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 | Political | Healer | Psychic | Female Nudity

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

Also Known As:

Dark Forces
The Minister's Magician

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:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:PG | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Company:

Ace Productions

Trivia:

The basic core of the film reworks two events from history. The central idea - charismatic mystic Gregory Wolf miraculously cures politician Nick and Sandra Rast's ill son Alex - mirrors the events in St Petersburg during the early part of the 20th century: Charismatic mystic Grigori Rasputin miraculously cured Tsar (an anagram of which is Rast) Nicholas II and Alexandra's ill son Alexei. Wolf's demise also echoes Rasputin's in 1916. Meanwhile the subplot of deputy governor Steele being lost at sea after seemingly drowning reflected the December 1967 incident where Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared whilst swimming and was subsequently presumed dead.

Movie Connections:

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

Well-made, unnerving thriller

I'll admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for these weird supernatural-type stories (ie PATRICK, THE FURY, THE FURY WITHIN, 13 GANTRY ROW, THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE, BEDEVIL), and I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It's a relatively unassuming Australian film, released when this country's film industry was certainly NOT at its strongest (if you had a choice between a cheap Aussie thriller or, say, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, which would you choose?), it's a story of parallels. It opens up with what could be a reference to the drowning death of former PM Harold Holt, before embarking on a well-written updating of the legend of Rasputin and his extraordinary control over the last of the Russian Czars (no, there's no Anastasia here, kids). It has a particularly awful first half-hour, so try to stay with it through there. Rating: 6/10.