After the Deluge

The international film industry has provided us with many moments of genuine striking emotion, mainly certain memorable scenes in movies, but very rarely does a piece of television come along that can send constant shivers down your spine.

From the very beginning I was drawn completely into this story. While not being an entirely original concept - a family divided by the actions of one member and the feelings of the others, long-hidden secrets, memories of things said in the heat of the moment - what really makes this a brilliant series is the combination of original cinematic techniques and some amazing performances from outstanding Australian actors.

It's fantastic to see Hugo Weaving and David Wenham, not only back on home soil after appearances in big budget blockbusters, but in roles that show the full spectrum of their talent. I found myself not only despising Weaving's character to begin with, but wanting to reach into the tv and hit him for being such a pompous, narrow minded idiot. We also see amazing performances from Samuel Johnson, Rachel Griffiths and Ray Barrett - an actor who has never stopped delivering top notch performances, and delivers another here - I could have believed he really had Alzheimers.

The other fantastic thing about this series is the cross-cutting between the present and the past, and the inclusion of present day characters in scenes set in the past, and vice versa. The editing technique is seamless, and the four stories mesh perfectly into one, creating an awesome display that a cast and crew of this caliber are worthy of.

Please don't judge its quality until you see the original 194 minutes long film maker's edition. The current edition on Region-1 disc, released in 2004, is tragically abbreviated. It is no better than a 103-minutes-long-teaser of "After the Deluge".

As for the original 194 minutes edition of "After the Deluge", it richly delineates the conflict and reconciliation among the family members of the Kirby's through a lot of overwhelming episodes such as traumatic memories of war, memories of a beloved woman, the onset of geriatric Alzheimer's Disease, infertility, grief of sinking into oblivion, breakdown as a family man and a business man, and something like Oedipus complex. These are so skillfully interwoven beyond time and place that all of them are indispensable to lead to the finale that is rather bitter but serene and merciful.

FYI, it was the original edition that won several Australian Film Institute Awards in 2003. Hope that it will be fully released worldwide and immerse us in brilliant flood of emotion with its quality of a universal theme, an elaborate and elegant plot, beautiful music, and wonderful ensembles of performers.

If you only have 8 reviews of this, I'll add a ninth, just to tell the rest of the world that this is a movie to see if you ever get the chance. A psychological drama full of real people, coping with the real world difficulties of life, with the tragedy of their father's Alzheimers juxtaposed with the dramas the three sons are living through. A terrific cast, wall-to-wall quality performances, with Ray Barrett taking the honours as the old man battling the infirmities and indignities of his helplessness, and clinging on to the memories he most treasures. Rachel Griffiths was also at her best in this one. It's so absorbing, the three hours pass all too quickly. Loved it.

I have to state at the outset that I have only seen the shortened DVD version of After the Deluge, so that's all I can comment on.

I've just watched this made for TV mini series for the third time, gaining something new from each screening, and I think it will stand up to many further viewings too, because of the depth of the work. It may have been edited down (perhaps "distilled" would be a kinder way of putting it) from a much longer piece, but believe me it still works extremely well. What a truly excellent piece of creative TV, beautifully written, convincingly acted and genuinely moving. I just wish TV of this caliber were more widely available where I live on the American west coast.

The story revolves around an elderly father and his three adult sons who have all, in their own ways, failed to live up to the expectations of those around them. Cliff, the father, now vanishing into the fog of Alzheimer's, survived trauma and near death in WW2, but after losing the love of his life, he gave up on the promising musical career he should have had and became instead a bitter and bullying dad, arguably betraying the people who sacrificed so that he might live. We see his life in flashback as he retreats mentally into the past, and it's as good a portrayal of Alzheimer's as you are likely to see anywhere soon. Alex, with a high achieving career and two kids he hardly sees, has sleepwalked into the failure of his marriage, Toby doesn't have the children he and his wife so much long for, and Marty can't readjust to the demise of his life as a rock and roll star, and has lapsed into cynical dissolution.

They each have good reason to dislike their father, Marty the most. The story follows their individual struggles with the disappointments of their own lives, while also trying to sort out their relationship with each other and their father. It's not a feel good movie, but the resolutions are real and satisfying.

It's really unfair to pick out any one performance as they are all excellent, without exception, a great cast. But I really enjoyed Hugo Weaving's turn as the old rocker and Rachel Griffiths as the woman he falls for. David Wenham shone as Alex, showing realistic emotions and frustrations as he tries to come to terms with his marriage disintegrating, and Samuel Johnson was wonderful as nice-guy Toby. But for me the greatest pleasure was to see Ray Barrett as old Cliff. Here is an actor I remember from my childhood, playing an oilman in The Troubleshooters and, of course, Tracy Senior in Thunderbirds! How wonderful to see him working still. I wish I could find the full length version of this series.

Addendum: I just revisited this film after some months. That's something I like to do with favorite pieces. My membership of that excellent online DVD rental service is almost equally divided between watching stuff I missed on cinema release, and revisiting old friends. This time around it was even more compelling, and I picked up nuamces I missed before. Hugo Weaving continues to impress me with his range since I watched V for Vendetta. And each time I watch it, David Wenham's performance here looks better and better. It's very subtle. I think he is really at his best portraying ordinary blokes coping with unexpected circumstances. Nothing flashy or over the top. Just real.

Wow!!! Cannot believe I have not seen this show yet. Is it the actors, director, producer or what that makes this series the best I have ever seen? I watched it now (2011) and thought it was made in 2010, it is so timeless. David Wenham is perhaps my favorite Australian actor actually more like my most fav actor of all time. As usual he is splendid in this as well. To get all the other cast members to be just as brilliant must be a combination of direction and what else? Flawless in every way. Aussies are unique and the best filmmakers ever when given half a chance. We really leave the yanks for dead regarding realism in a story. What a real portrayal of dementia. So sad. Enough said.