Petersen

This was one of the minor films of the 70s film revival, but it did quite at the box office, due possibly to its excellent cast, or to the screenplay by top playwright David Williamson, or to the success of Burstall's previous hit films, Stork and Alvin Purple.

Despite all of these factors, the film is a bit of a mess, part sex-romp (a la Alvin Purple) and part social commentary (a la Don's Party). While it is a chance to see Jack Thompson, Jacki Weaver and Wendy Hughes naked and taking advantage of the sexual revolution, the sex-romp parts of the film tend to undercut the film's critique of classism and snobbery in Australia.

Nevertheless, it's amiable enough and interesting as a snapshot of mid-70s Melbourne.

They sure don't make films like this anymore! A good character drama, very realistic in situation and language and setting, the types that was popular in the late 60's and the 70's , but they stopped making them. When was the last time you saw a movie about one character, and his "everyday life" adventures for 100 minutes? Not in a long time!A good and well acted, very frank and very watchable character study/drama of a former sports hero who cheats on his wife, has a repair business, and is spending his money going to the University to "be something", while getting in messes that he somehow gets out of.

At the time, the film was considered a breakthrough for it had a lot of nudity, and characters speaking and doing things considered "uninhabited" in films back then, especially in Australian cinema. Times has changed, but still a very enjoyable and watchable film. Great performances by Jack Thompson as Jock, and Wendy Hughes as a Professor's wife whom he has a affair with, and rather shocking to see Thompson running around completely naked!! His character may be loud, and sometime stupid, but you cant help but like him, and wish the best for him. And kudos to Arthur Digham as a rather slimy Professor, who is married to Hughes. In fact you realize many characters around Jock might be more successful, but you can't take away the man's character and happiness. Good 70's drama!

Petersen, was one of those more cheeky, dirty pics, that made the 70's grouse. You just have to check out the start where we see Thommo and Jackie Weaver, and I mean all of Jackie Weaver doing it. Thompson's performance is naturalistic as hell, as if we were really watching a reality character. Tony Petersen, an ex footballer, with a memorable rep, now an electrician (he gets around) is one of those guys who loves getting plastered, loving life, spending time with wife and kids, while up to his neck in you know, all the other time on campus grounds. Petersen's a budding teacher, where at his university training ground, his grades are not that hot. If he's not demonstrating with another nude lovely under some tarpaulin, not for the sake of demonstrating, while wearing a Groucho Marx mask, which is sidesplittingly priceless, (how they never got found out, when the photo hit The Times, was beyond me) he's doing the late great Hughes, another hottie, an English professor, in her office. In between, he balances his study sessions, his scrawny bucktooth mate, Heinze, a classic, tries to bargain some dope to him, while a class is in progress, run by Hughes's husband's (Arthur Dignam) class. Dignam is an ordinary dull guy, who knows of his wife's infidelity. He's not an idiot. Incidentally he's doing the star pupil. When they cross paths later on a beach retreat, it makes for some what interesting confrontation. Petersen doesn't hold anything back as far as nudity goes. It's very liberated in that respect. From the dialogue being exchanged it doesn't sound David Williamson'ish, (not up to his usual standard) but I fell in love with this movie, just finding it all out entertaining, and funny too, watching it four times, with it's first VHS rental. Some scenes are unwarranted, but are great. But really this isn't plot driven. One particular scene, apart from another one involving a fracas with a jealous drunken mate, is one where these bikies, crash a 21 s't birthday party, of a student, chains and all, where Thompson gets bloody with 'em, surprising us again. He's not the brightest guy on the block, Weaver, ditzy and sexy, with lower iq than Thompson. Of course you surpass it's last twenty minutes. It's gold, where exam failure (remember, he's not the brightest guy on the block, the ditzy and sexy Weaver of lower iq.) causes rage, rape, drunkenness, and a police beating. Thompson's drunken display, and he plays drunk brilliantly, in a beer garden, where cops eventually show up, is so reality, and that's what this movie is. And when accepting failure, and that painful "Don't quit your day job" reality, for Tony's Petersen's sex appeal, it can still have it's perks. Good raw ozzie pic, with many a laughs in even flow. A oldie, hard to find, goodie.

I certainly support wholeheartedly the sentiments expressed in other comments. They almost "say it all". Only a few additional comments.

The film seems a little uncertain of itself. Is it a drama? A comedy? A statement of University life in the 70s? A vehicle for some soft-core porn? It certainly is all of those, but which is the foreground and which is the background?

The funniest part of this movie would have to be where Petersen, heavily disguised as who-only-knows, prepares to have sex in public on the grounds of Melbourne University. It's good to see that this part of the movie, at least, doesn't take itself seriously.

Overall, a very good view of some aspects of mid-70s life. Quite good acting by famous Australian actors/actresses, before they became really famous.