Interview with Lucas Pittaway and Daniel Henshall
Did you either of you realise how huge this film could potentially become?
Lucas: No actually. I didn’t really know what I was getting into at first. First I didn’t even know it was a movie and then I thought it might be some sort of documentary style thing. Pretty much my first day on set was the first time I realised “this is actually something big and okay, I better get serious”.
Daniel: I had no idea, absolutely no idea where this could go.
How did you prepare for such emotionally intense roles?
Daniel: I spent about 12 weeks out there before we started shooting. I lived out in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, sort of immersing myself in the environment and getting to know the community. I reckon that was a huge part in assimilating into the role. What we wanted to do was create a character that wasn’t a typical psychopath, that wasn’t a three dimensional character and we thought to do that, because we wanted to cast from the area, that it would be through getting to know the area and the people. I was pretty much involved in the casting process. Once it was cast, we spent a lot of time together with Lucas, Louise, Aaron, David and the little boys. We went away on trips, we went out to dinner, I worked with Lucas from time to time, went to music and watched movies.
Lucas: The way it comes up on screen it’s not us acting, it really is us hanging out like friends and hanging out like friends and family would.
What did you want to achieve in portraying these real life characters?
Daniel: From the outset Justin, the director of the film, wanted to make this film an interpretation and he wanted to make it as genuine as possible. So to do that it wasn’t about mimicking anybody and we never wanted to do that. There’s very little known about the characters as well. So I mean, it just helped us to make it ours, to put ourselves in the position of how someone like John Bunting could come into the community that he wasn’t from, befriend them, fool them and then take them down a dark path. So in each individual that was cast, you have their special something that they could give to the character that was completely their own. It was never about trying to create or copy the character in real life. So the basis and the name came from real life people, but I think the characters within the film and interpretations came from the actor.
Both of you orchestrated chilling portrayals of your characters. How do you switch off from that at the end of the day?
Lucas: On set it was a really loving environment. At the end of the scene you could always just relax and have a quick chat about how you felt, like dump your feelings almost and just stop and sit down really. As well, at the end of the day, you’d make sure everyone was feeling good – make sure everyone was feeling proud of what they’d done for the day. And then you’d go home and for me it was just talking to my brother and my girlfriend and watching some TV.
Daniel: We had a great camaraderie on set and if anything went awry, not that it did, but if you felt bad or it got too much for you, got too involved, there was so much trust and family and if you wanted to talk about it you could. It was a support network between everybody. There was a lot of humour in between takes. I think we had to keep ourselves buoyant by being humorous, not being insensitive to the content of the film and what we were doing and what we were portraying. I think we needed to have funny moments in between to let loose as a way of releasing. Believe it or not Lucas is a very funny human being.
Lucas: He’s just saying that.
Did you pull any pranks on set?
Lucas: None that we can talk about! Dan used to sing this song about me. It goes something a little like [sings] “Beautiful Maaaaaan!” He does that all the time.
Daniel: I do.
What was the most confronting aspect of this production?
Daniel: The most confronting was getting the role and being daunted with the responsibility of portraying someone like John Bunting. That was initially the most daunting thing, and then going out and living in an area that I had no connection to in the beginning.
Then during the filming it was definitely the murder scene. I think it was the first time that, as characters, we physically portrayed an actual event. Up until that it had been a lot about relationships, and conversations and the banality, normality that came through that. That was the first time we physically partook in a torture and murder and it really came home. It really came home to me and Lucas as well that this is how it went and that’s terrifying to think that you’re portraying that. I know it rocked me. We took two days to shoot that.
Lucas: I’d have to say it’s almost exactly the same for me, word for word.
This film is more focused on the characters than the gore. Do you think that’s why this film has been so well received?
Daniel: That is one of the most important things. I think Justin from the outset was so terrified of even getting a whiff of Wolf Creek into the film. I’m not slagging that film; it’s a great horror genre film. But he especially wanted to steer to clear of that as far as possible. So it’s great that you say that.
Lucas: I think people know they are going to watch a film about the people who did these things and the relationships and how these people felt about what they were doing, and what they were doing to each other.
How do you deal with all the attention?
Daniel: Lucas hates it.
Lucas: It’s exciting. In The Age my picture’s on the front page.
Daniel: And he hates it. He absolutely hates it.
Lucas: I think I might look good in a tank top so… [Daniel laughs] It gets overwhelming at times definitely and you have to kind of sit down and kind of separate yourself from it for a second and just take a look and realise what’s going on and just calm yourself really.
What was your reaction when you found out that it was being screened at Cannes?
Daniel: I was driving home in the car and I almost changed lanes into the wall. Justin called me and told me and I almost crashed the car.
Lucas: I was excited obviously. Then you think about, yeah, I need to get my passport. Thinking about it from the first day, when Allison, the casting director, came up to me in the shopping centre. From there if someone had told me “you’re going to make a film and you’re going to go to the Cannes film festival” I wouldn’t have believed them or anything, but here it is happening.
Daniel: 12 months ago if you’d asked me [what I’d be doing now] I thought I would be at university studying.
Lucas: I thought I would have been in the army.
What will you be doing in Cannes?
Daniel: It’s more focused on Justin and the filmmakers so we get to enjoy the spills of that. From what I understand there are functions almost every evening and some during the day. We’re only there for four days, so I think it will be pretty nuts. We’ll just get off the plane and enjoy the festivities. And to be there with something I think that’s just so exciting. We’ll try and see as many films as possible.
