Australasian Cinema

home MASTER LIST inclusive list by date Australian Cinema (2008 unit) film details directors writers producers cinematographers New Zealand films NZ films by date top ten best films AACTA, AFI awards auteurs one-time directors endings couples bibliography links TYPES OF FILMS American art films Asian biopics books=>film bush cars children comedies coming of age crime diasporas disability docos exploitation Fremantle, WA gay horror/SF/fantasy indigenous Jewish metafilm music prison road films Russian shorts social realism sport surf Tasmania teenpics war WA westerns women's films

 

H231- Australian Cinema
Critical Review

EVIL ANGELS/ A CRY IN THE DARK
By Denise Cahill

Director- Fred Schepisi
Scriptwriter- Robert Caswell and Fred Schepisi
Author of Novel- John Bryson
Cinematographer- Ian Baker
Producer- Verity Lambert
Production Company- Cannon Entertainment, Cinema Verity, Evil Angel, Golan- Globus and Warner Bros
Lindy Chamberlain- Meryl Streep
Michael Chamberlain- Sam Neill
Barker- Bryce Myles
Phillips- Neil Fitzpatrick
Justice Muirhead- Charles Tingwell
Barritt- Maurice Fields

Evil Angels was released on November 4, 1988 in Australia and US. The movie was released in the UK and US under the title, A Cry in the Dark.

Evil Angels grossed $6.908 million (US) at the box office.

Fred Schepisi based his movie on John Bryson's novel, Evil Angels. Bryson tells the story of 10-week-old Azaria Chamberlain, who was allegedly stolen from a tent by a dingo. The event occurred in 1980 at Ayers Rock on the Northern Territory of Australia.
Lindy and Michael Chamberlain were holidaying in the area with their two sons and new baby daughter and the events that followed divided the opinion of a nation and turned ordinary people into household names. 'The case became the most widely publicised in Australian history," (McFarlane, Mayer, Bertrand, 1999: 136)
The evidence stacked up against Lindy with a blood-stained handprint found on a cloth and what appeared to be blood stains under the dashboard of the car. The family were Seventh Day Adventists and the public were very prejudiced towards this aspect of their lives.
The Chamberlain couple were tried in Alice Springs and in Darwin where Lindy Chamberlain was found guilty of the murder of her baby and sentenced to life imprisonment. Michael Chamberlain was found to be an accessory to the murder and his 18-month sentence was suspended in the interests of their remaining children.
Lindy spent three years in jail after subsequent evidence cleared them both. Mrs Chamberlain gave birth to another baby daughter while she was in jail.
More than one book was written on the Chamberlain case but Fred Schepisi followed Bryson's lead from the start by never doubting Lindy Chamberlain's innocence.

An interview with director Fred Schepisi is under the following title: 'Fred Schepisi: Pushing the Boundaries', a career interview with the director by Scott Murray, no. 80, August 1990, pp. 28-42

Newspapers all over Australia reviewed Evil Angels because of its relevance and significance to Australian cinema and history. The movie is also well used within Tom O'Regan's Australian Cinema textbook.
Chicago-Sun Times- Robert Ebert
http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1988/11/323634.htm
Washington Post- Rita Kempley
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/acryinthedark.htm
'The Making of Evil Angels', Phillippa Hawker, no. 70, November 1988, pp.8-13
'Evil Angels', a review by Felicity Collins,no.71, January 1989, pp.55-56
O'REGAN, T. (1996) Australian National Cinema. Routledge, London, pp. 13, 53, 66, 71, 86, 205, 238, 275.

I found most of my information about Evil Angels on the Internet. The imdb.com website I visited had a host of information on the cast, crew and plenty of links to related sites. I was not so successful at other movie sites because it is a relatively old film. I found plenty of information and related links to Fred Schepisi, Meryl Streep and Sam Neill because they have featured in many films that were successful at the box office.
I found box office figures were hard to come across and the websites I visited only contained figures for movies made over the past few years.
The movie, its producer and lead actor Sam Neill appeared in The Oxford Companion to Australian Film but I was quite surprised I could not find Meryl Streep. The information in this text was very general but summed up the main points about the movie and the facts about the actual Lindy Chamberlain case.
Tom O'Regan's textbook on Australian National Cinema used the movie to demonstrate Australian Cinema in the 1980's and its dominance in the medium sized English language cinema. Evil Angels was unique in its portrayal of a true story in Australia and O'Regan draws on this. Fred Schepisi and his other works also feature well in O'Regan's text.

