What Do The Critics Say?

"The actors: almost entirely composed of local non-actors Kurzel gathered from the Adelaide suburb where the bulk of the film takes place; perform the story with ultra-realism, an aesthetic echoed in the production design and art direction. Kurzel starts the story slowly. The realism of the acting and design, and the bravely elliptical editing by Veronika Jenet, give us a sense that we are observing absolute real life. Definitely, and defiantly, Australia's Next Great Film." C J Johnson THE NIGHT LIFE "First time director Justin Kurzel tells the story chronologically, from one murder to the next, though we are thankfully spared the more grisly details. It's technically proficient, and succeeds in creating a perverse atmosphere, but it doesn't create a world that you'll want to inhabit for very long." Joshua Blackman FILMINK "Kurzel's ability to create this intense atmosphere is undeniable and as a filmmaker shows great promise. The performances too, are outstanding. Henshall is chilling as the heartless killer, whose cruelty is unnerving. Pittaway makes an impression as the traumatised young Jamie, who gets sucked in by Bunting for the most part because his moral compass is simply not strong enough to walk away. I left the cinema feeling repulsed and downtrodden at the sombre world depicted, from which not even a little piece of blue sky can be seen." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Snowtown does a great job of manipulating its audience. But few will be prepared for the confronting violence on screen. Based on the Bodies in Barrels murders in South Australia in the 1990s, Snowtown is more a study of the relationship between two of the killers than about the killings themselves. Henshall's performance as Australia's worst serial killer is chilling; his soft features always smiling but with a dead intensity in his eyes that made me squirm." Tim Martain THE MERCURY

"Snowtown doesn't present as an exploitation flick. In a realist manner, it tells the story of the criminal corruption of a teenage boy, much as Animal Kingdom did. The big question is why. Why make the film? Why make it in the way it has been made, confronting us with a gruesome torture scene? Some critics have labelled the film as brilliant: indeed it's just won the Jury prize in Critics Week at Cannes." Julie Rigg MOVIETIME "The Snowtown murders are a very dark chapter in Australia’s history. This film brings these events to the screen but not in a conventional manner. Kurzel chose a different path. He didn’t want to “sugar coat” this tragic story but rather, wanted to provide a realistic portrayal of John Bunting, his family and the local community. You can choose not to see this film but you can’t deny that these events took place. Snowtown is a film you’ll be talking about long after you’ve left the theatre: whether you like it or not." Matthew Toomey THE PIE "The best thing about the film is its portrait of the physical and emotional environment in which the story takes place: the chaos of the family's house, the disarray of its inhabitants, the relentless mood of defeated lives. Lucas Pittaway is outstanding as the weak and impressionable Jamie, the only one with anything resembling a conscience." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Nothing about South Australia is more unsettling than its history of violence and of that history no case was more difficult to fathom than the Snowtown murders. Does Snowtown, the stunning debut feature from director Justin Kurzel, go any way to explaining how or why "Snowtown" happened? Yes and no, but to provide answers or redemption regarding what happened is not its responsibility. As a piece of art, however, Snowtown is nearly faultless." Clem Bastow THE VINE

