A City's Child

It's a pity 'A City's Child' has slipped into obscurity as it's notable not only as one of the very first films of the 1970s Australian film industry renaissance but on its own terms is quite a beguiling work.

It's a story deliberately lacking in detail - we never know any of the names of the characters in the film - and relies on the viewer to observe the central character to make their own interpretations. What is fantasy and what is reality? The revelation at the end makes this question even more complex.

The central character is a middle-aged woman (Monica Maughan) who lives with her mother and has clearly been treated horribly by her all her life. When the mother dies of a heart attack (all before the opening credits!) the film's central focus is how will this repressed woman who has been belittled and humiliated all her life handle the real world now that she has some relative freedom? Not surprisingly, it turns out to be quite a struggle.

The film isn't for all tastes as very little happens narratively and even at its short running time the film feels over-stretched, especially on its tiny budget.

But it's a surprisingly compelling study of a repressed middle-aged person dealing with her own wants and desires for the first time. The film is helped by Maughan's performance in the central role, one of the earliest in her distinguished and lengthy career.

Worth seeking out.

This film was made at the very beginning of the 1970s Australian film revival and has some interest as a character study of a lonely disturbed woman who appears to live in a fantasy world. Though quite well made, and with a good performance by Monica Maughan, the film looks like an extended short film and is slow without much action. The film is typical of many arthouse films of the era, relying on a dreamlike atmosphere to suggest emotions and changes.