Bogie in Bondi. The Empty Beach (1985) is a neo-noir shot in Sydney during the mid-1980s, and based on a novel by Peter Corris, one of a series of books devoted to his detective character, Cliff Hardy. A commercial failure at the Australian box office, this is a boilerplate mystery. But what was satisfying to me about The Empty Beach was seeing Bryan Brown in the lead, swanning about in a white shirt, working his laconic, ruffled charm as he investigates a big shot who may have faked his own death. There’s lots of location shooting around Bondi, and John Seale’s cinematography is never far from the coastal bay and the inner city surf in the background. There’s a commercial imperative to show off the sun, the surf and the seaside mansions, even as they front a corrupt underbelly.
You’ve got your noir conventions in full swing, like the asshole police counterpart (played by John Wood of Blue Heelers) with who there’s a begrudging respect with the independent private eye; the slimy crook (played by Ray Barrett) with his henchmen and his main squeeze that he patronisingly insults; and even some ambiguous ethnic types who might be up to something shonky. A MacGuffin that everyone wants – a reporter’s tapes – and eyewitnesses who turn up murdered. They even throw in a murder on the surf, a car chase in the inner city suburbs and a shootout at Bondi Pavillon.
The Empty Beach also features a theme song written by Don Walker and sung by Marc Hunter, and the score is performed by Martin Armiger and Red Symons (of Skyhooks and Hey Hey It’s Saturday fame), which goes all the way around from chugging synth, to light reggae and wailing saxophone. Alongside Brown’s reliable easy-going charm, the film feels like turning on AM radio and hearing a Mondo Rock song. Sort of comforting in its familiarity.
Great remaster and restoration, and available to stream on Brollie or purchase within a boxset from Umbrella Entertainment. For noir fans and Bryan Brown heads, and particularly spending time in mid-1980s Bondi. Recommended.
VHS Tracking 