Customer Reviews

The Devil's Playground [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

UH-oh . . . a movie about male libido. You can run, you can hide . . . or you can go on a poignant journey with Fred Schepisi as he takes you on this semi-autobiographical tour of a Catholic seminary in Australia, circa the Fifties. The first problem to overcome, obviously, is the DVD's cover art: no, it's not about priests who prey on boys. The straight-and-squeamish out there may presume that the movie is primarily about gay issues, but they would be wrong. Schepisi's priests are all straight-shooters, overturning a generally cherished stereotype (the few scenes involving homosexuality occur between the students). Instead, *The Devil's Playground* is about sexuality itself, or, more specifically, the war between Dogma and Glands: both priests and students are caught in this grimly funny and exasperating struggle. Schepisi is most adamant about being fair to both sets of individuals. On the one hand, you have the monk who spends his rare night away from the seminary at the local watering hole, getting desperately drunk, and flirting with factory girls right up to the point when a one-night-stand seems imminent. ("I barely escaped!" he pants to his fellow-priest as they run out of the bar.) On the other hand, we see the adolescent students in various stages of terminal puberty: they goggle at pinups; they play sadomasochistic games at secret night assignations; they flirt with the local girls . . . all the while dealing with new hair under their pits, wet dreams, embarrassing confessions to their teachers, fury at God, and secret wishes to give up the vocation. It's pretty heavy going, particularly the case of the strictest priest in the seminary, who, made helpless by compulsion, spends his day away from the school at the local public swimming pool. After ogling the bathing-suited ladies, he absconds to the lavatory, shaking with self-loathing. (The fantasy this episode causes, later that night, has to be one of the most masterfully shot "dream sequences" I've seen.) Of course, there's also a lot of keen, rueful humor that brings much-needed perspective to this stifling atmosphere. Sex, after all, is pretty funny. But as much as Schepisi respects the men of the cloth (and the boys who aspire to the cloth), he never lets you forget where he comes down on the Catholic Church's war against physical desire: "The body will not be denied." [Trivia note: watch for Thomas Keneally, author of *Schindler's List*, playing the role of a visiting friar.]

The charming child actor Simon Burke does a remarkable job connecting with his audience in this film. The film is about adolescent sex play and developing boys during puberty while confined to an all boys boarding school. The school is opressive but the boys use creative way's to survive this and try to love their developing bodies as best they can. Tom Allen (Simon Burke) has a charm about his smile that will get you in the heart and he knows how to act as well. The film is very well made and does accurately portray life in boys boarding schools. The Australian version of boys boarding schools seems to be much more opressive than the Brithish version of the same type of environment, of course this is from an American public school reviewer who has read a lot about these things. Note that this film is not a dark portrayal of life nor is it exploitive of boys sexuality. The boy's seem to have a ruggedness about their sexual curiosity that withstands the abuse of the system in the school. Also note that this film does not portray any sexual activity between the staff and the boys, but the staff sure has a botched up attitude about their own bodies. You will love the film.

William.

this would be no. 1 movie ever produced in australia about what goes on in an all boys boarding school and i would believethat all the examples in the movie are true. i went to a boarding school with only all boys and the sex that went on there was unbelievable. we all were involved and this movie really caused a stir here. i am pretty sure it was screened at the movies. it is a revelation as to what boys get up to to release there sexual needs. see it and enjoy. even the priests get in on the act BUT there is No hint of interferance with the boys

There's a newer and much better DVD of this movie, released in late 2008. It's available at Amazon here: Devil's Playground. (Just to make sure you're getting the right one, it's distributed by Industrial Entertainment, its ASIN is B001EAWMPG, and the UPC on my copy is 858334001381.)

That DVD is an excellent, very high quality transfer with breathtaking video and sound as clear as a bell, plus a lot of extraordinarily interesting material added just for that release, including one of the best director's commentary audio tracks I've ever heard. I urge anybody with even a hint of interest in this movie to buy a copy of that DVD, not this one, and do it soon. It may not be available at a reasonable price for long, and it's well worth it. I'm going there right now to write a five-star review.

I Love this film. If you are buying it from AAE Films/Allied Artists Classics it will actually be a DVD-R not a DVD. If you contact the company they will offer you a refund and tell you that they will stand behind the DVD-R virtually forever. This is great. Just be aware that you are getting a burned disc instead of a manufactured DVD.

THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND IS A MOVIE LIKE NONE OTHER.

IT TELLS ABOUT THE TABOOS IN THIS WORLD THAT NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO TALK ABOUT. WHETHER IT BE IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL FOR BOYS, A CATHOLIC SCHOOL FOR GIRLS OR JUST IN THE TYPICAL EVERYDAY HOME. EXCEPT THIS STORY WAS IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL FOR BOYS.

JUST WISH THEY WOULD COME OUT WITH A MOVIE, AN ENHANCED VERSION OF THE VERY SAME BOYS, WHERE MORE IS TOLD ABOUT THE BOYS, THAN WITH THE PRIESTS.

This film demonstrates why I love Aussie films. It is the kind I would make if I had the talent to produce and direct. There is never a dull moment. It moves at a fast clip and reveals what many of us who were exposed to parochial school endured. I have no bitter memories but this film shows everything including the warts. A wonderful film but I am appalled at much is the asking price for a copy. I am glad I bought mine when they were cheap.

Set in a Catholic boys school this film deals with a boys rebellion to arbritory and antiquainted rules. The young subject of the film shows honesty and truth in his questioning of the establishments regulation. His uninhibited life style upsets the masters of the school house.

A good movie with a message.
I liked all the extras- Trailer & Photo gallery.
What in the world is the "viewer from europe" writing about when he says- bad copy with no extras. He must have a Bootlegged copy. I have a DVD and so does a friend.
Both are excellent.

I'm sorry but i found this to be perhaps one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Not only were the camera shots fuzzy and sound muffled, the plot of the story was TERRIBLE! It made absolutley no sense to me to follow this movie's trail. I just kept waiting, no WANTING IT TO END! Just bad.