issue of the bounty on Mark, the imposition on Mel, to prove himself, his acceptance, in the challenge, unwell, the pressure on him?
5. The focus on the authorities, sympathetic, relationship with the prisoners, especially the discussions and meetings concerning parole readiness, the issue of writing letters to the victims? Mark in for life? Warren and the possibility of parole
6. Mark, his background, rapist, killing the children, life? His personality, his cell, possessions, the religious experience, explanations, gatherings, Pentecostal-like, his utterances, exhortations, talking in tongues, the men coming, scepticism, critical, yet larger numbers coming to the meetings? His use of Mel, the music?
7. Warren, his age, crime, possibility for parole? Father figure, yet sinister, the gambling, his debt, his connection with the controlling prisoner, looks and glances, bounty, Warren and his decision to groom Mel, their interactions? The sinister grooming? Warren the issue of the bounty, going out for the day to see his son, the character of his son, relationship with his father, the emotional impact of the visit? Warren, the return, going to the Chapel, urging Mel?
8. The background of the routines of life in prison, seeming ordinariness?
9. Mark, the final gathering, Warren and his preparing the shiv, Mel hiding it under the bed and not using it?
10. In the meeting, the dowsing of Mark, setting him alight, the conflagration and his death? The impact on Mel?
11. Mark, the discovery of the shiv, Mark and its use?
12. Warren, the consequences? And his future?