In The Surfer, a man returns to the idyllic West Australian beach of his childhood to surf with his son. But his desire to hit the waves is thwarted by a group of locals. Source: Australian Catholics.
Cage plays the surfer, an Australian, brought up on the West Australian coast but spending time in the US (hence the accent). He returns to WA to buy his father’s home, bringing his teenage son with him to revive his memories and hand on tradition.
So far, so good. However, the locals are aggressive, not letting anyone to surf unless they live in the area. So begins a series of insults, humiliations, vicious attacks and cruel behaviour with the surfer as victim.
As we watch, the word endurance comes to mind. Our endurance as we sit watching this cumulative impact of brutality and its effect on the surfer. Watching it is tough going.
The viewer might anticipate that the father would leave after the first confrontation. But, no. He remains, becoming more and more obstinate, the physical and psychological onslaught beginning to take its toll but rendering him more stubborn.
The portrayal of the clique of surfers certainly raises a key issue of contemporary society. That is, the place of men, a critique of patriarchal ways and the response of male assertion and aggression.
Here the group is presented as something of a cult, led by a local, who bullied the surfer at school. Scally is played as smugly assured by McMahon. There is also an older man, somewhat deranged, who has a grievance of his own with Scally.
Now and again, there is a sympathetic character or two helping the surfer, notably a photographer (Tapsell). But, there are a lot of unpleasant characters, especially the local police officer, the proprietor of a drinks van, who certainly alienate the audience as well.
So, how do we endure this experience? Initially a certain empathy with the surfer but then our dismay and exasperation, sharing what he suffers but exasperated as he stays on.
Cage has made a career out of portraying strange and wild characters in all kinds of genres from westerns to horror.
But, for those wanting to see an Australian film with Cage, The Surfer will be something of a bewilderment.
The Surfer: Starring Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Finn Little, Miranda Tapsell, Justin Wozniak, Rahel Romahn. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan. 104 minutes. Rated MA (Strong coarse language, drug use and suicide scenes).
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The Surfer (Australian Catholics)
