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Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens
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The fantastique genre, in all its forms – fantasy, horror, fairy tale – often hinges on a
question of hesitation, as literary
theorist Tzvetan Todorov described it: is the explanation of strange events to
be rational or supernatural?
A different but related sort of psychological
and interpretive hesitation is
employed in Jim Sharman’s Shirley
Thompson vs. the Aliens. Here it is a question of madness: is the story of
Shirley (Jane Harders), told in flashback to two psychiatrists in the The film deliberately takes a ludicrous
situation, never far from total self-parody, in order to turn the fantasy genre
into an elegant game. (Intriguingly, co-writer and prominent theatre director
Helmut Bakaitis went on to appear, three decades later, For a time, Shirley has followers – the
members of the teen gang with which she knocks around (this is the 1950s, after
all) – The psychiatrists rationally describe
Shirley’s condition in terms of “trauma leading to schizophrenia” (in
anticipation of many horror movies to come!); and her family life, represented
in the form of the most grotesque caricatures (a forecast of much Australian
cinema in the ‘80s and ‘90s), is enough to make us accept that diagnosis. In
Shirley’s words, suburbia has sent her After the aliens leave earth, seeing
nothing but the prospect of repeated failure in their attempts to communicate
with the The final scene condenses the film’s treatment of its fantastique themes and ideas. Strapped
to a bed and treated with injections, Shirley imagines herself spinning in a
delirious ecstasy; this is echoed by Jeannie Lewis’ memorable song, “Fly Like a Bird”, on the
soundtrack. Shirley is again experiencing a glimpse of the “power of pure
thought” that the aliens have promised.
But the same image then changes its tone, and is re-signified
as tension, entrapment, futility. The music builds to a screaming effect, as
the camera watches Shirley spinning from above. Perhaps she is just mad, after
all; or the uncomprehending world that refuses to see the truth of her story
has finally succeeded in destroying her. This ambiguity and the response it
elicits – again straddling the divide between the fiction and its metaphor –
mark the extraordinary, expressive power of the scene.
Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens is a fascinating glimpse into the early, formative period of the
remarkable career in theatre
However, the curious Rocky Horror spin-off, Shock
Treatment (1981) – which caught the attention and critical imagination of
Raymond Durgnat – was to be Sharman’s last incursion into feature film production.
Sadly, synoptic accounts of Australian film history, written decades later,
have tended to somewhat overlook his immense contribution
and significance. Insight into Sharman’s life and artistic trajectory can,
however, be found in his candid 2008 autobiography, Blood and Tinsel (Melbourne University Press).
© Adrian Martin December 1979 (+ 2020 update) |