Ghosts…Of The Civil Dead

Some of the most brutal non-horror films in recent memory have been set in prisons.

Whether it be David Hayman as Jimmy Boyle in A SENSE OF FREEDOM discharging himself from hospital after being bludgeoned with hatchets, or Eric Bana in the brilliant CHOPPER, allowing an inmate to hack his ears off in a bid to be removed from a hostile wing … modern prison films are committed to portraying violence in an almost homicidally cold and candid, matter-of-fact manner - in stark contrast to the more 'comical' gore of, say, Lucio Fulci.

Few films, though, have used this violent world to express the loneliness and 'each-man-for-himself' mentality of prison life as well as John Hillcoat's disturbing directorial debut.

The story unfolds in an Australian desert, in the 'near future'. The place: Central Industrial Prison.

CIP is home to an array of maximum security prisoners. As the film opens, we are introduced to Wenzil (Dave Field) - the newest inmate, and all too willing to offer his account of events which took place over an 8 month period that would eventually lead to a burst of violence so terrible that the government insisted on a 'lock down': confinement of all inmates to their cells at all times.

February. Upon Wenzil's arrival, the prison appears to be operated in an incredibly liberal manner. Hard drugs are openly traded between inmates, cell doors are kept open at all times allowing prisoners to wander freely around the place - Wenzil's even glimpsed watched notorious porn sickie FORCED ENTRY on cable TV in his cell!

Slowly but surely, for motives that are never revealed, the unseen powers-that-be start to make subtle changes …

For a start, there's a crack down on the use of illegal substances in cells. Drugs are found literally behind every nook and cranny and duly confiscated.

A racial incident (allegedly provoked by the wardens) results in the inmates having all outdoor activities withdrawn.

Then a new breed of wilder, more dangerous inmates is introduced to the prison. The most notable of these is portrayed by Aussie goth Nick Cave, who turns in a memorably manic performance as one of the scariest screen lunatics ever!

The final straw for the prisoners - and the wardens - is when a huge cage is erected to separate one from the other …

Told through the eyes of both prisoners and screws, and drawn from numerous true-life anecdotes from prisoners around the world (and, significantly, Jack Henry Abbott's book "In The Belly Of The Beast"), GHOSTS builds quietly but steadily as it plunges the viewer into of escalating, frighteningly plausible violence.

First shown on British TV as part of Channel 4's Banned season in 1991 (and, unless I'm mistaken, never shown since), this is powerful, thought-provoking stuff.

You may remember it for the scene in which Wenzil is held down to have the word 'cunt' tattooed onto his forehead … or Cave's terrifying taunts of "Nigger! Nigger! Nigger!" … or Dave Mason's startling turn as the prison prostitute, Lilly.

Upon revisiting this cold cruel gem though, you'll walk away with a lasting sadness for the loneliness and lack of identity that has been enforced on each of these 'characters'.

The boredom, futility and ineffectiveness of modern-day imprisonment is captured brilliantly by Hillcoat - to the point that although all the characters are despicable, you can't help but feel anger towards the establishment that has seemingly deliberately pushed them into a corner, inciting the unfolding madness.

Graphic in more ways than one, violent in both visceral and subliminal ways, this film is as bleak as it is compelling. And utterly indispensable.

This Australian disc is a stunner.

Picture is fine - full-frame, which according to the back cover is the original aspect. I've heard grumblings that the original ratio is in fact 1.37:1, but this seems to be framed correctly. It's certainly identical to both the version Channel 4 screened many moons ago, and the long-since-deleted UK VHS release from Electric Pictures. So it'll do for me!

Contrast and colour hold up well, with no artifacting and minimal grain. It may not look like it was made yesterday (filmed in 1988) but considering it's low budget, this looks as good as it's ever likely to. Nice and sharp, nothing to distract you from the intense experience it so effortlessly delivers.

Audio is mono -2.0. No hiss, no drop-out, nice and clear.

Now, for those extras …!!!

Well, if you're a fan of this film (like me) you'll be ecstatic just to see it finally surface on DVD. Extras would be a mere bonus, right (yeah, pun intended!)?

First up are video interviews from 2002 with: director Hillcoat (boring voice, but at 25 minutes long he's quite thorough about the preparation that went into the film - and points out that many of the cast were genuine criminals); Evan English, the film's producer (17 mins); Nick Cave (speaking about his involvement in scripting/acting/soundtracking the film - 14 mins). Cave confesses to basing his character on a 'shit-stirrer' he once spent 2 nights in a New York jail with!; Blixa Bargeld (6 mins) He receives a call on his mobile phone during his interview - and answers it!

There's then another 38 minutes worth of video interview, essentially with the same people but culled from 1988 - during the production of the film. There's not much more to be gleaned from this to be honest, but it's interesting if only to see how people change (or don't!) over the course of 15 years. Guitarist Mick Harvey also features in this segment - speaking about his involvement in the incredibly haunting soundtrack (once released in the UK by Mute, if you can track it down - good luck!!).

Completing the interviews section, are audio interviews with actors Vincent Gil and Mike Bishop, and Chris Kennedy and Brett Collins. All are clear, although the latter one has been conducted over a telephone …

Next up is a 16 page biography of Nick Cave, which makes for fascinating reading. There's also the opportunity here to have a gander at his original annotated script for his character in the film, blood-smeared and all. Priceless.

Next up is a biography of Jack Henry Abbott, and a reproduction of an original letter sent by Abbott to Hillcoat - read aloud by Hillcoat. Again, fascinating stuff.

Biographies, production notes and stills/photo galleries galore follow.

And, hey, what about the excellent inclusion of 23 minutes' worth of musical excerpts from the stunning soundtrack CD?! It's here!!

Want more?

The original trailer (brief) … the original French trailer (brilliant) … a nine minute anecdote on how the film-makers faced arrest while promoting the film … trailers for other Australian prison films (including the superb CHOPPER, which also features the brilliant Dave Field) … storyboard to film comparisons … a 9 minute audio essay by critic Ina Bertrand … review quotes from around the world …!

I haven't been as in-depth about the extras as I would have perhaps liked, but there's because there's so fucking many! Believe me, if you like this film you'll love the wealth of background info that has been gathered for this superlative DVD release.

OK, there's no commentary track - but Hillcoat's voice is so monotone that I suggest we count that as a blessing!

Disc specs:

16 chapters - static extras menu - keepcase packaging - double-sided cover (scene selection list and colour stills on reverse). Region 0 PAL.

Harrowing, socially relevant and one of the most under-valued films of the last two decades. This disc proves that this is a film worthy of closer inspection - with UK rights currently unavailable and the prospect of a US release hugely unlikely, this is utterly essential!

Review by Stu Willis