Watership Down Under

Celia (Ann Turner, 1989)

Films set in the fifties are like waiting for a bus around here, as this is the third film I've reviewed this month which is set in that decade. Ann Turner's Lord of the Flies style drama, Celia, is located in rural Australia, where the film's titualar heroine is experiencing some serious growing pains. These problems are of the mental variety and range from: the bereavment of her grandmother; a thoroughly viscious school rival; and being tormented by fictitious creatures knowns as Hobyahs.

The setting deals with two important historical occurrences prominent in 1950s Australia: the communist hysteria known as The Red Scare, and the rabbit invasion which had plagued Australia's agricultural industry. The latter of which was so probelmatic that the Australian government went to such an extent, that the myxoma virus was introduced to thwart them. Both subplots do play an integral part in Celia's deteriorating mental state and aren't just there for the sake of flimsy historical dressing. With it being set in the past and along with its rural location, it seems parents weren't too concerned about their kids burning effigies of them at a quarry during all hours of the night. Also, as as much my desensitised self enjoys on-screen violence, even I had to raise an eyebrow at how savage these cheeky little scamps were to one another and that poor pet rabbit. Goes without saying, if you're an animal lover, you might want to avoid this one, as it has about as much compassion for animal welfare as an Italian jungle horror flick.

The performances are competent; especially from Rebecca Smart in the lead title role, since everything rests on her making this film so watchable. Apart from playing the character Melanie Black from the Aussie teen TV series Heartbreak High back in the day, it's too bad she wasn't in anything remotely significant ever since (from what I can tell, at least), but then again, despite its critical appraisal, the film was a commercial flop upon its release.

Really should state that I went into this film under the allusion that this would be a bonafide horror movie, solely on its inclusion in Severin's All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror deluxe box set, however, Celia is more of a dark drama. Already watched some other titles featured in the aforementioned box set: Otakar Vavra's Witchhammer (1970) and Ian Coughlan's Alison's Birthday (1981); where I shamelessly also used the 'down under' pun there, too. A very positive video on Celia came out recently by Marx Kermode for the BFI serves as another reason to check it out. Ultimately, it paid off, as it's another enjoyable entry in the killer kiddie canon.

Celia (Umbrella Entertainment Trailer)

(Ann Walker, 1989)