Thunderstruck
Report by Michael Bowring (30228504)
Film Information
Full Cast and Crew for Thunderstruck (2004) provided by Imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316763/fullcredits
Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Darren Ashton
Shaun Angus Hall
Cast (in credits order)
Damon Gameau .... Sonny
Stephen Curry .... Ben
Ryan Johnson .... Lloyd
Callan Mulvey .... Sam
Sam Worthington .... Ronnie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Billing .... Tiny
Saskia Burmeister .... Chloe
John Doyle .... Service Station Owner
Judi Farr
Jason Gann .... Robbo
Rachel Gordon .... Molly
George Kapiniaris .... Mr. Koytis
Kestie Morassi .... Amy
Naomi Robson .... Today Tonight Host
Kevin Bloody Wilson .... Himself (deleted scene)
Produced by
Al Clark .... Executive Producer
Andrena Finlay .... Executive Producer
Barbara Gibbs .... Line Producer
Jodi Matterson .... Producer
Original Music by David Thrussell
Cinematography by Geoffrey Hall
Film Editing by Martin Connor
Casting by Nick Hamon
Production Design by Karen Harborow
Costume Design by Ariane Weiss
Makeup Department
K.T. Crocker .... Makeup Department Head
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matt Enfield .... First Assistant Director
Scott Lovelock .... Second Assistant Director
Sound Department
Christian Bass .... Sound Editor
Timothy Jordan .... Crowds Editor
Sonal Joshi .... Dialogue Editor
Leah Katz .... Dialogue Editor
Wayne Pashley .... Sound Supervisor
Fabian Sanjurjo .... ADR Editor
Fabian Sanjurjo .... Dialogue Editor
Peter D. Smith .... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Peter Townend .... Sound Supervisor
Visual Effects by
David Booth .... Visual Effects Supervisor
Nick Booth .... Scanning and Recording Supervisor: Weta Digital
Ziggy Ferstl .... Digital Film Colorist
Mick Harkin .... Digital Compositor
Nick Monton .... Digital Intermediate Supervisor
Other crew
Tony Ayres .... Story Editor
Julie-Anne De Ruvo .... First Assistant Editor
Nick Matthews .... Assistant Camera: Additional
Jane Moustakas .... Video Assistant Attachment
Kevin Scott .... Focus Puller
Trent Skipper .... Video Assistant Attachment
Marc Spicer .... Camera Operator
Nigel Tomkinson .... Second Assistant Camera: "a" camera
Filming Locations:
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Technical Specifcations:
Film negative format (mm/video inches)
35 mm
Printed film format
35 mm
Aspect ratio
2.35 : 1
Security Censorship Classification:
M 15+ (Medium level coarse language, drug references, sexual references)
Surveillance Time:
96 minutes (1:36 hours)
Production Companies:
Eddie Wong Films
Wildheart Films
Awards:
Nominated for a AFI (Australian Film Institute) Award in 2004 for Best Original Music Score (David Thrussell, François Tetaz) and Best Sound
(Peter D. Smith, Peter Townend, Wayne Pashley).
Nominated for a Cinematic Intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Award in 2004 for Best Australian or New Zealand film
Thunderstruck got released on the 20th May 2004 by Icon, and garnered a Box Office gross of $0.9 million.
Infortmation provided by the Australian Film Commission:
http://www.afc.gov.au/newsandevents/mediarelease/2005/release_350.aspx
The web presence of this movie is extremely limited, due in part I believe to the movies obscure nature as an Australian film, as well as the films namesake ‘Thunderstruck’
overwhelming any search towards its direction.
The Official Site:
http://iconmovies.com.au/thunderstruck/#
List of Interviews:
A 3 page ‘making of’ article, provided by Blabbermouth.net:
http://www.acdcpower.net/news/acdc/images/thunder1.gif
http://www.acdcpower.net/news/acdc/images/thunder2.gif
http://www.acdcpower.net/news/acdc/images/thunder3.gif
AC/DC - Thunderstruck the Movie Fansite
http://www.crabsodyinblue.com/acdcthunderstruckthemovie.htm
List of Reviews:
FasterLouder.com.au
http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/578/
The Movie Show
http://www.sbs.com.au/movieshow/index.php3?action=review&id=1344
Moviehole.net
http://www.moviehole.net/reviews/1167.html
SAFC - Thunderstruck
http://www.safilm.com.au/showcase_detail.aspx?p=23&id=177
Cinematic Intelligence Agency
http://thecia.com.au/reviews/t/thunderstruck.shtml
Critical Review
Synopsis –
The story follows a group of friends, all former boggans, who come together to after twelve years
to cross the country to fulfill a promise to a old friend, now passed away, by depositing his ashes
in a Fremantle cemetery.
The promise was made over the poster of Bono after attending a concert by the band AC/DC, hence
heralding the films name ‘Thunderstruck’.
Analysis –
Thunderstruck, directed by Darren Ashton and released in 2004, is a light-hearted movie, mixing the
road movie heavily with the comedy genre. It enters an Australian audience environment that though
not as enraptured by AC/DC as it once was, is still familiar with the band and the music of their songs.
The movie takes advantage of the AC/DC fervor the nation once possessed though by basing the
beginning of the movies in the 80’s, complete with 80’s bogan fashion, most distinctly use of the
unwashed long hair look.