Evil Angels
Michael and Lindy Chamberlain are middle-class Seventh-Day Adventists who head, by car, up to Ayers Rock with their two boys and 10-well-old Azaria. While at the rock, Michael plays with the boys while Lindy sits at the bottom with the new baby. The family are camping at the rock and become friendly with another couple, who have a young girl. Once Lindy tucks the children into the tent, she heads back to the barbecue only to hear the cries of Azaria. Michael makes no attempt to see to the baby and give Lindy a rest but tells his wife to see what is bothering Azaria. On her way back to the tent, Lindy sees a dingo running off into the darkness dragging her baby. Within minutes, the camping ground is in chaos and police and crew are called out to help recover the baby and or the dingo. Not long after the search begins, Michael tells his wife there is no chance of finding Azaria alive. This is Schepisi's first attempt to position the audience to lay blame, even though the audience sees shots of a dingo running out of the tent dragging something.
When the couple return to their home state, the media and public opinion immediately surround them. The camera cuts to shots in saloons, filling stations, at tennis games and dinner parties where people are discussing the incident making their own assumptions. Public opinion does not favour a dingo being able to haul a baby out of a tent and many think Lindy is guilty. The Chamberlain's faith is drawn into question with the public and is brought up in court. In a bible found by police in the family's home, Azaria means 'sacrifice in the wilderness'. This is used against the couple in court.
During the court case, Lindy is heavily pregnant and emotions run high although Mrs Chamberlain rarely sheds a tear. Her lack of emotions confuses me as the woman has lost her young baby and is going through pregnancy, which causes emotive responses in women. Although, I did read that Lindy Chamberlain was not an emotional woman and this was a personality trait used against her in the trial to prove her guilt.
The event is causing problems in the marriage and Schepisi includes one scene where I found myself unsure whether Michael believes his wife is innocent. The court case takes up much of the film as the evidence is examined and re-examined. This technique allows Schepisi to keep the audience keen as blame shifts from Lindy to Michael and to the dingo, once more evidence becomes apparent.
Lindy Chamberlain is found guilty of Azaria's death and her husband an accessory. Michael's sentence is suspended and Lindy serves only 3 years of her sentence, within which she gives birth to another baby girl. Michael and the children visit Lindy but when she is released, her little girl is shy towards her because she does not know her own mother, which is probably one of the more emotive scenes in the movie.
After the first few scenes of Evil Angels I was sure the dingo took Azaria Chamberlain but the lack of public support, Lindy's lack of emotions and Michael's hesitations during the trial encouraged me to doubt my original opinion. I think this was a positive technique of Schepisi's because an audience, who is aware of the story, knows a jury finds Lindy Chamberlain guilty but she is then released. As an unsolved murder mystery I think Schepisi aims to make the audience question their initial opinion on the case and that is what makes the film interesting and entertaining.
Evil Angels is about media sensationalism and prejudiced public opinion as well as the mysterious case itself. 'Schepisi uses mock-documentary montage effects to create a realist background for what has the marks of a powerful melodramatic story." (McFarlane, 1999: 136)

In 1988 two American newspapers drew on the feminism and death penalty issues involved in Fred Schepisi's Evil Angels.
Robert Ebert from the Chicago-Sun Times criticised the movie in relation to the dangers of the death penalty. He said circumstantial evidence could get an innocent killed. His review indicates his belief in Lindy's innocence he says the movie is a terrific example of how the death penalty could have seen Lindy Chamberlain, an innocent woman, dead.
Rita Kempley from the Washington Post uses the theme of feminism to review the movie. She describes the typical family and the woman's role in society.
I think these reviews, following the release of the movies, reflect American society and I do not think Australian would have reviewed the movie that way. The story is close to home for Australians and feminism and the death penalty, while big issues in America, are outweighed by Australian's relationship with the movie. I do not think America would think of the film as an event that happened on our doorstep, as many Australians would.
The 2001 laser disc review by Brett Willis commented the movie had a low moral rating due to the emphasis on prejudiced public opinion and the families religeon. Willis did say it was a movie that had to be watched once but would be difficult to sit through a second time.
Frederick and Mary Brussat described Evil Angels as a chilling drama. They also described the event as a modern day Salem witch trial. This review was written between 1990-2001 so I think context had a lot to do with the witch connection.
Chuck Harrington related the movie to recent events where public opinion generally blames the parents. The 2000 DVD review leans towards pointing the guilty verdict at Lindy and/or Michael rather than an innocent dingo.
These reviews are all unique draw on different aspects of society and the times and locations of the audiences.

In the 1980's Crocodile Dundee II was one of the top grossing movies at the box office. Many of its predecessors were American films. The documentary Cane Toads rates close behind as a popular Australian documentary at the time. The Return to Snowy River, The Man from Snowy River sequel, and Young Einstein also rated highly at the box office in the 1980's. Evil Angels was outdone by Crocodile Dundee at the box office due to the international involvement in the film and it had a successful pre-qual. Evil Angels would have been more popular in Australia than overseas due to the cases strong relationship with the Australian people.
The most popular genre in the 1980's was the drama feature film. Evil Angels can be found under the drama heading at video stores so corresponded with the trend of the decade.
Common keywords related to movies in the 1980's were 'based on a novel' and 'murder'. Both these terms have a place in Fred Schepisi's film.

