The Devil’s Playground (1976)
Starring:
Plot:
My Review and Thoughts:
Here is sadly an overlooked masterpiece of the coming of age
reality and the ultimate emotions, urges and tension with the idea of human
sexuality. Controversial and deep in the subject of the Priest hood and the
catholic idea of purity. This is actually an autobiography and wonderfully
directed by Fred Schepisi. This film is so relevant today as it was then. Your
main focus is Tom Allen a 13 year old boy growing up in a Catholic Seminary. It
focuses on his coming of age and the idea of the Priesthood controlling the
urge of lust and actions. Self-restraint is the main purpose and reality of the
film. This is based on the director’s life and it took him close to five years
to write the complete film.
Today in the news the subject is clouded with sexual abuse
of the priesthood and so on. This focus’ not only on Tom coming to term with
his growing body and urges but also the idea of the priesthood restraining from
urges and desires. I find this film disturbing and yet solidly brilliant in
idea and plot. I think us as human beings have urges and desires that sometimes
horrible and brutally step over the bounds of what should not be done. There is
a lot of hidden innuendo in this film. Boys naked, half naked frolicking
together or swimming in front of priest watching.
I think the deeper subject is what makes this film stand out
in the reality of actions, control and most of all the human side of sexuality.
A coming of age story like no other. For when it came out and even now this
film is very touchy to watch, especially with a group of people. This is a
movie that would cause conversation and more or less it would lead to bickering
and maybe a full on fight. One would scream its art. Someone else would scream
its blasphemy while another screams its child pornography all the while the
real movie buff understands the cinematic directing, acting, story, cinematography
and subject matter as being a film that expresses a subject in life and creates
it in an art form of film. This is a masterpiece of a story woven around a
beautiful touching and controversial subject matter. It’s a lasting movie that
can cause emotions and bitterness and even an uncomfortable feeling to certain
viewers.
There are two versions of this film one cut by nine minutes
by the director himself. Your main character is Tom Allen, played wonderful by
Simon Burke. Allen is a young boy who is often picked on or made fun of. Allen
wets his bed and seems to do everything wrong at times. The overall reality of
the film is the talk and punishment or scolding on the ideas of sex. Young boys
coming to terms with their growing bodies. The Brothers of the Catholic Church
are always telling them sex is wrong and filthy and unclean and so there is an
idea of destroying the innocence of the children by pushing the very idea of lust and also mixing
in their minds that to think this way is a sin and so it confuses them and
hurts them really in a way they can't grow or educate themselves properly.
I am a psychology major and trust me when I say that if a
child does not get the proper education of sexuality they will be confused and
hold inner thoughts and also this style can lead to in later life, fetish's
and punishing themselves. One thing parents do wrong or adults do wrong is
scold a child who discovers their male or female part. You have to teach them
there is a proper place and time for that and exploration is okay, and there is a
right touch and wrong touch. Something people don’t realize is sometimes when a child
is scolded for masturbation that child will associate sex with a wrong idea. I
have studied many cases of children who experience sexuality for the first time
in a negative way or being ridiculed or scolded or punished and that child ends
up scared the rest of their life. Sexuality is a touchy subject and should be
taught and educated properly.
The point is this movie showcases that type of reality in a
Catholic School. The Brothers are teaching them the body is evil and the
actions of the flesh is wrong all the while the Brothers are constantly talking
about it amongst themselves as a need. They drink, smoke and teach to hate your
own body.
There is a disturbing shot in this film where Allen comes across
three boys flogging themselves, punishing themselves of their wicked
bodies.
I think this is a very disturbing and heart breaking movie
at the same time. The disturbing nature of the Brothers fighting the desires by
drowning themselves in booze. One shot of Brother Francine at the swimming pool
has him sneaking peeks at women in bathing suits. He is clearly in pain and
thinking agony. He goes into the bathroom and sits and truly suffers. It’s a
horrible reality and a true shame and an asinine concept of the ultimate struggle
some go through in not accepting a part of life which is the beautiful act, of nature’s
gift of sexuality.
This ultimately is a wonderful understanding and struggle of
Catholic boys and men growing up in the Catholic way. A strict mold of
dominance and also a hidden exploration of ones thoughts and body. I think what
I really like is the statement it makes. The statement of the ultimate love of their
god, ends up being the ultimate fear of their god and the ultimate dread of
punishment and hell. Their love of god ends up being twisted into a dangerous
fear and control.
Simon Burke is a brilliant actor. A young perfect performer
and all boy reality. A young man growing up and exploring his life and
surroundings. He gives the emotional appeal and understanding of any boy coming
to age or trying to understand his life and body. Simon Burke still acts today.
He was the character Greg Owens in 2000's Sci-fi gem Pitch Black.
Also what needs to be mentioned is the amazing shots of
cinematography and the direction of photography by Ian Baker. Stunning imagery
and truly a beautiful reality of shots. Now this is directed by an extraordinary
and thought provoking director the one and only Fred Schepisi. Schepisi has
mastered such films as 84's Iceman, 88's A Cry in the Dark, 90's The Russia
House. He is a visionary of capturing stories of reality and giving and
building emotions. I feel The Devils Playground is his shinning achieving which
he also wrote.
Now Allen is the main focus but I have to pinpoint the truly
tragic and magical part by Arthur Dignam who plays Brother Francine. He gives
truly a remarkable and tragic character for the viewers. His emotional acting
through facial expression and a hidden pain of growing thoughts and sexuality makes him seem like he is really is suffering. He gives a perfect
performance through wonderful moments of sadness, and inner pain that can be
felt and experienced by the viewer.
A wonderful film I highly recommend. A perfect story of coming of age and the inner thoughts of the struggle with sexuality.
A wonderful film I highly recommend. A perfect story of coming of age and the inner thoughts of the struggle with sexuality.