Harlequin (1980)

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writer:

Everett De Roche (written by)

Release Date:

28 March 1980 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Can anyone survive? [USA ; Title as Dark Forces]

Plot:

A modern-day politician is faced with an incomprehensible in this mystical-fantasy. Senator Rast is a very powerful man...

Plot Keywords:

Senator | Psychic | Healer | Leukemia | Magic

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Robert Powell	...	Gregory Wolfe
David Hemmings	...	Nick Rast
Carmen Duncan	...	Sandra Rast
Broderick Crawford	...	Doc Wheelan
Gus Mercurio	...	Mr. Bergier
Alan Cassell	...	Mr. Porter
Mark Spain	...	Alex Rast
Alyson Best	...	Alice
Sean Myers	...	Benny Lucas
Mary Simpson	...	Zoe Cayce
Bevan Lee	...	Mr. Robinson
Neville Teede	...	Dr. Barthelemy
Mary Mackay	...	Miss Edith Twist
John Frawley	...	Dr. Lovelock
Nita Pannell	...	Mabel Wheelan
David Hough	...	Mr. Jepson
Klaus Schultz	...	Arthur
Peter West	...	Godfrey
Maurie Ogden	...	Prison Officer
Jack Ferrari	...	Eli Steele
Jeremy Sims	...	Young Boy on Raft
Toby Amoore	...	Young Boy on Raft
Sebastian Hunsley	...	Young Boy on Raft
Julia Moody	...	Reporter
Leslie Wright	...	Mayor
Adele Cohen	...	Mayoress
Ramsay McLean	...	Broadcaster

Directed by
Simon Wincer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Everett De Roche		written by

Produced by
William Fayman	....	executive producer
Antony I. Ginnane	....	producer
Jane Scott	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Brian May

Cinematography by
Gary Hansen

Film Editing by
Adrian Carr

Production Design by
Bernard Hides

Costume Design by
Terry Ryan

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael McKeag	....	first assistant director
Jenny Miles	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Owen Paterson	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Peter Fenton	....	sound editor
Steve Lambeth	....	sound recordist
Terry Rodman	....	sound editor
Mark J. Wasiutak	....	boom operator
Gary Wilkins	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Chris Murray	....	special effects
Conrad Rothmann	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Peter West	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ross Erickson	....	key grip
Reg Garside	....	best boy
Jan Kenny	....	focus puller
Robin Morgan	....	grip
Mick Morris	....	gaffer
Peter Moss	....	camera operator
Jeremy Robbins	....	clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vicki Rowland	....	stand-by wardrobe

Editorial Department
Peter McBain	....	dailies projectionist

Other crew
Lynn Barker	....	production accountant
Jennifer Barty	....	production secretary
Bill Gooley	....	lab liaison
Russell Hagg	....	script editor
Caroline Stanton	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Ace Productions
• Australian Film Commission, The
• Caidin Film Co.
• Farlight Investments
• Western Australian Films

Distributors

• Hemdale Film Distribution (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• New Image (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• IFM World Releasing (1994) (worldwide) (all media)
• marketing-film (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Synapse Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• CEL Home Video
• Greater Union Organisation (GUO)
• Lorimar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (video)
• Video Classics

Also Known As:

"Dark Forces" -
"The Minister's Magician" -
"Arlekin" - Poland
"Arlekin: Magos i dolofonos" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Arlequín" - Argentina
"Arlequim" - Brazil
"Harlekiini" - Finland
"Harlekin" - West Germany
"Harlequin" - France
"O Curandeiro" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"O anthropos pou skorpouse ton paniko" - Greece (reissue title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Norway:16 | UK:15 (re-rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:PG | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Company:

Ace Productions

Trivia:

British actor Robert Powell was imported to Australia to headline this movie. Other imports include American actor Broderick Crawford and David Hemmings, also from England. Gus Mercurio, who appears in the film, is an American-born Australian.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

Strange but wholly bewitching down under take on the Rasputin story

I gotta give a big thumbs up to Rasputin. I mainly watched it because Everett De Roche did the screenplay and hes a reliable genre scribe who puts a good deal of thought and attention to characters into his work, which has included such fine outings as Lomg Weekend, Fortress, Razorback and Storm Warning. Generally I'm not such a big fan of the more fantasy oriented ambiguous genre movies, preferring a more straight ahead approach, although this may be because there seem to be a lot more satisfying straight forward schlockers out there than there are films like this. Anyhow, I watched this late on Halloween night, a wee bit soused and it kept my attention throughout like few films have been able too. The plot sees an Australian politician, whose child has leukaemia getting involved with a mysterious faith healer cum magician and general charismatic oddball. Sound familiar. Well the similarity is made clear by the names of the principal characters, which line up with the names of the main players in the Rasputin story. Senator Nick Rast is of course Tsar Nicholas, his son Alex equal Alexeis, though Alexeis in reality was a haemophiliac, wife Sandra stands for Alexandra, and Gregory Wolfe is analogous to Grigori Rasputin. The film steers clear of the more lurid aspects of the Rasputin legend though, in favor of intriguing ambiguity. Wolfe is never quite pinned down as good or evil, and his agenda is up for interpretation, as is his true nature, though the film definitely gives the impression that something out of the ordinary is going on. Behind all the weirdness of the film there seems to be an interesting look into politics. Wolfe is a kind of mirror for the political world in the film, exposing its chicanery as a sort of magic in itself, or at the very least a manipulative and somewhat warping, unnatural force. His opposite number in the film is a political king maker played by veteran Broderick Crawford, a slimy guy who objects to Wolfe having more influence than him. This conflict drives the film through to its conclusion and provides a tense backbone behind the arresting imagery and crazy tricks (with fun old school special effects). Senator Rast portrayed well by David Hemmings as a committed if slightly staid man, and Carmen Duncan is excellent, and attractive as his wife, who is somewhat enchanted by Wolfe. Mark Spain is suitably creepy as the son, but the film is pretty much owned by Robert Powell's portrayal of Wolfe, an immensely charismatic and persuasive, yet subtle and ambiguous performance that really makes us believe that Wolfe is capable of the acts he performs. As well as what goes on in the film he effectively casts a spell over the audience drawing them deep into the film. The only issue that I had with the film is that though it makes interesting comments about the nature of politics, magic and persuasion and has a number of great scenes, with all sorts of odd stuff going down and a genuinely off kilter ambiance at times that contrasts very nicely with the political setting, its lack of definitive answers or concrete villainry means that from a dramatic point of view it is more interesting than truly thrilling and it doesn't quite reach the kind of climax or revelation that would seem to be appropriate. Though its a heady experience, being taken into the weird hinterland where fantasy and reality interweave a bit of good honest catharsis would have been great, and though the ending is pretty darn cool anyway it does not fully satisfy in this respect. Nonetheless, to fans of offbeat oddball cinema I heartily recommend this lesser known gem.