Bliss (1985)

After a near-death experience, a man wonders if he actually did die and is now in Hell.

Director:

Ray Lawrence

Writers:

Ray Lawrence (screenplay), Peter Carey (screenplay)

Stars:

Barry Otto, Lynette Curran, Helen Jones

4 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barry Otto	...	Harry / Husband
Lynette Curran	...	Bettina / Wife
Helen Jones	...	Honey Barbara / Prostitute
Miles Buchanan	...	David / Son
Gia Carides	...	Lucy / Daughter
Tim Robertson	...	Alex Duval
Jeff Truman	...	Joel
Bryan Marshall	...	Adrian Clunes
Jon Ewing	...	Aldo
Kerry Walker	...	Alice Dalton
Paul Chubb	...	Reverend Des
Sarah De Teliga	...	Harry's Mother (as Sara De Teliga)
Saskia Post	...	Harry's Daughter (as Saski Post)
George Whaley	...	Vance
Robert Menzies	...	Damien

Storyline

Harry suffers a heart attack and has a near-death experience that changes his outlook on life. His miraculous return convinces him that there is a heaven but that his life on Earth is hell. His wife Bettina has her worst fears realized when she develops brain cancer from gasoline fumes. His son David deals cocaine and receives sexual favors from his drug-addicted sister Lucy. Harry finds love with a kind-hearted prostitute "Honey Barbara" who kills a top oil-company executive, and then herself, with Molotov cocktails. Shocking scenes include cockroaches bursting from Harry's stitches after his open-heart surgery, and fish dropping from in between a woman's legs onto a restaurant floor. This bizarre and often slow-moving film lampoons the luridness of the human condition.

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Plot Keywords:

brother sister incest | bare breasts | simulated blowjob | australian fantasy | directorial debut | 

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Taglines:

After Harry Joy dropped dead... his life was never the same again.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

It is the most controversial Australian film of 1985. Unedited, 400 people walked out of the cinemas due to the sexual content. Edited, the filmed turned out to be one of the true Australian sleeper hits of all time, achieving critical acclaim, grossing A$1,144,863 in Australia and $660,537 in the U.S., and becoming the best Australian picture of 1985.

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Alternate Versions

There is a Director's Cut version running 135 minutes. The main addition is a lengthy monologue to camera by the protagonist in a police station.

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Connections

Featured in Century of Cinema: 40,000 years of dreaming (1997)

User Reviews

Give this one a chance.

Ray Lawrence, the director of "Bliss," and Paul Murphy, its cinematographer, were both first-time feature filmmakers when they made "Bliss." I believe the movie swept the Australian "Oscars" in '85, and in my humble opinion, deservedly so.

The tone is somewhat dark, the genre surrealist comedy, the performances deliciously eccentric, and the storytelling masterful. "Bliss" reminds me more of some of my favorite novels than it does any other films. Peter Carey's novel and adaptation have some of the feeling of John Irving's earlier works, but it's not derivative. The cinematography is gorgeous and understated. It has a surprisingly romantic core beneath a fairly jaded surface, which I think is a tough combination to pull off.

It isn't appropriate for kids (it has sophisticated, adult themes and, at moments, a very frank approach to sex) and it has an unexpectedly epic, languorous feel toward the end (so don't watch it when you're sleepy), but if you're serious about appreciating movies, you owe it to yourself to give this one a chance. Enjoy!

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blogosc

Filming Locations:

Iron Cove Bridge, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD3,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Window III Productions, New South Wales Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min 130 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1