Puberty Blues - Scharf aufs erste Mal

This is an early effort from acclaimed Aussie director Bruce Beresford. It was made during the period of the "Australian New Wave" of the 70's and early 80's when there was a proliferation of both of government-sponsored artistic fare and more commercially-minded genre fare emerging from Down Under. The story concerns two teenage girls who decide to join the popular clique at school, even though that mostly seems to mean lying around sunbathing with their most beautiful but most vapid female peers or having embarrassing sex with dimwitted male surfers in the back of a boogie van at the drive-in while all their friends sit in the front.

This is a well-made and fairly realistic film, but it suffers from the same problems as a lot of the teen-oriented movies made in other countries. First off, both the female and male characters look at least five years too old to be teenagers and they are all unusually attractive. One of the female leads kind of approaches ordinary-looking, but the other one, and about every other actor in the cast (even the supposed "nerds") is extraordinarily good-looking. Frankly, it would be easier to sympathize with these virginal girls being taken advantage of by muscle-headed male surfers if they didn't all look like Nichole Kidman (who isn't in this, but would have blended right in). Beresford's camera also spends so much time lingering on barely clad, nubile bodies that I sometimes felt like I was watching a David Hamilton film. Not that there's anything wrong with that necessarily, but it does kind of detract from the seriousness of the film a little bit.

On the plus side, this is an interesting portrait of the late 70's Australian teen surf culture, and it is certainly well-crafted as a film. There was a reason Beresford would go onto to international fame with films like "Breaker Morant". This is somewhat flawed, but an interesting film nevertheless.

The sexual revolution arrived late down under, yet for some Cronulla schoolies they're trying to keep it going. The title warns you it's a Blues, no sappy love song nor rock n' roll, so don't expect a Hollywood heartwarming story. This is a tale of pure Aussie adolescence- no holds barred- the bare, naked truth in all it's awkward, hilarious and depressing form!

Yes, Bruce Bereford's 1981 drama does explore the "blues" of schoolgirl Australians at a Sydney school. Except they must have gone through puberty at least four or five years earlier.

This colourful beach'n'surf high school drama follows a group of late- teen girls who are itching to infiltrate the world of surfer dudes who are their male idols. Much in the same almost clichéd way that U.S. football players are the supposed target for cheerleaders, this disparate bunch just want to lose their virginity and be accepted as young adults.

Neighbours and Home & Away (not that I really watched those soaps) it is not. Back thirty years ago, the natural dialogue must have seemed fresh and both invigorating or shocking, depending on your age and such. I can imagine the home teen audience then (here 15 certificate) flocking to see it. However, this isn't a competitor for those knowing, amoral and sassy American 'youth' dramas, from the likes of John Hughes.

Firstly, the characters are all a bit colourless, with no-one standing out as having any charisma to speak of. The awkward fumblings of half- hidden sex scenes arrive within twenty or so minutes, all totally unromantic and un-erotic. Secondly, we've all seen (& most probably tried) the usual experimenting with cigarettes, alcohol and soft drugs, with headmasters going off on one, and so these scenes are just regurgitating the same old stuff.

Finally, the film looks and feels dated. It won't capture the imagination of today's late teenage audience and holds no trump cards for us older ones to latch onto. There's precious little actual surfing, so it's not for them, either. There are some nice scenes at the start with beautiful bodies on golden sands getting as many inches of their bodies exposed to the sun as legally possible, but you can (sort of) get that in a holiday brochure.

There are some attempts at comedy, such as a fight on the beach, with dubbed-on karate chop noises but just aren't funny, at least now. It does end on an upbeat note though, which is actually quite welcome. One of the (few) highlights, for me, at least, were a couple of female-sung cover versions of Split Enz songs, one of my favourite bands and in the early 80's were popular over here as well as their native New Zealand. Pleasantly odd when two of your favourite songs start playing and they fit perfectly, lyrically - and mood-wise - into the narrative.

I watched it as part of the 12 disc box set 'Australian Cinema Collection'.

On the surface, this film can be seen for what it is, a stark realization of teen angst in Cronulla, at the start of the eighties. Inseparable friends, Debbie and Sue, want to travel with the cool gang, but first must endure the humiliation and sucking up to get there. Granted, these scenarios were very real in that very real time. PB is a very realistic movie, with lot a laughable moments, because they're relatable. It also has one tragic moment too. PB is very entertaining, I must says and deals with real teen issues. But to be honest, I couldn't stand the guys of this popular group, more a bunch of rude surfie pigs, which to be part of em', guy or girl, wouldn't be worth the trouble. After all, I have my pride. In fact, they got more annoying, as the movie went on. The message sent here, is "be you for you are, and don't conform to fit in with others, while letting your real values or talents suffer". When the two girls finally excel in their tries of surfing, it's a morning of victory, despite some of the negative reactions from those pigs. Great opening wide shot of Cronulla beach, crawling with beachgoers, plus I like Bruce's meeting with Debbie's olds. Almost priceless, as also the interior walls of his panel van, filled with lewd pictures. Also, watch how quick it takes for a whole cake to go off, when devoured by those thankless pigs. Very real performances that are in no way great, but convincing, the older veteran stars better. Much alike, FJ Holden you could say, that should of also spawned a t.v. show, but this movie is too basic, and simplistic, especially if viewing it, in today's times, with not the most original dialogue.

Unintentionally hilarious? Well sometimes yes, but it's also a film that deserves to be more than just "forgotten" Why? because it depicts, in a fairly accurate manner, a slice of Australian culture from the 1970's. Based on the book of the same name by Kathy Lette & Gabrielle Carey, it's the story of two teenage girls growing up near the beachside suburb of Cronulla. Watching the film today, you wish that the characters weren't so one-dimensional, and that a more balanced view of society wasn't shown, but this is the girls' story & it's told from their perspective. Anyone who lived near a beach or even just went to school in Australia around that time can surely recognise some of the scenes depicted. Other people may be merely baffled however, as films with a strong cultural relevance sometimes have little or no meaning to outsiders. Good or bad though, this is not an Australian film to simply dismissed.