Fred Schepisi, born in 1939, was born in Melbourne but directed many film overseas. With Australian films like Libido (1973), The Devil's Playground (1976) and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) Schepisi moved abroad and it was another 10 years before he directed another Australian film, Evil Angels. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith was a failure at the box office so it was a successful welcome back to Australia with the box office figures of Evil Angels. Schepisi's draws on sex and drama in most of his Australian films. Evil Angels did not have an underlying theme of sex but it was definitely a dramatic film.
Cinematographer Ian Baker was born in 1947 and worked on a number of films with Schepisi including Libido, The Devil's Playground and the Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.
Robert Caswell began his career as a producer of TV series but tried his hand at writing, with the help of Schepisi in Evil Angels.
Meryl Streep was born in New Jersey, USA in 1949 and was once called the 'greatest living actress'. Her performance in Evil Angels was a credit to her career. Her Australian accent was superb and her ability to show a lack of emotion throughout the film was inspiring. Streep is a perfectionist with her roles and I think the part of Lindy Chamberlain was no exception. 'Meryl Streep's performance, complete with an immaculate Australian accent, ensures that audience sympathy is entirely with her, as was not always so during the actual case, when Lindy's strangely affect less courtroom persona alienated many." (McFarlane, 1999: 136)
Streep has a field of experience behind her with many successful films in the US and a part as a voice in the Simpson's in 1989. She was nominated for 12 academy awards and won two. Streep's part in Evil Angels portrayed the success of Americans in Australian roles.
Born Nigel Neill in 1947, Sam Neill started his career in the revival year of Australian cinema, the 1970's. Like Schepisi, Neill had an international career and his first Australian film was My Brilliant Career in 1979. 'He had to wait nearly a decade for another comparably rewarding role in Australian films.' (McFarlane, 1999: 349) This rewarding film was Evil Angles where Neill won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Neill took on the serious character of Michael Chamberlain with ease and portrayed the Seventh- Day Adventist father with a lack of emotion and sexual desire but a great love for his family.

Evil Angels was released in 1988 and showed evidence of the themes that ran through the decade. In the decade, The Man from Snowy River and Crocodile Dundee were the biggest box office hits. Both had an American in the lead role, as did Evil Angels with Meryl Streep as Lindy Chamberlain. This element of the 1980's proceeded to make Australian cinema into an international cinema. O'Regan said films like Evil Angels, The Devil's Playground, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (all Schepisi films) and the popular commercial titles like Crocodile Dundee and The Man From Snowy River, 'Australian cinema gained recognition as an international cinema." (O'Regan, 1996:13)
As a film of Australian cinema, Evil Angles demonstrated social problematisations. The Chamberlain's were strict Seventh- Day Adventists and this was used as prejudice against the family and the guilt. The meaning of Azaria in their bible was evidence in court to prove their guilt and the public discriminated against them because of their minority religion. O'Regan said Australian cinema relies on social problematisations to overcome their weakness in international genres.
The 1980's also saw more dominance put on genres. A genre enables the audience to assume the type of movie they are about to watch and directors can make a film in relation to a popular genre. In the 1980's drama was the most popular genre and Schepisi utilised this tool to turn the Chamberlain case into a dramatic story.

Australian cinema competes with many other medium sized English language cinemas so it needs to be distinct and different to be effective. Schepisi is a unique Australian director as does not fit into any particular type of filmmaking. 'Schepisi's eschewal of the evident and predictable dramatic structure of the classical cinema makes his cinema eccentric to the classical norm.' (O'Regan, 1996: 238) As a director with a Hollywood career, Schepisi fits into the gap between the art film and the Hollywood melodrama. This unique aspect of Schepisi enables Australian cinema to be distinct and hybrid.
Evil Angels is a unique film for Australian cinema because it tells a true story of a real Australian family. Peter Weir told an educational war story in 1981 with Gallipoli but the dramatic aspect to a true story gave Evil Angels its well-deserved credit. Schepisi's unique style of cutting to places around Australia to show public opinion included the Australian people in the film and was technique very few other directors used.
Evil Angels is always going to be a film to describe Australian cinema's difference with other medium sized English language cinemas because it is an Australian story and will always be an Australian story. The unique nature of the story and Schepisi's portrayal of it portrays Australian cinema as a unique and distinct cinema.

REFERENCES
http://imdb.com/Details?0094924

McFarlane, B, Mayer, G, Bertrand, I. 1999 The Oxford Companion to Australian Film. Oxford University Press, Australia

O'Regan, T. 1996 Australian National Cinema. Routledge, London