Genre Films: The Missing Link in Australian Filmmaking
By David No
3.dec.2001
Many
of
Australia
’s brightest filmmakers are
attempting to make films across all genres, as is practiced in every
other film industry in the world. Yet
it has become apparent that the Australian Industry has lost its confidence
when it comes to trying something different.
The
Australian film industry is just too safe and too insular. This became evident at the recent 2001 SPAA (Screen Producers
Association of Australia) Conference at the session entitled “Flirting
with Genre: Can Australian films compete?” It was disappointing to see the “can’t win - don’t try” attitude
coming from the so-called panel of experts. Martin Fabinyi (Mushroom Pictures)
made the comment that Australian’s lack the technical wizardry to make
such films. Perhaps Fabinyi has not been aware of little films Australian crews
have made such as:
Mission
Impossible 2; The Matrix (and subsequent sequels); and Star
Wars Episode 2. Even films
like The Man From Hong Kong; Mad
Max (and subsequent sequels); and more recently Moulin Rouge prove that we do have the talent and experience.
Comments
like these are not only insulting and belittling to Australian talent,
but also reinforces the small minded perception Australian’s have of themselves. Fabinyi may feel this
way after Mushroom’s involvement in the Australian slasher movie Cut.
However, the failings of Cut to perform domestically were not
necessarily because it was a genre film. The audience for these films
are well educated in genre lore. Unfortunately
for Cut, it appeared that the filmmakers had a lesser understanding
of the genre than the audience it was made for. Even so, the domestic
failings can be overlooked as the film did do well internationally.
This is part of the magic of the genre films. Once transplanted outside it’s own culture and language, it’s basic themes
are still conveyed through the language of the genre itself.
In
the same seminar, an Australian expatriate Graeme Mason (Universal Pictures), defined Genre pictures as “American Films”, and that making a genre
picture in
Australia
is merely an attempt at “emulating the Americans”. Mason failed to acknowledge that every other
film industry in the world makes films across all genres. In
France
they have made films such as: La Femme Nikita (Thriller); Brotherhood
of the Wolf (Horror-martial arts set in 16th Century
France
); Taxi (action). In fact La Femme
Nikita inspired a Hong Kong interpretation of the same story (Black
Cat) as well as a much less sophisticated remake in the
US
(The Assassin). Does this mean that these films are all emulating
the American’s – or in the case of Nikita, is it the other way around?
American
filmmakers have a long history of re-interpreting films from around
the world. The Seven Samurai (
Japan
) became The Magnificent Seven; La Cage aux Folles (France) became The Birdcage. City
on Fire (HK) inspired the greatly successful Reservoir Dogs. Yojimbo (
Japan
) inspired
the Sergio Leone Italian classic A Fistful of Dollars, which
is ironically considered a great American Western.
Australia
’s
own Pricilla Queen of the Desert went on to inspire To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Nemar,
as Romper Stomper shares many similarities
with American History X.
These
are all examples of specific films that have inspired re-interpretations,
but even more generally we can say that there are examples of most genres
in every country. The legend of the vampires has been remade countless
times all across the world, including
Australia
in Thirst (1979).
Australia
has had a history of genre
pictures starting as early as 1910 with the bushranger movies. It was in this era that
Australia
was
regarded as the biggest filmmaking industry in the world. During the 70’s and 80’s Australian’s enjoyed
films like: The Man From Hong Kong (Martial Arts); Patrick (Horror); Mad Max (Action); Mad Max2 (Post Apocalyptic
Action); Harlequin (Supernatural); Gallipoli (War); Death
Cheaters (action); Dead Calm (Suspense).
Today
we have limited the scope of what we make to such an extent that an
Australian Film is a Genre in itself (just look in the local video library). This narrowing of scope very well may be a contributing factor
to the poor attendance of Australian films by Australian audiences. Only 8% of movie going audiences attended an Australian film
last year (only 3% and 4% the previous years). A stigma has now developed regarding Australian films, especially
for younger audiences. But does
this mean the other 92% are actively supporting non-Australian films? Hardly. The audience has wide and varied tastes, and
simply want to be entertained. As
Lyndon Barber noted, Shine is an example of a film that was “…less
concerned about its national identity and more intrigued by universal
themes – not what it means to be an Australian, but what it means to
be human.” The same can be said for Lantana, with its
success being attributed to a fantastic contemporary script and not
from overly exaggerated Australian characters.
