Themes: Fathers and Daughters, Haunted By the Past, Miscarriage of Justice
Main Cast: Max von Sydow, Carol Drinkwater, Julia Blake, Steve Jacobs, Tim Robertson
Release Year: 1990
Country: AU
Run Time: 106 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
In this drama, a daughter defends her aging father against scandalous accusations. Joseph Mueller (Max Von Sydow) was born in Germany but emigrated to Australia shortly after the end of World War II. Joseph is happily spending the autumn of his years doting on his two grandchildren and giving friendly business advice to his daughter Anne Winton (Carol Drinkwater) and son-in-law Bobby (Steven Jacobs), who have inherited the hotel that Mueller founded. One morning, as Joseph walks his grandchildren to school, he discovers that a camera crew is following him from a distance, led by reporter Leah Zetnick (Julia Blake). A few days later, Leah broadcasts a report alleging that Joseph is in fact Franz Kessler, a former member of Hitler's S.S. and a war criminal responsible for the death of Leah's parents, among many others. Suddenly besieged by the media, Anne and Joseph go into hiding after authorities issue an indictment against him. Joseph eventually steps forward to stand trial, defended by attorney George Coleman (Tom Robertson). After George calls Leah's credibility into serious question in court, Joseph is cleared of all charges, and a seriously distraught Leah commits suicide in front of Joseph and Anne. But Joseph's casual reaction to Leah's shocking act makes Anne wonder if Bobby's suspicions about her father's past might have a basis in fact. Max Von Sydow and Julia Blake both won Australian Film Institute awards for their performences. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Brenda Addie - Gloria; Bruce Alexander - Det. Sgt Racine; Jane Anthony; Susan Arnold; Colin Batrouney; Nicholas Bell - Paul Jamieson; Nancy Black - Prosecuting Counsel; Scott Board; John Braybrook; Bianna Briam; Bob Bright; Jon Concannon; Richard Cordner - Uniformed Police; John Devlin; Bernadette Doyle; Josephine Eberhard; Terry Emery; Reg Evans - Old Charlie; David Barry Gray; Tom Gutteridge; Tibor Gyapjas - Pub Browler; Monica Jaeger; Glynis Jones; Michael Joshua; Kate Langbroek; Alan Lovett; Scott Lucey; Bill Manderson; Ben Mitchell - Uniformed Police; Ross Mogeridge; Simone Robertson - Rebecca Winton; Kahli Sneddon - Amy Winton; James Sugden; Bill Tisdall; Les Toth; Colin Vancao - Judge; Eve Von Bibra - Roxy; Donna Woodhouse; George Zocopoulos; Robert Morgan - Pub Browler; Nick Lathouris - Amos; Denis Moore - Detective Sergeant Gabriel; John Bishop
Credit
Bernadette Wynack - Art Director, Jeanie Cameron - Costume Designer, John Power - Director, Kerry Regan - Editor, Paul D. Barron - Executive Producer, Peter Best - Composer (Music Score), Phil Peters - Production Designer, Dan Burstall - Cinematographer, Tony Cavanaugh - Producer, Graham Hartley - Producer, Damien Parer - Producer, Tony Cavanaugh - Screenwriter, Graham Hartley - Screenwriter
Father is a 1990 film about a retired German immigrant living in Australia, Joe Muller (Max von Sydow), who is accused of being a former Nazi who committed war crimes in the Second World War by a strange woman called Iya Zetnick (Julia Blake). His daughter Anne Winton (Carol Drinkwater) is not sure who to believe.
The film was directed by John Power, written by Tony Cavanaugh and Graham Hartley and produced by Barron Entertainment and Film Victoria. The 1990 AFI awards Max von Sydow won the 'Best Actor in a Lead Role' category, and Julia Blake won the 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role'.
Plot
The film starts showing an open pit full of shot naked bodies somewhere in Lithuania around the time of the Second World War. A young Iya Zetnick crawls out of the body in tears, apparently having survived a massacre.
Decades later in modern day Melbourne we are introduced to Joe Muller and his affable family. His adult daughter Anne lives with him, and one day she receives a phone call from Iya Zetnick, asking her to ensure she watches a television current affairs show coming up. Joe thinks it concerns a trivial matter about his business, but he and his family are shocked when the show instead links him to the massacre of Iya's family in Lithuania.
Joe suddenly becomes the centre of attention. His family sticks by him, but some seeds of doubt are shown. Eventually he is arrested and sent to trial, but is not found guilty on account of insufficient evidence. Still, Anne is now increasingly concerned about her father's past, and confronts him.
Iya breaks into their house, armed with a pistol. She confronts Anne and her father, and when she is capable of shooting Joe, she shoots herself instead. Anne is left in no doubt about her father's crimes, and Joe is left estranged from his family.
