Parer’s War

If you’re producing a drama about the life of a cinematographer then you want to make sure your story looks handsome on the screen.

Thankfully, Parer’s War by Pericles Films ticks that box.

The recreation of the 1940s in Australia and New Guinea lives up to expectations with a rich tapestry of images and soundtrack, lovingly directed by Alister Grierson.

Matt Le Nevez (Offspring, Howzat!) portrays Damien Parer, a cinematographer working alongside Australian troops before the word “embedded” ever entered our vernacular. Parer was a passionate storyteller, risking his life to capture the footage of our boys on the frontline in an era when battle scenes were largely re-enacted for the benefit of cameras.

Parer strived for authenticity, climbing trees to get the best vantage point for the action, and hiding from the enemy for fear of getting shot.

His footage of Aussies fighting the Japanese in New Guinea comprised the film Kokoda: Frontline, produced for Ken Hall (Rob Carlton). It went on to win Australia’s first Academy Award and it changed public opinion when complacency was taking hold.

But Parer was furious when images released to newspapers threatened to give up the location of the troops to the enemy. In Parer’s War, he argues with the army bureaucrats, personified here by Nicholas Bell.

Much of the telemovie, however, revolves around his romance with girlfriend Marie Cotter (Adelaide Clemens) and his reticence to pursue marriage, in spite of his religious faith. It’s as if he is more in love with his camera than his sweetheart. Marie is frustrated by his cold feet and distance, wondering if he will ever return home alive.

In this most heroic role, Le Nevez underplays Parer the man. His performance is never flashy, leaving the conflict to primarily play out in the romance. Adelaide Clemens is excellent as Marie with a quiet and respectful portrayal of the woman juggling devotion and circumstance.

More love story than war story, Alison Niselle’s script paints a nearly flawless portrait of Parer (his passion for work is his sole Achilles heel) and captures a nation at war with identity. However the dialogue is peppered with a few too many colloquial idioms, perhaps with an overseas audience in mind.

I would also liked to have seen this broadcast on ANZAC eve or day for an ABC audience, rather than try to compete with the Logies and Downton Abbey (the latter is particularly the same audience).

However things pan out, I suspect Matt Le Nevez will have plenty to smile about come Sunday.

Parer’s War airs 8:30pm Sunday on ABC1.