By
not supporting Genre filmmaking in this country, we are choosing to
make films for the 8%, instead of entertaining the masses. And since nearly all Australian films are being made with government
monies, it means as taxpayers we are funding films that many Australians
will never see.
The
Masters of Cinema
Some
of the world’s greatest filmmakers have cut their teeth on Genre filmmaking. James Cameron’s award winning epic love story Titanic was in its time the highest grossing movie in the world. His feature film debut came from the low budget nasty Piranha
II: Flying Killers. His next
film: The all-time classic sci-fi The Terminator. Jonathan Demme (director of the Academy
Award winning films Silence Of The Lambs and
Philadelphia
) began
his career with Crazy Mama and Caged Heat. Before Oliver
Stone made the acclaimed political thriller JFK he made the horror Seizure. Before Peter Jackson made Heavenly Creatures and the much anticipated Lord of the Rings, he began with Bad
Taste, Meet the Feebles and Braindead (a director who incidentally has resisted
Hollywood
, and continues to work in
New Zealand
).
Australia
’s
Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society, Gallipoli) started with
the horror flick The Cars that ate
Paris
. Before Luc Besson made Joan of Arc he made the French sci-fi Le Dernier Combat. Similarly Jean Pierre Jeunet started
in sci-fi before making this years acclaimed
film Amelie from Montmatre.
The list is endless: Frances Ford Coppola (Dementia 13); Martin
Scorsese (Boxcar Bertha); Steven Spielberg (Duel).
The
Hole in Education
So
what does all this information mean? Perhaps that genre films should be embraced in this country for
several reasons: It gives the
audience a greater range of Australian films to view; it allows Australian
to explore their own culture in various contexts; it gives our emerging
filmmakers an important education in varying filmmaking techniques and
styles, which they currently have to go overseas to seek.
The
Young Guns
It
was very encouraging to see filmmakers respond in opposition to some
of the remarks made in the above-mentioned seminar. Magda Szubanski made an important comment regarding the fact that
Australia
has a history of not supporting its own talent: “We have some unique
performers in this country, most of whom have
to push their own barrow.” The success stories like Wogboy are from years of pushing.” Currently
there is a plethora of genre filmmakers attempting to get projects made. Kel Dolan and David
Allen (Rapid Fire Productions) made a vampire feature Reign in Darkness,
but had to seek distribution in the states. “We tried for ten years to get our stuff off the ground… …Now
we have sold our film to territories such as
France
,
Thailand
, and
Japan
.” Their
film still does not have distribution in its own country.
Brent
Houghton
and myself (Furious Films) have battled to
stay in
Australia
and have a stable of genre films in development hell. “It’s incredible
how our work has a following around the world” Houghton explains, “We’ve
been recognised on the streets in
Cannes
and in LA – and we haven’t even made a feature! It’s these passionate
movie buffs which will give your film repeat business”. Furious Films have been fortunate enough to
have worked with the best of the best in action cinema including: Jackie
Chan; Jet Li; Yuen Wo-Ping; Tsui Hark; and The Wachowski Brothers; and have
attracted praise from the likes of John Woo and Peter Jackson. “People
keep telling us to go overseas” Houghton adds “Call it idealism but
there needs to be a change in the industry. There is a remarkable conflict
between what the audience want to see and what the industry will back.”
Jamie
Blanks is one filmmaker who did make the trip O.S. after a
US
talent scout snatched him from our own
Victorian
College
of the Arts. “Genre by its definition
promises the audience it will deliver the required elements within a
category,” Blanks explains. (Which
prompts the question: If Australian films have become a genre in themselves,
what elements are they promising?) The horror genre specialist directed
the
US
slasher flicks Urban Legend and Valentine,
but prefers living in
Melbourne
when he isn’t filming. “Restricting the content of Australian films
just prolong the frustration for filmmakers who are denied the opportunity
to work within popular genres and stagnates diversity in Australian
cinema.”
The
Future
Genre
filmmaking in
Australia
has
managed to continue on a very small scale. Independent filmmakers battle with minuscule budgets based primarily on favours and deferred
payment schemes, fighting against a perceived cultural snobbery and
an economic environment and tax laws that discourages private investment
in film. For the Australian film industry to truly flourish, both domestically
and internationally, it will take more progressive decision making in
the future. Filmmaking is not only about art: it is the ‘business’ of
‘entertaining’. Australians deserve to be entertained by Australians,
whatever their cultural interests.