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form y separately published work icon The Eye of the Storm single work   film/TV  
Adaptation of The Eye of the Storm Patrick White , 1973 single work novel
Issue Details: First known date: 2011... 2011 The Eye of the Storm
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'In a Sydney suburb, two nurses, a housekeeper and a solicitor attend to Elizabeth Hunter as her expatriate son and daughter convene at her deathbed. In dying, as in living, Mrs Hunter remains a formidable force on those around her. It is via Mrs Hunter's authority over living that her household and children vicariously face death and struggle to give consequence to life.

'Estranged from a mother who was never capable of loving them Sir Basil, a famous but struggling actor in London and Dorothy, an impecunious French princess, attempt to reconcile with her. In doing so they are reduced from states of worldly sophistication to floundering adolescence.

'The children unite in a common goal - to leave Australia with their vast inheritance. Moving through Sydney's social scene, they search for a way to fulfil their desire. Using the reluctant services of their family lawyer Arnold Wyburd, a man long in love with Mrs Hunter, they scheme to place their mother in a society nursing home to expedite her demise.

'Panic sets in as the staff sense the impending end of their eccentric world. Mrs Hunter confesses her profound disappointment at failing to recreate the state of humility and grace she experienced when caught in the eye of a cyclone fifteen years earlier.

'For the first time in their lives, the meaning of compassion takes the children by surprise. During a ferocious storm Mrs Hunter finally dies, not through a withdrawal of will but by an assertion of it. In the process of dying she re-lives her experience in the cyclone. Standing on a beach, she is calm and serene as devastation surrounds her.'

Source: Fred Schepisi's website, http://www.fredschepisi.com/
Sighted: 09/08/2011

Notes

  • For further information, see The Eye of the Storm's official website: http://www.theeyeofthestorm.com.au/

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

The 100 Best Australian Films of the New Millenium Erin Free , Dov Kornits , Travis Johnson , 2016 single work column
— Appears in: FilmInk , 22 September 2016;
The Death of Venus : Inside The Eye of the Storm (Fred Schepisi, 2011) David Melville , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Senses of Cinema , March no. 70 2014;

— Review of The Eye of the Storm Judy Morris , 2011 single work film/TV
Patrick White-Lite : Fred Schepisi’s Filmic Adaptation of The Eye of the Storm Sissy Helff , 2014 single work criticism
— Appears in: Patrick White Centenary : The Legacy of a Prodigal Son 2014; (p. 181-195)
‘Fred Schepisi's film, The Eye of the Storm is set in the insular cultural landscape of Sydney's suburbs around Centennial Park of the 1970s. Just as in its literary source text, tempests erode textual, visual, temporal and societal facades. The film tells the life-story of the wealthy, but now frail and aged matriarch Elizabeth Hunter (Charlotte Rampling). This mother has asked her two adult children, Basil Hunter (Geoffrey Rush) and 'Princess de Lascabanes' aka Dorothy (Judy Davis) to return from Europe in order to spend time by her bedside in these final days. This reunion highlights salient family tensions and arouses suppressed and unsettling memories.’ (Introduction)
Patrick White and Film Elizabeth Webby , Margaret Harris , 2013 single work criticism
— Appears in: JASAL , vol. 13 no. 2 2013;
'2011 saw the release of The Eye of the Storm, the first adaptation to the screen of one of Patrick White’s novels. There had been earlier attempts, in particular the long-running saga of Voss, seemingly as doomed to failure as the explorer’s own quest. White’s interest in the theatre was paralleled by his interest in film; he knew that adaptations could boost an author’s reputation and sales. Manuscripts in the National Library of Australia’s White papers reveal that he wrote adaptations of several of his short stories as early as 1963. He did not manage to sell any of these but collaboration with director Jim Sharman in the 1970s led to the production of White’s screenplay of his story ‘The Night, the Prowler’. Inspired by this, White wrote several original screenplays that were never filmed. ‘Monkey Puzzle’, intended as a full-length film, sends up the Australian literary scene as well as Australian films of the period. The shorter 'Kidults' also includes a parody of the film version of My Brilliant Career. (Author's abstract)
Geoffrey Tires of Scripts Landing on His Doorstep Tristan Swanwick , 2012 single work column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 17 September 2012; (p. 18)
Through Shades of White Philippa Hawker , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 10 September 2011; (p. 21)

— Review of The Eye of the Storm Judy Morris , 2011 single work film/TV
Drama Queens Playing Unhappy Families Tom Ryan , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 11 September 2011; (p. 7) The Sunday Age , 11 September 2011; (p. 22)

— Review of The Eye of the Storm Judy Morris , 2011 single work film/TV
Schepisi Eye on Change Rodney Chester , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 10 - 11 September 2011; (p. 6-7)

— Review of The Eye of the Storm Judy Morris , 2011 single work film/TV
Film : The Eye of the Storm Phil Brown , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: Brisbane News , 14 - 20 September no. 850 2011; (p. 32)

— Review of The Eye of the Storm Judy Morris , 2011 single work film/TV
Stars Shine but Empathy Remains Elusive Sandra Hall , 2011 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 15 September 2011; (p. 16)

— Review of The Eye of the Storm Judy Morris , 2011 single work film/TV
Scehpisi Film on the Cusp Karl Quinn , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 31 March 2010; (p. 15) The Age , 31 March 2010; (p. 14)
Schepisi Directs Top Cast in White Project Michael Bodey , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: The Australian , 21 April 2010; (p. 15)
Schepisi Hoping for the Perfect Storm Karl Quinn , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: The Age , 22 April 2010; (p. 23)
Patrick White Film a Winner, Enthuses Rush Garry Maddox , 2010 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 19 May 2010; (p. 3)
Demise of a Dominator Peter Craven , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Review , July vol. 5 no. 6 2010; (p. 20-21)
Craven discusses the forthcoming film of Whit'es novel, commenting that 'White's high drama will resonate on screen'.
Last amended 10 Aug 2023 08:43:37
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