The Everlasting Secret Family

A truly disturbing film that not only deals as its principal subject matter the sexual abuse of a youth who is inducted into an all pervasive "secret society" with very powerful members, but also because it confirms the sadly often held view of some sections of society that believe that this is how all homosexuals operate. That said, the sexual hypocrisy of Australian society of the sixties and seventies is tantalizingly portrayed.

The movie is set in an almost bucolic environment which is quite fitting when one considers that Canberra, the national capital of Australia is plonked right in the middle of nowhere. Later in the movie the scene shifts to Sydney, and surprisingly the harbour is not featured so much as the claustrophobic sandstone architecture of some indoor shots.

Designers should note the accurate representation of 70's chic of the youth's apartment.

The performance of Arthur Dignam in particular is spectacular, as is the muted and understated performance of the superb John Meillon in one of his final roles. Watch for Mark Lee trying not to cringe at one point when the "son" (Paul Goddard) says that he wants to visit the place where the first world war battle took place (Gallipoli) - Mark Lee having starred in the movie of the same name some years earlier.

The soundtrack is haunting for two reasons: Tony Bremner's themes orchestrated beautifully only to be let down by the unbearably out of tune male choir. This is such a pity because the score is truly wonderful.

I was delighted to have a copy of VHS: now it's even better on DVD, although the "extras" are virtually non existent.

Can this be recommended? It certainly reminds me of my teen years growing up in Australia when homosexuality was still a criminal offence and the only way to know one another was through underground contacts. I do wonder however, what people overseas will be able to make of this movie.

The Everlasting Secret Family is a fascinating Australian film that depicts a secret homosexual society that has infiltrated in a silent, subtle way the very upper strata of Australian politics and upper class life. It is a wicked, sexy tale and I won't go into any details of the plot lest I ruin the clever surprises that make this movie very entertaining.

Suffice it to say, the acting is quite good, the direction fluent, and you'll enjoy the quirky twists in the plot. In a way, it's refreshing to see a movie where a gay underground puts the screws to a listlessly banal straight society.

Unfortunately, the film is no longer available on video. Try to find a used copy. It will be worth the effort.

The casting is OK. The story is just OK. The camera work in OK. The best part of the movie for me was how they aged the one young actor over a twenty or so year span of time for the story being told. He did look very young and middle aged. If a person has had a sheltered or Norman Rockwell picture book life, some of this will be a bit shocking. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the pushing the envelope. This cast could have handled a bit more of the walk on the dark side. It really was not any more daring in the action scenes than most movies of today which have boy/girl love scenes. Please lose the awful music.

Affluent Australian senator & government minister (Arthur Dignam) spies an athletic teenager (Mark Lee) at an private school's track & field event. A chauffeured limousine is sent to the school in the days later to bring the teen to a hotel to have sex with the senator. This becomes a regular occurrence even though the public reputation of the senator would be destroyed were the arrangement to become public.

As he becomes the senator's rent boy and enjoys certain extravagant privileges the youth is also expected to provide sexual favours to men whom the senator designates (timeshare?). The boy, who is never named, develops a haughty attitude even (or especially) as he is passed around by wealthy and powerful perverted old men. Concurrent to that is his membership in the secret society of which the senator is a member of high rank.

The boy's place in the secret society appears, at first, to have a low ceiling. He fears he can hope to go only as high as a rent boy. Inevitably as he reaches adulthood and ages his currency will diminish after which he is told he may look forward to life as a chauffeur or some other form of blue collar servant. He seeks out a more beneficial arrangement with surprising results.

Several mortifying political scandals (Profumo Scandal, Franklin Cover-Up) over the centuries have given examples which may have provided inspiration for what is shown in this film. But this really is a highly speculative account of imagined happenings in imagined secret societies which supposedly determine the major decisions that effect the lives of common everyday folk.

The secret society myth is part of our modern folklore i.e. urban legends.

...but well crafted. A secret society, a young man looking for succes, a cold thrill defining many scenes. A decent story and a not very comfortable show. Sure, familiar things- the conspiracy theory as source- , brutal moments, images of terrible cruelty. And , maybe, a moral lesson.