Snowtown

Horrorphile

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Snowtown

May 16th 2011 00:03

It was inevitable that a movie would be made about the heinous South Australian murder case commonly known as “the bodies in the barrels”. It is the worst known serial killing in Australia’s history and unusual in that it involved several killers working together, like a pack of wolves with an alpha male. John Bunting was the alpha male, a charismatic psychopath. Under his wing was young Jamie Vlassakis, a lost soul in need of a father figure. Snowtown (2011) is a slow burn nightmare that focuses on their relationship: a manipulative monster and the innocent victim who became hopelessly trapped in complicity.

Inspired by the books Killing for Pleasure by Debi Marshall and The Snowtown Murders by Andrew McGarry, Snowtown details how a close-knit group of Adelaide suburbanites become a nest for the evil agenda of John Bunting and his accomplices, hell-bent on cleansing the neighbourhood of paedophiles and those that he deemed degenerates, which included homosexuals. The screenplay is by Shaun Grant, the movie is directed Justin Kurzel, the cast is made up mostly of complete unknowns; the end result is a powerful and disturbing drama that resonates with the frightening reverberations of a vivid nightmare; where everything appears strangely normal, yet there is something so very, very wrong; an atmosphere of dread and foreboding that culminates in horrendous violence.

Lucas Pittaway as Jamie

But Snowtown hasn’t been written or directed as a traditional horror movie. It certainly can’t be compared to Wolf Creek (2005), which is loosely based on the Ivan Milat serial killings, which operates like a terrifying stalk’n’slash flick. Snowtown isn’t as concerned with the killings, in fact only one of the twelve murders committed by John Bunting is shown on screen. But keep in mind that one death scene is one of the most horrific and upsetting I’ve seen in a while; it’s drawn out to emphasize the appalling level of cruelty and sadism Bunting went to with many of his victims. This one murder is enough to ricochet in a devastating manner through the entire movie and beyond.

Daniel Henshall as John

Snowtown is a portrait of extreme social dysfunction, of obsessive bigotry and hatred, of suburban decay, of manipulation, the power of corruption, and the vulnerability of damaged souls. The movie is both darkly fascinating, yet overwhelmingly tragic; that this human monster could get away with such terrible crimes for so long without being exposed and stopped is a crime in itself. The movie doesn’t dwell on why the investigating police took so long to cotton on, although one must take into account that there was a disturbing slyness in Bunting’s victim selection, choosing those who wouldn’t be missed so quickly and easily. But there is also the abject fear and desperation Bunting instilled in those around him. He kept his friends close, but his enemies closer.

Snowtown Louise Harris and Lucas Pittaway

Louise Harris as Elizabeth

Much of Snowtown’s disquieting power is derived from the performances; uniformly excellent, but especially Daniel Henshall as John Bunting, Louise Harris as Elizabeth Harvey, John’s lover and mother of Jamie, played by Lucas Pittaway. All three actors make their big screen debut, with Harris and Piitaway having never acted before. Nods also to Richard Green as transvestite Barry Lane, and to Aaron Viergever as Robert Wagner, Bunting’s main accomplice. Two other elements add immensely to the movie’s dramatic weight; Adam Arkapaw’s cinematography, capturing the landscape and streets and infusing them with a sense of melancholy, and Jed Kurzel’s superb minimalist score, especially the brilliant percussive piece that opens the movie (Jed is the director’s brother and is also the singer/songwriter of acclaimed duo The Mess Hall).

Snowtown Daniel Henshall, Lucas Pittaway

John charms Jamie and his two younger brothers Nicholas (Matthew Howard) and Alex (Marcus Howard)

I’ve read Killing for Pleasure so I was familiar with events. Shaun Grant’s screenplay is an intelligent and thought-provoking study on the ways the environment plays so heavily on those of a fragile disposition, the way people can be influenced into doing evil things when, in such ghastly irony, they are searching for acceptance and love. Those looking for the exploitative elements of the traditional horror movie will, for the most part, be disappointed with Snowtown. Those interested in the psychology of manipulation, the machinations of relationship abuse, and an observation on the Hellish evil that can operate and lie undetected so close to normality will find Snowtown riveting viewing.

Imagine the poetic banality of early Wim Wenders combined with the horror-beneath-the-surface of David Lynch and you’ll appreciate Snowtown’s dark design. It’s not everyone’s cup of bitter tea, but it’s definitely one of the year’s best movies.

NB: The title refers to the small township located 145kms north of Adelaide where the remains of eight of Bunting’s victims where discovered in large sealed barrels inside a disused bank vault, however most of the events portrayed in the movie take place in a suburb just north of Adelaide called Salisbury North. The killings took place between 1992 and 1999. John Bunting is serving eleven consecutive life sentences with no parole. Robert Wagner is serving ten consecutive life sentences with no parole. Mark Haydon (referred to as the passive manservant who assisted in disposing of the bodies) is serving 25 years, with the chance of parole. Jamie Vlassakis aided police in their enquiries providing detailed accounts of some of the killings that were used in evidence against his co-accused. He is serving four consecutive life sentences, with the chance of parole. In return for his cooperation a suppression order was granted restricting any image or description of his appearance to provide him with protection within the prison system.

Here’s the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

3 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Matt Shea

May 17th 2011 01:41

Great write-up Bryn, but I'm not totally on board with this. I appreciated the artistry that went into making the film, but I didn't really care about anybody onscreen, so it ultimately left me pretty cold. Some people did walk out of the screening I was at, though, and that's always fun.

Comment by Bryn

May 17th 2011 05:08

Horrorphile

Really Matt? But in reality, that's part of the truth of the story, none of the characters are essentially "likeable" as they're either vile human beings, degenerates, grotesque losers, or damaged lost souls. I certainly cared about, or at least was interested in what was going to happen to the main characters, even though I knew what was going to happen to them, and I put that down to the way the movie was directed and acted. I didn't essentially like any of the characters in Animal Kingdom, but boy, did I care what happened to them. I was fascinated, just as I was with Snowtown.

Comment by David O'Connell

May 17th 2011 05:21

20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic

Right on the money here Bryn. Incredibly well directed film - an amazing achievement for a first-time filmmaker really. This is far superior to Animal Kingdom in many ways for me - interesting how they were both shot by Arkapaw too. I've seen it twice already and admired it even more the second time around. Both main actors are stunning, Henshall especially.

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