Lucas: I’m hoping to have a spare moment to go down to the beach, wear my best shorts.
Finally, what do you want the audience to gain from watching this film?
Lucas: The film’s not about answering questions. It’s more about asking yourself “how could this be going on, just during the middle of the day while people are watching the cricket”, you know, people just hanging out the front. How could this happen in a neighbourhood without people knowing what’s going on. And also ask yourself about Jamie’s situation. Was he born to be a killer, or was he brought into that world?
Daniel: We didn’t make a film to try and make a judgement on the situation or the event that took place, nor do we try to answer any questions. I think the portrayal is something that we wanted to investigate, how and why this could happen in a community like this. How could someone from outside the community come into the community and convince people to do these things, and for it to go undetected for so many years? I think that’s just the question that we pose and hope the audience will feel that, and also feel that it is something they can relate to and that these characters aren’t that far away from their own community.
Snowtown Movie Review
“They are no one”– John Bunting
Welcome to Snowtown. Population: Pedophiles, victims, drug addicts, transvestites, juvenile delinquents and deranged vigilante murderers. Killing is an activity conducted in the family home, while outside, children ride their bikes along the graffiti tainted footpaths. If you can’t handle blood, animal cruelty, torture and rape, leave now.
Snowtown is one intense viewing experience. It suspends you in its volatile reality until the final scene ends and the credits begin to roll. It was only then that I realised I had not taken a deep breath the entire movie. At least I made it until the end; at least five people in the theatre walked out. It is controversial and confronting viewing. If you are squeamish in any sense of the word, or suspect your neighbours are up to no good, then don’t watch this film. You will not sleep that night or for many after.
Snowtown is based on the true story of the South Australian barrel murders which took place between 1992 and 1999. These murders claimed the lives of 12 people, eight of which were disposed of in the infamous barrels placed in an abandoned bank in Snowtown. This story is told through the eyes of 16-year-old Jamie, played by new comer Lucas Pittaway. He is one of four boys living in Adelaide’s northern suburbs with their single mother who attracts the wrong type of man. After attracting a particularly child-loving boyfriend, she brings in reinforcements to ensure her boys are never hurt again.
Meet John Bunting, played by Daniel Henshall. He, and his gang, are just your average group of friendly pedophile hunters trying to clean up the community. It appears things might be looking up when John arrives in town, with Jamie taking a particular shining to his new father figure. In fact, the entire family and community are entranced by this charmer. Yet as the film roles on, it is evident there is a darker side to this jovial character as he easily moves between cooking family meals to torturing his victims in bathtubs. Jamie’s mentor goes down in history as Australia’s most infamous serial killer.
As the film progresses, John surreptitiously trains Jamie to become a killer. He plays on Jamie’s status as a victim of sexual abuse, confronting him to fight back, to take control. Of course, by control he means play god; murder. He begins Jamie with animals, forcing him to shoot his dog in the kitchen of his home. Jamie is unwittingly and naively captured in John’s web. All too soon he is in too deep to escape and so instead, he embraces his new hobby.
This film revels in a quiet intensity, especially through its character Jamie. He haunts the viewer, who can see the twisted rabbit hole he is falling down. All of the actors are faultless in their portrayals, perhaps because they are not professional actors. Most of the cast were found in the suburban streets, including newcomer Pittaway, who has been described as the next Heath Ledger. His character is a silent brooding figure, which makes it difficult to form an emotional attachment, especially when he becomes complicit in the crimes.
This is not a film that asks for sympathy or understanding. It simply aims to show the circumstances that allowed these murders to happen. The eerie reality of this occurring in suburbia is the subtle message of this film; how do we really know anyone? Even a friend’s comment at a dinner discussion regarding what they would do to a pedophile is eerie in its ignorance. Most answer they would torture and kill. “Would you honestly do it?” he confronts John. He doesn’t realise the truth that lingers in John’s menacing stare of reply.
At two hours length, the film is emotionally and physically draining. It moves through various stages of suspense and intensity, at times confusing the viewer through lack of dialogue. Visually, it is flawless. It captures the essence of the dreary neighbourhood landscape and its inhabitants. It is an ugly and miserable film, which is exactly its purpose. The use of sound is minimal. Ominous silence confronts the viewer at key points, which further enhances the building of suspense. Worst of all are the voices from the tapes that John makes his victims record before their death.
Snowtown is more about show than tell. It mostly suggests to its audience the atrocities that are occurring, which lends a subtle dimension to what could otherwise have been an extremely gruesome film. While your imagination is a key element in viewing this film, the viewer is still confronted by some disturbing imagery. Snowtown savours the key moments of gore, specifically showing the torture of one victim and the removal of his toe nail, which filled the entire space of the cinema screen.
The only impatience I felt for wanting this film to end, considering it is quite long, was to know just how it could possibly end. It seemed to be becoming an endless cycle of murder, hopelessness and fear. How could it build the suspense to a satisfactory point? Luckily, I was rewarded with an ending perfectly orchestrated; a subtle and fitting finish which complements the entire tone of the movie.
While it is a brilliant film, it isn’t set to be a crowd pleaser. It is a quiet, intense and sickening portrayal of a horrific spree of murders in Australia’s history. Snowtown is definitely not for the fainthearted. And what makes it all the more chilling is that this is a real place with characters inspired by real people.
Snowtown is a tortured film showcasing a miserable suburban life.
