Death in Brunswick

Credits

Director John Ruane

Script John Ruane & Boyd Oxlade

Cinematographer Ellery Ryan

Production Timothy White

Prod. Company Meridian Films

Cast

Carl Fitzgerald Sam Neil

Sophie Papafogos Zoe Carides

Dave John Clarke

Mrs Fitzgerald Yvonne Lawley

Mustafa Nick Lathouris

June Deborah Kennedy

Carmel Doris Younane

Laurie Boris Brkic

Yanni Voulgaris Nicholas Papademetriou

Release Australia — 26 April 1991

Germany — 2 January 1992

aka "Nothing to Lose"

106 minutes

Awards Australian Film Institute

1991 Nominations:

Ellery Ryan Best Achievements in Cinematography

Sam Neil Best Lead Actor

John Ruane Best Director

Timothy White Best Film

John Ruane &

Boyd Oxlade Best Screenplay, original or adapted

Articles

Sam Neill describes Death in Brunswick as a weird psychodrama, a celebration of cultural diversity, an inner suburban nightmare, and three days in the life of an innocent fool. "Carl is like most of us; we're all kind of hapless people who muddle through life as best we can and Carl's life is an extreme muddle at this stage. At the same time he finds the redemption of love, something we all seek and need," Neil said. From: http://metalab.unc.edu/samneill/films/dibliner.txt

"Death in Brunswick (Film Review), Australian Film 78-92 (Book)

Variety London Festival--Death in Brunswick, vol. 341, no. 9, pp. 86, Dec 10, 1990

"A Dragg in Brunswick," TV Week (Australia), 1/2 page, Jan. 12, 1991

Cover — "Funny about Sam…," HQ Magazine (Australia), 1 page, Feb. 1991

"Dag and Dagg," HQ Magazine (Australia), 2 pages, Feb. 1991

"Sam’s New Babies," Woman’s Day (Australia), 2 pages, Feb. 12, 1991

"Sam cooks up a role," Herald-Sun (Australia), 1/4 page, March 1991

"It’s anything but bland," Age/Sun (Australia), 1/2 page, March 1991

"Sam Goes to Hollywood," New Idea (Australia), 1 page, Mar. 23, 1991

"Death in Brunswick (Film Review)," Movie 91 — No. 3, 1 page, April 1991

"Saved from Death, by Actors," Sunday Herald-Sun (Australia), 3/4 page, April 14, 1991

"Black Gem of Comedy," Herald-Sun (Film Review) (Australia), 3/4 page, April 18, 1991

Cinema Advert "Death in Brunswick," The Sun (Australia), 1 page, Apr. 25, 1991

"Neill Breaks the Mould," The Sunday Age — TV Magazine (Australia), May 5, 1991

"Love…and Lust," Woman’s Day (Australia), 1 page, May 7, 1991

"The rejuvenated career of Zoe Carides," Preview (Australia), 1 page, Dec. 1991

"Death in Brunswick — Video Review," Sunday Sun TV Extra (Australia), Dec. 8, 1991

"Sam cooks up some laughs," Video Review, TV Week (Australia), 1/2 page, Dec. 28, 1991

Malcolm, Derek. "Troupers in the Treacle", The Guardian Feb. 6, 1992, 28:1

Newman, Kim. "Death in Brunswick" Sight & Sound 1:42-3 Feb '92

Death in Brunswick, The Spectator, v268, no. 8535: pp.44 Feb 15, 1992

Photo only — No Text, Herald-Sun (Australia), 1/4 page, July 28, 1993

Dean, Peter (Video review) Sight & Sound, v3n11:61, Nov 1993

"Death in Brunswick — Film Review," Washington Post, 3/4 page, July 30, 1995

"The Vulture," Times Newspapers Limited, Features, 194 words, Oct. 4, 1997

Online Presence

With only small mentions of Death in Brunswick to be found in the Library, I found the most readily accessible and detailed information on the film on the web. While Death in Brunswick (1991) is relatively new enough to not feature prominently in standard literature, it is a bit too old for extensive net coverage. Largely due to the presence of Sam Neil in a lead role, the film is covered in the Internet movie database (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0101692) . Non-substantial information or reviews can be found on most film sites (see the review on www.film.com ~ http://xanadu.real.com/film-review/1992/8528/109/default-review.html and the general wrap on http://allmovie.com/cg/x.dll ), but besides the imdb, the only other useful site was the official Sam Neil page, which featured a filmography, including Death in Brunswick. (http://metalab.unc.edu/samneill/films/90-94.html#1991) .

Unfortunately, in spite of an extensive and time-consuming search, I could not find box office figures.

Critical Review

Carl Fitzgerald (Neil) is unemployed, over 40 and down and out. He is also at the mercy of his mother constantly reminding him how disappointing and useless he is. Carl’s life is turned upside-down when he gets a job, as a cook in a disreputable rock nightclub and instantly falls for Sophie Papafogos (Carides), the barmaid, who is smitten with the fact that Carl ‘looks a bit like sting’.