The Inside Story Given the notoriety that is synonymous with "Snowtown", producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw approached the first film for Warp Films Australia with an enthusiasm and willingness to take creative risks. The challenging subject matter felt a logical fit for the new Australian venture, complimenting the Warp spirit and brand, which has been fostered in the UK. "The story of "Snowtown" is so fascinating. I was like most people and thought about the gruesome nature of it and the 'Bodies in the Barrels'. But it became apparent that the story was incredibly complex," McLeish explained. "It was a portrait of an area and a community that has been overlooked and forgotten by mainstream Australia." Shaw and McLeish worked with writer Shaun Grant for many months. "Shaun had found a way to tap into the story. Reading it you were willing to go on that journey and meet the characters involved. Shaun’s choice of going into the events through Jamie Vlassakis was a fresh and vital way of telling the story," Shaw notes. Then came the attachment of director Justin Kurzel. Kurzel is originally from Gawler, not far from where the murders took place. "A first film is always a huge endeavour regardless," Shaw says, "but particularly with his personal ties to the area. He wanted to give the film a dignity." The next phase of script development required an on-the-ground commitment in Adelaide from both Grant and Kurzel. Through engagement with locals, and learning the back-story through the film’s story consultant Debi Marshall, they managed to build a stronger sense of the community and characters in the story. The Producers undertook an extensive consultation process with the affected communities, but acknowledge it is a film that will be difficult for many. "Snowtown" is not the first, nor will it be the last film to explore controversial territory of heinous crimes. Throughout the process, the filmmakers continued to liaise with Victim's Rights Commissioner Michael O’Connell, the Snowtown Management Committee and various other individuals & organisations in Adelaide's far northern suburbs. "Several years ago I came across a book written by a South Australian journalist entitled The Snowtown Murders. At the time I had little interest in true crime stories but as I read I began to feel an unexpected connection with the material, and in particular with the plight of Jamie Vlassakis. The fact that I was only a few months older than Jamie led me to contemplate the question; what would I do? From its very first draft "Snowtown" was always an examination of the Nature vs. Nurture debate. How much influence does your environment have on who you become? And in the case of Jamie, is a killer born or bred? I immediately knew that I wanted to tell the story from Jamie’s point of view," says screenwriter Shaun Grant. "I wanted to place the audience in his shoes. All in the hope that people may ask themselves the same question I did; what would I do? Or at the very least; How could this happen?" And what was Kurzel's first reaction regarding directing the film? "When Warp Films Australia first approached me to direct the film "Snowtown", I felt a great sense of trepidation about being involved in such a dark story. However after reading Shaun Grant's screenplay, and the books that inspired the film, I soon found myself becoming drawn to the story and, in particular, the community in which it is set. While I found the subject matter to be both overwhelming and deeply disturbing within this nightmare, Shaun’s script had managed to capture an extraordinary humanity which transcended horror and embraced a story that was tragic, moving and utterly compelling." "It brought to life a very complex father and son relationship between John Bunting and Jamie Vlassakis. With its raw brutality and surprising tenderness the script revealed a corruption of innocence unlike anything I had read before," Kurzel recalls. And what were Grant's concerns when it came to creating a screenplay from the horrific story? "From the beginning it was the pressure to get the story right. Knowing that twelve people died, and countless other lives were affected, meant that I was determined to be as truthful as possible with the screenplay, while still bearing in mind that it is a 'dramatization' of the events. It also meant I constantly had to ask myself; why am I telling this story? This was a question that weighed heavily on me though the entire process as I realized for some people "Snowtown" would reopen old wounds. While I understand the reluctance of some to relive the events, I also strongly believe that it’s important to try to understand the evil that people do in the hope that we can learn from it and prevent it occurring again, because as Shakespeare wrote 'the evil lives after them'. The task of writing a script based on any actual event is a difficult one, but the process of telling the story behind one of this country’s darkest chapters was for me a near overwhelming one." For Kurzel, understanding was a key factor. "I wanted to try and understand how Jamie’s search for something better led him to find the answers in a person like John Bunting. I continually asked myself, what would I have done if I had the same upbringing and was involved in similar situations to Jamie? Would I have had the maturity, moral judgment and strength to make different choices?" So it was never about excusing Jamies involvement? "I never wished to examine this question as a way of excusing Jamie's actions but rather to better understand how a young person could be complicit in such crimes." And how important was it, that you were a 'local' so to say? "Having grown up near the area, it was important to me that this film was told from the inside out. For "Snowtown" to be produced with a level of authenticity, it was vital for the northern suburbs communities to have some kind of ownership and involvement in the telling of this story. As a result, real locations and a predominately local cast were employed." Real faces and the physical environment were instrumental elements in bringing "Snowtown" to the screen. As Kurzel explains, "Casting real people from the area, shooting in the actual community and using a lot of the dialogue and phrases specific to their world addeda richness that is integral to the storytelling." To discover newcomers with the special qualities they sought, Kurzel and casting director Allison Meadows followed a less conventional approach. Over a three month period, the casting team trawled streets, malls and local venues in their quest to find people that could embody the hearts and minds of the characters. Lucas Pittaway was catapulted from one of the local boys of the area into a key role in the film playing Jamie Vlassakis, who together with John Bunting, Robert Wagner and Mark Haydon was jailed for his involvement in the notorious ‘Snowtown murders’ in South Australia between August 1992 and May 1999. Discovered in a local shopping centre by the film’s casting director, the name Vlassakis was not mentioned when Pittaway began his auditions. "I thought I was doing a general audition at first, but then they narrowed me down to Jamie. I was pretty excited and told my mum and she said she was proud of me." Once cast, Pittaway worked closely with Kurzel to shape the character of Jamie. Pittaway would predominately work off script. "There was not really a lot of information about Jamie Vlassakis because of the suppression orders, so there was really nothing to template me around," Pittaway explained. "I went through the story with them once or twice so I had a rough idea of it. Really I just went into every scene. Justin would throw some lines in, but mostly it was just improvisation and it worked really well." He rehearsed for two weeks with Kurzel and Henshall where he could show certain emotions. "That helped a lot. It was harder the first couple of times until I could really get to the emotion in about five minutes instead of half an hour." Given the emotional weight inherent in the material, Pittaway notes it was importance for the cast to have close bonds. "It’s good to know that afterwards you have someone to give you a hug and cheer you up a bit." Daniel Hensall graduated from Actors Centre Australia's full time acting course in 2006 with an Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts. Daniel has just finished shooting his second feature. From the team that brought you "The Castle", a new production from Working Dog Productions directed by Rob Sitch. He says the Warp Films Australia production is about a family in a hard and terrible situation and John Bunting, a manipulative man, who enters their lives and offers them hope. "They get sucked into his promise, or the idea of his promise and he leads them astray. In doing so he ruins and corrupts the lives of this family and the community that surrounds them." And you spent some time in the area preparing for your role? "I was given the absolute blessing of having time in the area to immerse myself. Justin was always talking of the osmosis, allowing that to affect your physicality and the way you talk to people and the way you relate to people. Being in that area gave me the opportunity to really be a part of it." After he was cast, Henshall says his rehearsal was getting to know everyone: Lucas, Louise and the rest of the cast. "I went out with Lucas and dropped bags of clothes off for charity: that’s what Lucas did for a job. I spent time with Louise and her beautiful kid, cooked dinner for them, ate with them, took them out and it was the same with Aaron, a lot of time getting to know them all and they responded with open arms, telling me about their lives and what they experienced. That was my rehearsal period. Knowing how to relate to these people and having that familiar contact is what you see in the film." It was during a shopping outing when Louise Harris saw a man staring at her. She didn’t realise he was the first step to her starring on the silver screen. "I was at my local deli very close to where I live and I saw Justin Kurzel, our director, sitting in the middle of the shops looking at me, looking straight through me," she recalled. "I thought, 'what are you looking at you creepy dude?' He asked a friend to come over and ask me to sit down and answer a few questions." The initial conversation was followed by a couple of screen tests. "Finally Justin phoned. I had the part of Elizabeth Harvey and I hit the roof. It was surreal." Surprisingly, Harris did not do any research for the role of Elizabeth. "“I didn’t want to delve too deep into the story; just taking it as it came. That way I could be impulsive and react the way I felt I would have if the situation was really in front of me. I got to use all my own experience and I reacted the way I would in real life. After that Justin would discuss the emotions to be deeper or the need to be more sad or angry. It’s hard in front of a lot of people to show raw emotion." What's It All About?

