FILMS, CINEMA. AUSTRALIAN. The Boys offers perhaps the most chilling depiction in Australian film of the violence within a family, and where it may eventually lead. Based on the controversial stage play by Gordon Graham, The Boys, is a terrifying and unflinching analysis of the violence that lurks in the heart of Australian society. Frost contextualises the major thematic concerns of the film into the broader context of social anxieties about violence, crime and morality. He offers a comparison to other Australian films both before and since 1998 that have examined similar concerns and issues and explores The Boys and its achievements as a major piece of Australian filmmaking Lauded By Many As One Of The Most Powerful Australian Films Made In The Past 20 Years, Rowan Woods' Stunning Debut Feature The Boys Touched Off A Storm Of Media Controversy Upon Its Release In 1998. The Film Evoked Vivid Memories Of The 1986 Rape And Murder Of A Young Sydney Woman Named Anita Cobby. Although Woods' Film Was Fictional, The Boys Remains Inextricably Connected To Its Real-life Counterpart In The Minds Of Many Viewers. But That Connection Is Only Part Of The Story Behind The Making Of 'the Boys'. In This Thoughtful And Thought-provoking Essay, Andrew Frost Contextualises The Major Thematic Concerns Of The Film Into The Broader Context Of Social Anxieties About Violence, Crime And Morality. Frost Chronicles His Own Personal Journey With The Film And Its Makers From Art School To The Underground Super 8 Filmmaking Scene Of Sydney In The Mid-1980s, From The Early Short Films Of Director Woods To The Multiple Award-winning The Boys. Frost Discovers New Aspects Of The Boys Even Today And Wonders If Its Stinging Moral Message Has Been Heard Among The Clamour Of Everyday Suburban Life. In this thoughtful and thought-provoking essay, Andrew Frost contextualises the major thematic concerns of Rowan Woods' film The Boys into the broader context of social anxieties about violence, crime and morality. He chronicles his own personal journey with the film and its makers from art school to the underground Super 8 filmmaking scene of Sydney in the mid-1980s, and the early short films of Rowan Woods. Frost discovers new aspects of The Boys even today and wonders if its stinging moral message has been heard among the clamour of everyday suburban life.