Mustafa (Lathouris), Carl’s kitchen hand operates a drug and theft racket out of the club’s filthy kitchen. When the club’s heavies, who have also taken an instant dislike to Carl, find out about Mustafa’s bit on the side, they beat him up and tell him that Carl ratted him out.

Later that evening, Mustafa returns to the kitchen, attacks Carl and runs into a fork… with fatal consequence.

Carl calls his overly-reliable mate Dave (John Clarke) and, with Dave conveniently being of the grave-digging profession, they hide Mustafa’s body in another person’s coffin.

Carl gets the sack after Yanni (Nicholas Papademetriou) the rich Greek club owner, who is also engaged to Sophie by way of an arranged marriage, finds out of her and Carl’s intimate liaison. The club is firebombed and Carl is blamed, as he tries to win back Sophie. Mustafa’s relatives are after Carl too, for vengeance.

Carl wins the girl back and un-intentionally manages to have club heavy Laurie (Brkic) beheaded by Mustafa’s relatives.

Needing money to make a fresh start with Sophie, Carl has a sort of cliched divine vision while in church with his mother. He sees and shakes hand with a grinning apparition of Mustafa while hearing the gospel about how god will even forgive murder, and decides to kill his mother to claim his inherritance. When Carl finds out that his mother has been sitting on a large trust fund left for him by his Grandfather, he shouts at her and she has a stroke.

With his mother left in complete paralysis, Carl starts out a new life with her and Sophie, and is left grinning at his wedding, wearing a neck-brace after meeting Sophie’s father.

Death in Brunswick is a dark situation-comedy romp through which the protagonist, Carl endures and escapes the problems that confront him and always ends up the victor, retaining a child-like innocence and likeability. The film is not incredibly deep, and is not intended to be. It does work well as a dark, quirky comedy and it displays uniquely Australian characteristics. Death in Brunswick was largely regarded as a quality, fun film by critics on it’s release. It is not a film to be taken too seriously.

Much was made in academic circles however, concerning the politics of ethnic interrelationship in the film, and how stereotypes were employed in the film. Death in Brunswick was interpreted as a film about social interaction in a multicultural society in some circles. It also involves class distinctions. In my opinion, Death in Brunswick is a film about a man’s quest for a sense of happiness and independence and the obstacles he faces along the way. It could be called a love story. Carl’s love not just for Sophie, but for his mother, in spite of her cheating him of his trust fund and doing nothing but make him feel miserable. Most of all though, Death in Brunswick is a good time of a movie, good fun. Carl is an innocent protagonist, drawn into a corrupt, violent world. No matter what he faces, he always comes out on the other end with a smile on his face.

Circumstances of Production and Release

Death in Brunswick was adapted for the screen from a book written by Boyd Oxlade by John Ruane, with substantial input from Oxlade. While writing the book, Oxlade was working as a gravedigger by day and spending his nights as a cook at a rock nightclub. The book was apparently darker than the movie and was slightly less of a cohesive narrative. The ending was completely re-written for the screen.

The Internet movie database categorises the film as being ‘independent’ is it’s production. However, like most Australian films of the 90’s, Death in Brunswick was made with the participation of the Australian Film Finance Corporation. It also received the assistance of Film Victoria. It is assumed that private investors made up the difference.

The movie was released to the screens in Australia on April 26, 1991 to critical acclaim, awards and modest success. Strangely, but perhaps due to it’s shared qualities with European film, Death in Brunswick was released in Germany on January 2, 1992, under the new title of ‘Nothing to Lose’. The film was distributed by the Village Roadshow Corporation. Death in Brunswick is available on video in the USA and UK through Applause Home Video.

Death in Brunswick was never built up as a blockbuster, but could not be considered an art film. It was perhaps too Australian and quirky to be released to audiences outside Australia, in spite of it’s European similarities.

Prior and Subsequent Work

Death in Brunswick was John Ruane’s first large feature, after establishing his career through short films like 1987’s Feathers, which dealt with a very Australian country-meets-city theme, when a couple from the country are visited by a city couple; which leads to conflict. After Death in Brunswick, Ruane went on to have a hand in wiring and direct That Eye, The Sky (1994), another film with very Australian attributes. That Eye, The Sky is based on a remote farm, as the Flack family faces survival after their father suffers an accident leaving him in paralysis (like Carl’s mother at the end of Death in Brunswick). Along the way, there is a supernatural ‘light in the sky’ reminiscent of the ‘divine vision’ in the church in Death in Brunswick. In more recent times, Ruane has directed the romantic comedy Dead Letter Office.

As a first-time large-feature director, Ruane made his mark with Death in Brunswick. That Eye, The Sky features a similar quirkiness or other-worldliness, even as it deals with a completely different setting and story. With Feathers, Death in Brunswick and That Eye, The Sky, Ruane has concerned himself with varied but intrinsically Australian concerns; the city/country divide, multiculturalism, mateship and the (Cold-Chisel-esq) urban blues, then isolation and ‘the battler’.

