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The Leaving of Liverpool (1992)

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Building pyramids education content clip 1

Original classification rating: M. This clip chosen to be M

Clip description

Young Bert (Kevin Jones) is caught up in the dream to build a huge church and a religious community in the middle of nowhere. He’s willing to give his all without realising that the dream is demented and Brother O’Neill (Bill Hunter) is mad and dangerous.

Curator’s notes

This is a great example of how a story told through moving image can manipulate the viewer’s emotions by juxtaposing one scene with its complete opposite.

The quiet intimacy in the first half of the clip is emphasised through close-ups of the two actors with no other distractions. The very simple set and lack of added sound, other than crickets, throws our attention onto the words they share. We are cleverly seduced and lulled into their conversation before being purposely thrown into a brutal scene of child labour.

This shattering scene is shot in bleached monochrome to convey a sense of heat and dirt. By positioning the camera at child height, the viewer is cleverly immersed into the scene and can more readily feel the pain and anguish of the children.

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer Building pyramids from the television program The Leaving of Liverpool as a high quality video download.

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Downloadable Video – FOR EDUCATIONAL CRITICISM AND REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY

This clip is available for download for the limited purpose of criticism and review in an educational context. You must obtain permission from editorial@aso.gov.au for all other purposes for use of this material.

Terms & Conditions

australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described here and elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. ALL rights are reserved.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before downloading this clip:

When you access ABC materials on australianscreen you agree that:

  1. You may download this clip to assist your information, criticism and review purposes in conjunction with viewing this website only;
  2. Downloading this clip for purposes other than criticism and review is Prohibited;
  3. Downloading for purposes other than non-commercial educational uses is Prohibited;
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This clip is available in the following configurations:

File nameSizeQualitySuitability
leavlive2_pr.mp4 Large: 14.4MB High Optimised for full-screen display on a fast computer.
leavlive2_bb.mp4 Medium: 6.8MB Medium Can be displayed full screen. Also suitable for video iPods.

Right-click on the links above to download video files to your computer.

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer this clip in an embeddable format for personal or non-commercial educational use in full form on your own website or your own blog.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before embedding the clip:

Downloadable Video – FOR EDUCATIONAL CRITICISM AND REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY

This clip is available for download for the limited purpose of criticism and review in an educational context. You must obtain permission from editorial@aso.gov.au for all other purposes for use of this material.

Terms & Conditions

australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described here and elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. ALL rights are reserved.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before downloading this clip:

When you access ABC materials on australianscreen you agree that:

  1. You may download this clip to assist your information, criticism and review purposes in conjunction with viewing this website only;
  2. Downloading this clip for purposes other than criticism and review is Prohibited;
  3. Downloading for purposes other than non-commercial educational uses is Prohibited;
  4. Downloading this clip in association with any commercial purpose is Prohibited;

The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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