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Michael Dalton wrote:
The 1970s was an extraordinary time in the Australian film industry. It was unquestionably its’ darkest period and not just for the financial difficulties it was undergoing; it was the films themselves. The Cars That Ate Paris, Picnic At Hanging Rock and Long Weekend all sprang from the minds of pioneers and helped shape the industry into what it is today. There was a raw eeriness about these films that took their audiences on a hypnotic journey through our very own dark underbelly. Set in desolate locations, they haunted and unnerved with the suggestion of violence rather than its’ depiction.
Springing from a great deal of behind the scenes discontent and a one-of-a-kind screenplay, 1977 saw the release of Ken Hannam’s evocative Summerfield. It tells the story of Simon Robinson (Nick Tate), a teacher who comes to the small town of Bannings Beach to take over duties from his predecessor who has mysteriously disappeared. Among his many pupils, he meets a young girl by the name of Sally Abbott (Michelle Jarman) who takes an instant liking to him. Before long, their friendship has blossomed resulting in an invitation to visit Summerfield, an isolated island estate where she lives with her mother (Elizabeth Alexander) and her uncle (John Waters). There you have a very basic synopsis of Summerfield and to reveal more would take away the pleasures of its labyrinthine plot.
Cliff Green’s screenplay twists off into many directions leading the viewer here and there and the red herrings have never tasted better. It plays constantly on Robinson’s mind just how little the townsfolk care about the whereabouts of the missing teacher. Stumbling across abandoned car parts and mysterious photos and the arresting eeriness of Summerfield itself all combine to send him into a downward spiral and Hannam’s direction makes sure the audience goes down with him. From the moment Robinson arrives in Bannings Beach, it is presented as a strange yet idyllic locale. The residents are neither here nor there about his presence and his pupils play bizarre games. On one level, it’s a classic tale of an outsider trying to fit into a small town, similar to The Cars That Ate Paris, but on a deeper level it’s as if our hero is battling his surroundings much like the bickering couple trapped in their Long Weekend.
It’s hard to believe that Hannam was in two minds about directing this beautifully made piece of work. How could a director who had no faith in the script deliver something this haunting? His cinematographer, Mick Molloy, who also worked on the equally beautiful Walkabout, captures the beauty of the landscape to a fault and the finale’s claustrophobic angles ensure it remains an unforgettable experience. Bruce Smeaton, who scored the legendary Picnic at Hanging Rock, proves it was no fluke by layering the film with dreamlike melodies that underscore the sinister surrounds.
Nick Tate does fine work here as an “everyman” desperately trying to make sense of the mystery he stumbles into. Is his mind playing tricks on him? Is it just a reaction to his new surroundings? Hannam will have his audience wondering the same thing. Elizabeth Alexander, John Waters and Michelle Jarman are wonderfully enigmatic as the residents of Summerfield and the voluptuous Geraldine Turner does a raunchy turn as Betty Tate.
Time has been good to Summerfield. It’s as if the film landed on its own little island and remained there devoid of time. Simply, it’s a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be put together. Hitchcock would have loved it.
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A movie not without flaws but comes with an excellent pedigree............watch it.
Not my rip.........eternal thanks to the original poster.
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