An
ominous opening, suggesting a passenger jet is on a collision
course with Melbourne CBD, leads you right into Global Haywire,
a curious animated feature by the popular cartoonist Bruce Petty.
His challenging and unsettling view of the state of our planet
told in his inimitable style mixed with a touch of Terry Gilliam
and a talking head series of interviews with notable commentators.
The film poses this question - why have we reached the present
crisis point between East and West ?
Petty introduces a Committee of Investigation to
examine the question, consisting of real and animated characters
including Robin Nevin, Barry Otto, and remarkably Virginia Woolf.
In the process we hear evidence by people such as Gore Vidal,
Noam Chomsky, Tariq Ali, and Robert Fisk.
The allegory of the world being some kind of airship,
a “freedom vehicle” with the West on A deck and the
East on B deck, is used throughout the film and obviously it’s
never going to fly. With references to everything from the crusades,
colonialism, capitalism, the International Monetary Fund, and
the World Bank.
The various interviews cover wide-ranging ground.
Cynical Gore Vidal’s analysis of America’s role in
international conflict and Noam Chomsky’s views are particularly
interesting. The Arab world is also given voice through Amin Saikel
and Suad Amiry. Youth is not ignored either with clips by university
students from various countries; while Petty’s rough and
ready skittery line cartoons capture the screen in his unique
manner. The pleasant voice of Tom Baker (Dr. Who) narrates. Editor
and sound designer is Sam Petty.
The
director suggests our current world madness is the result of globalization,
massive unpaid debts, terrorism, diminishing resources, religious
fundamentalism, and low regard for our present leaders. Bruce
Petty is noted for his political satires and cartoons, a long
time regular contributor to The Age newspaper in Melbourne. A
previous film Leisure won the Oscar for best animation
in 1976. While Petty has made a number of award winning short
films, this is his first feature length.
The political tone will appease those of the left-leaning,
which makes it none the less intriguing and thought provoking
for those not so inclined. In the end however it’s a dense
movie, the allegory stretched rather to breaking point at times,
and the humour not enough to lift the complexity of the message
to high entertainment level.
It may appeal to the many Petty fans out there,
but will not be everyone’s idea of an amusing night out.
The length is one major problem. I’ve a lurking suspicion
it might be more popular tightened up and simplified as a shorter
feature on Channel 2.
An
ominous opening, suggesting a passenger jet is on a collision
course with Melbourne CBD, leads you right into Global Haywire,
a curious animated feature by the popular cartoonist Bruce Petty.
His challenging and unsettling view of the state of our planet
told in his inimitable style mixed with a touch of Terry Gilliam
and a talking head series of interviews with notable commentators.
The film poses this question - why have we reached the present
crisis point between East and West ?
The
director suggests our current world madness is the result of globalization,
massive unpaid debts, terrorism, diminishing resources, religious
fundamentalism, and low regard for our present leaders. Bruce
Petty is noted for his political satires and cartoons, a long
time regular contributor to The Age newspaper in Melbourne. A
previous film Leisure won the Oscar for best animation
in 1976. While Petty has made a number of award winning short
films, this is his first feature length.