Waterland
Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal
Nova Cinema, Melbourne
Reviewed by Peter Boyle
"What's the point of studying history, when the world is about to end?", a high school student asks of teacher-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown Tom Crick (Jeremy Irons). "What's the point of teaching history, if it won't help the students get a job?", asks his utilitarian principal.
Crick's extended response is to abandon the official syllabus and tell his class his story — shown in a series of flashbacks. This forms the substance of Waterland, which is adapted from the novel of the same name by Graham Swift.
Tom's personal story is tragedy-laden. We see the 16-year-old Tom (played by Grant Warnock) coming of age against the background of the eerie and desolate coast of East Anglia during the World War II. Strange and tragic events shaped the lives of the last two generations of his family, and Crick is destined not to escape this fate.
Innocent and exuberant teenage romance ends in unwanted pregnancy, a backyard abortion, sterility and a lifetime of guilt for his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Mary. (Young Mary is played by Lena Headey and the older Mary by Sinead Cusack.) Tom also has his share of guilt and remorse. For both this is multiplied by other tragic consequences of the pregnancy, which include a murder and a suicide.
The class listens to the teacher's sorry tale and finally at least one student is convinced that there is value in studying history because it prepares one for life. But this is not To Sir With Love revisited, so the teacher gets the sack for his trouble.
The story of Tom and Mary's life becomes a metaphor for history, which, says Tom at his final school assembly, is made up of people telling themselves stories about what is going on (which Waterland suggests is often pretty horrible) to give it meanings that allow them to tolerate painful reality. These stories are mostly tragic, according to Tom's wisdom, but when you are young you should dream that it might be otherwise.
Waterland is a sad, introspective movie done with style, intelligence and an eye for haunting beauty. Jeremy Irons portrays pain and remorse so well. Most people in Tom and Mary's situation would have moved on from their early tragedy. But the existentialist philosophy behind Waterland demands a sustained glumness that appears a little unreal.