Many critics have cited Sam Neil’s bravery in taking on the role of Carl Fitzgerald, in spite of his insistence that Carl is one of the most realistic or comfortable roles he has taken on. After the revered Australian films My Brilliant Career (1979) and the polished Dead Calm (1989), not to mention breaking into the American film industry, starting off playing Damien in The Omen III (1981) and going on to the more respected Hunt For Red October (1990), Neil seems surprising as a participant in such an eccentric and Australian film as Death in Brunswick. His comic timing and child-like portrayal of Carl are amazing, especially considering how much of a change Carl is from Neil’s previous roles. Death in Brunswick would not be the turning point in Neil’s career, as he continues to deny the viewing public of his comic talents, going on to star in The Piano, Sirens (both 1993) and American blockbusters like Jurassic Park (1993).

Interestingly, John Clarke, who plays Carl’s mate, Dave, was in The Adventures of Barry McKensie, the original Australian ‘ocker’ film. Also, Sam Neil made a cameo appearance in Clarke’s television comedy series, parodying the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics The Games.

Unfortunately, Zoe Carides remained in the television industry after her role as Sophie in Death in Brunswick. Appearing in the Greek-Australian comedy series Acropolis Now (1989) and the as a doctor in the medical series GP (1988), Carides went on to work in the police-drama Police Rescue (1994). Although, this year sees the release of an obscure film called Fovou Tous Ellines, which translates as meaning something about Greek’s with guns.

Also Interestingly, Daniel Pollock plays one of two junkies in Death in Brunswick, he later went on to star as Davo in Romper Stomper.

Death in Brunswick as National Cinema

In Australian National Cinema (1996), Tom O’Regan uses Death in Brunswick as a major example of the way Australian cinema deals with the Australian national characteristic of multiculturalism. Death in Brunswick does play on stereotypes in a non-complementary manner, with the corrupt Turkish migrant, Mustafa, the rich Greek club owner, Yani and Sophie’s very traditional Greek family. However, O’Regan writes that — "…without risking being bad, such films, it is felt, simply will not work. The director of another ‘problematic film’, Death in Brunswick, John Ruane, insists that stereotypes are ‘a bit in the eye of the beholder’." (p. 125)

Rather than being overly politically correct, there is a case for working with and shaking up stereotypes as a means of understanding them better, especially in the realm of comedy. Death in Brunswick by no means victimises any one group, but doesn’t play down the politics of ethic interrelation in Australia.

O’Regan writes; "What is Australian about the context of Death in Brunswick is, in Turner’s (1994: 132) words, is ‘not it’s cultural purity but the mix of identity and accents — the play of ethnicity and class positions audible in the dialogue or legible in the clothing and physical appearance." (p. 139)

One of the only aspects of Death in Brunswick which could be called into question about it’s Australian characteristics would be the setting, "Melbourne light is not Alice Springs or Perth light" (p.210). O’Regan feels that the landscape in the film could be easily and readily European. This view, however valid and correct, holds little weight with detracting from the Australianity of the film. Death in Brunswick was filmed in Australia, not Europe, and surely the cliched ‘Aussie outback’ is no more Australian than our true urban landscape. As a nation, we still are coloured explicitly by European influence, even in our flag, naturally enough; our streets are not identifiably Australian.

Death in Brunswick can also be seen to be typical in it’s place as part of Australian national cinema in it’s diversity of style and representations (O’Regan p.176). Films made around the same time were completely different in style and content, but like many contemporary Australian films, Death in Brunswick focuses on the margins of society and takes risks stylistically and thematically.

The Position of Australian Films

Death in Brunswick is a great Australian film. Critics have hailed it as one of the best black comedies to come out of the country. Unfortunately, a lot of the film’s qualities were to do with it’s identifying with Australian audiences. Death in Brunswick didn’t try to be an Australian version of an American film, nor did it exploit the mythological ‘outback’ stereotypes overseas audiences usually lap up. It remains as a great snapshot of urban life, outrageous and characterised as it may seem, Death in Brunswick draws on urban legend, and urban mythology to do with multiculturalism and class positions in urban Australia. From Carl’s mother having ‘funny ideas about migrants’, to John Clarke’s character, Dave getting up in the middle of the night to help Carl because he might be ‘in strife’. It’s Australian film doing what it does best, making fun of itself… but not to the point of saturation.

The very things that make Death in Brunswick so enjoyable for me would be the very things which would prevent it doing overly well overseas. It didn’t even set Australia on fire. Perhaps it was ahead of it’s time, perhaps it was a sleeper that people never woke up to the way they did to Romper Stomper. I don’t know about it’s release in Germany, the European similarities don’t seem overly-obvious, even though the film does contain a dark, quirkiness. It seems too much of an ‘ocker’ film to be and art film.

In an age of blockbusters and in a market dominated so heavily by Hollywood, it is hard to see how massive Australian audiences would go out of their way to see Death in Brunswick. It was not heavily promoted, and with the exception of Sam Neil, had no major drawcard. I feel that many audiences missed out on the film, and did so not because they didn’t want to see it, but because it wasn’t thrust in front of them. A viewer must seek out Australian films like Death in Brunswick if they want to see them. The hype surrounding many movies is all that seems readily available.

O’Regan, Tom, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CINEMA . Routledge, 1996.