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After an ambush by army officers and a shootout on the beach, Mary Bryant (Romola Garai), Will Bryant (Alex O’Loughlin), Martin (Tony Martin), Allen (Stephen Curry) and Cox (Dan Spielman) make a second very narrow escape, leaving behind Sam (Abe Forsythe), who was off hunting for kangaroos for their lunch. As they sail out to sea, watched by Lieutenant Clarke (Jack Davenport) and Sergeant Ryan (Linel Haft), the group argue over whether to go back for their friend.
Curator’s notes
Mary Bryant is an underdog heroine. Peter Berry’s screenplay celebrates her pragmatism, hardiness, courage and steely resolve but also makes these a cause of tension among both enemies and friends. The tension crystallises in this moment. While Bryant was part of a group of convicts who attempted escape, she is the one who has been singled out by history. In keeping, Berry writes her as the ringleader and catalyst for action: much is made of her ability to hold her own as the lone woman in a group of rough men, and of the men being in her thrall. The many phases of their escape attempt build up a steady suspense.
Bryant’s relationship with authority is largely distilled into her dealings with Clarke, who she seduces to further her chances of escape and who makes up a love triangle of sorts with Bryant’s husband Will. This gives the drama of Bryant’s pursuit by the authorities a personal note: it is not simply a question of law but also the revenge of a spurned lover.
Jack Davenport’s role as the red-uniformed Clarke, thwarted paramour and pursuer, is remarkably similar to the one he played in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
