The division of the book into four sections: Gingham, Shantung, Felt and Brocade, is not just a cute way of furthering the sewing motif; rather, the names are symbolic. And technically, Tilly is responsible for him drowning. As she leaves, everything is back to dirty again, just like the town – inevitably filled with hate. The Dimm sisters, who hold important positions in town, are dim; indeed, the one who is postmistress and bank manager makes a serious financial mistake that has profound repercussions upon the citizenry in the end. Tilly is troubled by something more than local disrespect and childhood memories. There’s very little funding or resources and as a result, our film industry is almost non-existent, and the quality of movies are nowhere near the quality they could be. Hugo Weaving is having a lot of fun as the cross dressing sergeant, but what cop could be bribed with a damn feather boa to reveal secret witness statements??? So, your opinion is just that, an opinion, and your personal problem, and not a problem of the Australian film industry. The timeline below shows where the term Dressage appears in The Dressmaker. So right from the outset, we have a movie that delights in suffering, for the pleasure of the audience and other characters. Because the play is told through the eyes of the women (the mother and girlfriends of the boys), the audience is pulled into the drama and urgency, leaving with deep questions about violence and the cause of anger and hate. Or anything else apart from the hateful stereotypes I saw. Important part of this movie are costumes, as another reference to Macbeth as a play. LitCharts Teacher Editions. None of these plays, and a list of others, are sunshine and roses. It’s exhausting, depressing and downright nasty. Just because audiences like a movie doesn’t necessarily make is a good film. “Look what they’ve done to you!” Tilly exclaims, another remark that stirs readers’ curiosity. It is also very deep and colorful. Glad I’m not alone. Read the book for heavens sake. Replying only to the “it makes no sense” part (sorry, didn’t feel like going through the whole post). And once he is revealed as an eyewitness and the other witness was lying, they do precisely NOTHING with this information. This was a who’s who of great Australian talent and none were utilised to their full potential. When, at any point in the movie, is this a ‘feel-good’ flick? It was no Good will Hunting, but they tried and got awards too. Edward tried to explain what happened, but Evan yelled that Tilly murdered Stewart. That is fine. And that’s fine, everyone likes different things. The characters are stereotypes and like I said, it’s surprisingly unfocused and mean spirited. I found The Water Diviner to be an ok film, but nothing outstanding. But if it’s not in the novel, do not force it in just because of a rigid quota system. The opposite kind is Gertrude, who, from a modest, ugly girl, turns into too confident and mean. Muriel’s Wedding. If not you are so very lucky, I do agree – I did not find this a comedy – but I did relate to the not That is interesting. They are looked down upon by other Dungatarians. Her husband, Evan, encourages her to take pills and uses Marigold’s confusion to hide his womanizing. In case of Molly and Teddy – Molly dies after she recovered fully, gets back to being herself again. All Rights Reserved. Please feel free to like the movie. No, please don’t, really. She, however was fine with her place in society. Our, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. Sent out just once a month, for free. Beula Harradine is a harridan who spreads malicious gossip. I can really enjoy some dark humor, but this was just made to inflict misery on the characters – all of them, even the ones with whom we’re meant to sympathize. This could have been a good movie. But that does not a good movie make. Both genders were given a disservice here. Yet they do not appreciate the gift Tilly has given them; they fail to pay her or to acknowledge her work, and while their exteriors are more attractive, their hearts and minds are still competitive and snobbish. Marigold’s memory is bad because she is addicted to sleeping pills. She wants to go back to “clean herself” from all the charges, and show all the people in the city who despised her as a child, that she grew stronger now. Certainly the most outrageous and unacceptable plot point was Teddy’s death. With a crowbar. It’s anti-violence, and explores the reasons behind crimes and mob mentality. The town blamed Tilly, who was taken from her mother and sent to school in Melbourne. We meet the pharmacist, Mr. Almanac, going through the envelopes of photographs back from the developing lab, looking for dirt on his neighbours. And on the surface, that’s fine. The house itself has some symbolic, as it is not only “outside” of the village, just like Tilly and her mother was, but also, it’s up above all of the houses, showing that Tilly, who was pushed aside was actually above them all. The Dressmaker is a clever satire about village life. Although Marigold’s memory of the story is vague, she knows that she has heard it somewhere before. So, how many Australian films have you seen? They bond because of their shared outsider status. Look at The Boys by Gordon Graham. How about her abusive father telling his family they’re all useless? I’m from Germany. Though blameless in Stewart’s death and in this recent second one, she feels under a curse – in hell. Dungatar residents are cross-dressing, enjoying same-sex relationships, cheating on spouses, and abusing their spouses, but the townsfolk turn a blind eye to such shenanigans. I hope you don’t get killed in the first few minutes of a Wolf Creek sequel, though. It didn’t know what it wanted to be and the characters were hopelessly underdeveloped. Despite Tilly’s growing closeness to Teddy and her success at her craft, one senses that no conventional happy ending is in store. As everything burns, Tilly is freed of her “curse” in a “fenix-alike” style – reborn from the ashes of her past. