David Williamson's The Club is a film that for many reasons has been forgotten by Australian audiences and this is a great shame as the cinematography of a Melbourne is worth viewing alone. Director Beresford provides viewers with a snap shot of a sport and a nation caught between the comfort of old practices and promises of a new generation. Within the mise en scene their are wonderful examples of a Melbourne burgeoning with classic architecture and suburban symbols such as the trains towards the city and the new defunct Victoria Park football ground.
The story is a timeless tale of sports and the mix of people who are drawn to it. Characters are transparent in their positioning, Jack Thompson and Harold Hopkins are the integral cogs that love the game and their club while administrators Frank Wilson and Alan Cassell are dastardly as the back room power-brokers. A young John Howard will surprise many as the athletic young Tasmanian recruit who must lead the team to victory and the hyper active pie factory owner to club president Graham Kennedy steals every scene he is in.
Finally to those who love AFL and especially those who loved 1980s football you will see many of the greats and some present day coaches especially Rodney Eade and Gary Ayres. The whole playing list of "The Club" are Collingwood's 1979 team so you will see many shots of players such as a young Peter Daicos and Peter Moore and many famous figures like Lou Richards and Scot Palmer.
The heart of the film is the clash between the old, determined practices of football and the new generation that is forcing the game and all involved to evolve. As a snapshot of Australia at the verge of the 1980s this film doesn't disappoint.
The story is a timeless tale of sports and the mix of people who are drawn to it. Characters are transparent in their positioning, Jack Thompson and Harold Hopkins are the integral cogs that love the game and their club while administrators Frank Wilson and Alan Cassell are dastardly as the back room power-brokers. A young John Howard will surprise many as the athletic young Tasmanian recruit who must lead the team to victory and the hyper active pie factory owner to club president Graham Kennedy steals every scene he is in.
Finally to those who love AFL and especially those who loved 1980s football you will see many of the greats and some present day coaches especially Rodney Eade and Gary Ayres. The whole playing list of "The Club" are Collingwood's 1979 team so you will see many shots of players such as a young Peter Daicos and Peter Moore and many famous figures like Lou Richards and Scot Palmer.
The heart of the film is the clash between the old, determined practices of football and the new generation that is forcing the game and all involved to evolve. As a snapshot of Australia at the verge of the 1980s this film doesn't disappoint.