Jamie, lives in a trust house in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, with mum Elizabeth and his two younger brothers, Alex and Nicholas. Their home is but one of many sun-starved houses crammed together to cater for a disenfranchised society. Jamie longs for an escape from the violence and hopelessness that surrounds him and his salvation arrives in the form of John, a charismatic man who unexpectedly comes to his aid. As John spends more and more time with Jamie’s family, Elizabeth and her boys begin to experience a stability and sense of family that they have never known. He moves from the role of Jamie’s protector to that of a mentor, indoctrinating Jamie into his world, a world brimming with bigotry, righteousness and malice. Like a son who mimicks a father, he soon begins to take on some of John’s traits and beliefs, spending more and more time with him and his select group of friends. The protection and guidance that John offers Jamie is initially welcomed, but terrible events will soon change that.

The Verdict "What sets "Snowtown" apart from other films in its genre is not so much what is depicted on the screen, but rather, what isn't. Without a doubt, there are scenes that will have cinemagoers recoiling in horror, but it's the insidious anticipation of what may appear on the screen that cleverly drives the story, based on "The Bodies In The Barrel's" case, along. Indeed, "Snowtown" is such compelling, confronting, caustic cinema, that when it comes to comparisons, even the much lauded, highly professional production, "Animal Kingdom", pales into insignificance. Even more significant, is the fact that, except for Daniel Henshall (who delivers a most chilling John Bunting), those who were cast in "Snowtown", are ordinary people who had no acting experience at all. The performances they deliver, ensures that it's hard (if not almost impossible) to avert ones gaze from the screen, despite an overwhelming desire to do so. When the soundtrack finally cuts in, the feeling of dread and despair is raised to fever pitch. At this point, some in the audience, overwhelmed by uncontrolable emotion, will vacate their seats and flee the cinema. 5 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Daniel Henshall Lucas Pittaway Craig Coyne Richard Green Anthony Groves Brendan Rock Frank Cwiertniak Robert Deeble Bob Adriaens Louise Harris Bryan Sellars Keiran Schwerdt

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John Bunting Jamie Vlassakis Ray Barry Troy Marcus Jeffrey Gary Gavin Elizabeth Harvey Minister Thomas

The Production Team Directed by Justin Kurzel Screenplay by Shaun Grant From a story by Shaun Grant & Justin Kurzel Produced by Anna McLeish & Sarah Shaw Cinematography by Adam Arkapaw Film Editing by Veronika Jenet Casting by Allison Meadows Production Design by Fiona Crombie Art Direction by Chris Jobson Costume Design by Alice Babidge & Fiona Crombie Run Time 120 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Icon Film Distribution - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.