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. As I said, it’s a revenge film (poorly executed, but I’ll get to that later). And just when it seems like something nice might FINALLY happen to our main character, the movie douses it with petrol and sets it alight while cackling madly. His wife, Marigold (“marry gold”) was the daughter of the shire president when Evan moved to Dungatar: “Her father left her a lot of money so Evan swept her off her feet.” Marigold has had bad nerves since the death of their son Stewart twenty years earlier. It’s an absolutely horrible film. listening Schock can cause a temporary or permanent amnesia. They don’t tell anyone, it’s never resolved, she’s never exonerated, nothing. You have Gertrude Pratt, the town’s ugly duckling who is in love with someone who’s way out of her league. I’m going to remember the good moments and mentally revise the rest so I can like it … or like what it could have been. As an artist, I am mortified that this is the calibre of films Australia continues to produce. Copyright © 2020 Compulsive Reader. Radiance talks about rejection, history and family. The kind Shakespear would perhaps create in a different setting and time. As for Teddy – well, this, I believe, is kind of a “shock” move, to make the movie “different”, but also, Molly explains it briefly at the shop “he died cause he tried to show his love is stronger than your hate, and he failed”. Based on the popular 2000 novel by Rosalie Ham, The Dressmaker tells the story of Tilly Dunnage, a talented dressmaker who returns to her childhood town to care for her mentally unstable mother. Not true. I know they’re old but I can’t help but wonder have any of you criticizing the movie ever been through anything horribly traumatic or dealt with aweful people in your Life? Molly attacked Evan, and Tilly was taken away. The novel opens with Sergeant Farrat, the town policeman, noticing a chic woman of thirty standing on the station platform with a portable Singer sewing machine. by Rosalie Ham Aboriginal people included. This large family enjoy each other’s company and are kind people; in fact, Mrs. McSwiney has been taking food to Tilly’s mother. I didn’t care about any of the characters, it’s dark, dry, depressing, and a waste of money to see! Seems a fair quota to me, given the percentage they make up in the total population. Revenge is about making yourself feel better,”. The Dressmaker This movie has no redeeming features. ), In Her Skin, Predestination, and The Little Death. How can you be generalizing about Australian cinema (and call yourself a critic) if you haven’t even seen some of the most seminal films? He never wanted his wife to know about the romance he had with Molly, and that was a good way to get rid of the trouble. In Ham’s novel, a prodigal daughter returns to the fictional visit of Dungatar, where she gives the residents a second chance to be kind, open-minded and outward-looking. But the script itself should have been set on fire, twice, then buried with an apology to the tree that died for it’s printing. Australian theatre is full of them. The Australian film industry deserves so much more. I find the idea of an enforced quota ridiculous. After she designs a spectacular, flattering bridal gown for the large awkward Pratt daughter, women start coming to her to ask to have sewing done. I viewed this at a cinema and enjoyed the theatrical story… then later thought about the many holes in the story… the silly death which was telegraphed from the beginning of the movie… the more child and parent relationship between Tilly and the supposed beefcake forgettable male lead. I did not know it was Australian. Author Ham introduces him by saying that he liked “ramming his thigh between women’s legs to move them around the dance floor”. By the way, if Teddy was so smart, who jumps into a silo after a delivery? I think that’s awesome & you’re very lucky, some of us aren’t, we block shit – it’s our brains way of protecting us etc. When Teddy invites her to his family Christmas party near the rubbish pit, mentioning the fun with the little kids around the tree, Tilly declines, saying, “That would break my heart,” without explaining why. She had no transition and the flimsiest of excuses for existing in the first place. I’ve seen a good amount of Australian films. Also, I’m going on record here by saying I have not read the original novel. It was so stupid! There’s far better ways of dealing with things like this. I agree with everything you say here and yet I loved the film, I think because I simply accepted it on its own terms, i.e. For example, doctor dies, cause he was not the one who helped his suffering from pain wife, although he could do that, and mayor dies because of his affairs and lies. The only reason for teddy to die was to add more misery. The McSwineys pack up and leave town, setting fire to their encampment. I know a lot of people like this movie but I’m sorry. Reviews of books by some of the hottest writers working today, exclusive author interviews, literary news and criticism. As I said before, this is an incredibly dark movie. 2000, 2015, ISBN 978-0-14-312906-6. While presidential libraries explore a president’s tenure through artifacts and documents, God gives us one book to extrapolate His truth! If you don’t know, it’s a highly fictionalised play about the brutal 1986 murder of Sydney nurse Anita Cobby. Clothes are also a good contrast for what’s inside of those town people – carrying fabulous outfits, but inside being still thoose judgemental, pitiful people. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. This is godawful script-writing. : Quick mention about the retarded brother – explanation was in the movie directly, also. Nothing fluffy there. Not only they suggest falsehood of this place, but also, as it was partially explained in the movie, they have a “magical ability” to show the “inside” of the person, who they really are. The only Australian films I like are The Castle, The Black Balloon, Gallipoli and Strictly Ballroom. “Dunnage” her last name, refers to the mats or other material put under cargo to prevent it getting wet; it means something useful but expendable. How had Stewart Pettyman’s mother never heard that Tilly was supposedly the one who killed her son????