While arguably a cheap move, the comedy involved in seeing that past age is enough to guarantee a
laugh in itself, and clearly establishes from the beginning its comedy inclination.
Let us not however be confused, Thunderstruck is a road movie at its, following the quest structure,
and thereby follows the basic tenets of the road movie.
The six tenets of a road movie are as follows:
1. The quest structure of the narrative with ‘freedom’ as the destination.
2. The end point of the flight to freedom is death.
3. The outlaw status of the protagonists.
4. Formal resemblances to the buddy movie and western.
5. The vehicle as an extension of self, an icon of freedom.
6. ‘Roadscape’ mise-en-scence as wilderness.
The first tenet is the road movie clearly embodies the quest structure. The quest structure involves there
being an over-riding goal that always pushes the story forward, be it of geographical goal or a spiritual
completion.
Typically the main character is in an environment that is in some way stifling, lacking in with physical
wealth or emotional contentment. An event, or usually a person, will come along to inspire the character
to undertake the quest, which upon its completion will ultimately yield satisfaction in these areas.
With the second tenant states “The end point of the flight to freedom is death,” the end point in this film is
that of freedom from their promise and of revitalization of their spirits, having a new goal or aspect in their
lives where previously they were lost in the mediocrity of their existence.
While the no one dies at the end of this quest to freedom, the fact the geneses of the story is a death
probably fulfills the tenet.
Due to the protagonists going against the wishes of the family of the their descended friend they become an
exile from that community, and by stealing the ashes become an outlaw from the laws of society as well. At
the climax of this tenant they are even captured and placed in jail, but in a almost Shakespearean turn by the
end of the movie in the police officer who arrested them celebrates in the completion of their promise and quest.
As to the fourth tenet the aspects of the buddy movie are very clear, with friends of somewhat different sorts
of personalities and backgrounds coming together, but the clashing of personalities pushing things along. This
in turn becomes an aspect of the spiritual journey; as they come together to both accept themselves and each
other more completely from going through the journey.
The vehicle is a central part of the road movie. It is the vessel that allows the protagonists to achieve the
completion of their quest, usually acquired only after the quest has been gained.
The vehicle is seen as an icon of freedom because it allows travel beyond the current boundaries, an escape
from the present into the possible, from the mundane into the adventurous
Also, in road movies the vehicle of the protagonists is unique to its time. In this case so the main vehicle is
clearly a vintage van, beloved and nurtured by the father, a counterpoint to any new stylish vehicle they could
have gotten.
Another tenet of the road movie is the ‘roadscape’. The roadscape is the mise-en-scence of the road movie
that deals primarily with environment that the main characters pass through.
This roadscape is usually a wilderness, barren and often desert like, a land devoid of the markings of civilisations.
And that’s the key, devoid of civilisation. The character passes from the familiar through the unknown, and in this
place the stillness inherent such images installs a sense of introspection in the characters, allowing for development
of character.
The events that take place within the roadscape are things that besiege them along the way, as opposed to them
starting it. For example, the car breaking down from a lack of water in desert, random bogans snatching the
ashes from them.
Though the road movie has only comparatively recently it is already become accepted and established as a mainstream
genre, its style and components are easily recognized and discussed by a contemporary audience. Its existence in Australian
cinema will undoubtedly continue and grow, as it is a commonly accepted genre and easier to produce then other possible
genres.
And that I believe is the target audience, the ‘typical’ Australian, appealing to a part of Australian culture that still
identifies AC/DC as a part of itself, and should be embraced if indeed you feel you are a part of that culture.
Whilst people still yearn for discovery, and spiritual awareness with the road being seen as the way to escape
the now, the road movie genre will continue and be accepted as a legitimate genre that is craved by the public.
Cinematography speaking the film was not exceptional in any way. We had the quota amount of close ups on
the friends as they played in the band the few times they did play, the quota amount of wide crane shots as they
traveled through the wilderness, and the colouring and lighting were also standard in their normalness.
In that though I think we see the point, the constraints of a budget aside, the filmmakers were not aiming to make
anything cinematically astounding, a gritty film noir love story or a World War II film, they were after a contemporary
tale of a group of friends going on in an adventure, a comical adventure no less were dark or extreme lighting simply
would not fit in with the style of the genre.
Another point that I hinted at earlier is the budget constraints of an Australian film. It has become harder now
to make Australian films due to lack of sponsors, and also having a smaller audience they same America, so the
margin for profit is also significantly smaller.
What money the Australian film-goer is willing to spend also often goes toward to the Hollywood blockbusters,
which, due to their larger funding coming from America, look visually alluring and complex and of course intriguing,
robbing more of an audience from Australian films.
Finally now we come to my own plain view of the film. I found it be a very standard sort of film, received
amicably by Australian audience but reached no huge acclaim. Enjoyed more for the novelty of seeing Australia
as a film, as opposed to the film itself.
The film neither reached nor achieved nothing new in its genre, taking no real risks in story plot, characters or cinematography.
But then I feel that wasn’t its point.
I believe the filmmakers set out to make an entertaining film, to be match casually with either family or friends and
enjoyed for the bit of pop-corn entertainment it is, and in that it succeeded.
Ultimately I feel the move, though not fantastic, is still a descent and legitimate foray of a road movie, one that leaves up
to the expectations it creates for itself, and is for that reason worth watching. That, and for checking out the 80’s hair styles.