Stir (film)

Production

Bob Jewson was a former prisoner who had been in Bathurst Gaol at the time of the riot. He wrote a script based on it originally called Bathurst. Martha Ansara who was working for the Prison Action Group read it and introduced Jewson to Stephen Wallace. (Other accounts say it was Tony Green who did this.) Wallace decided to make the film

The New South Wales Film Corporation were looking at investing in some films made by directors who had made successful short films. Wallace had just made the acclaimed on hour drama The Love Letters from Teralba Road and they asked him if he had any projects. He told them about his prison drama.

As part of his preparations, Wallace had the actors do a clown workshop for four days and a longer workshop of three weeks. Most of them disliked the clown workshop and Wallace later admitted was a mistake.

The original drafts of the script had some female characters, such as a social worker and a girlfriend of Bryan Brown's character, but these were dropped.

The film was shot over five weeks in October and November 1979 in South Australia at an abandoned prison in Gladstone. They had trouble sourcing enough extras and had to fly them in from Adelaide; some of the actors who did appear had been to prison. Wallace tried to get more aboriginal extras but was unable to.

During filming the movie was known as The Promotion of Mr Smith until Jewson suggested the shorter title Stir. Wallace:

Bob Jewson said one thing - and I think this is what we tried to make the theme of the film, although it was very hidden - that riots don't happen out of the blue. The prison authorities make you believe that all these criminals that are incarcerated are at all times dangerous and they're trying to get out. But Bob said that's never true; most of them have accepted their lot and they're trying to serve their time. They only get into a riot situation when they're treated badly and unfairly over a long period. He said most people don't want a riot; they know what it's going to mean, longer in jail.

Reception

The film was reasonably popular and according to Wallace it made a profit.

Critical reception

David O'Connell of In Film Australia:

DVD availability

The DVD is available from Umbrella Entertainment and contains a new 16:9 aspect ratio transfer, a 50-minute interview feature with key cast and crew, as well as the original theatrical trailer.