"After the Deluge" (2003) TV mini-series

Director:

Brendan Maher

Writers:

Deborah Cox (additional material)
Deborah Cox (developer)

Release Date:

15 June 2003 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Follows the stories of the four men of the Kirby family. As Alex's marriage breaks apart, Toby tries desperately to start a family...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Memory | Alzheimer's Disease | Marriage | Death Of Dog

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

David Wenham	...	Alex Kirby
Hugo Weaving	...	Martin 'Marty' Kirby
Samuel Johnson	...	Toby Kirby
Aden Young	...	Young Cliff
Ray Barrett	...	Old Cliff Kirby
Catherine McClements	...	Nikki Kirby
Essie Davis	...	Beth
Rachel Griffiths	...	Annie
Kate Beahan	...	Margaret
Vince Colosimo	...	Eric
Marta Dusseldorp	...	Eva
Bob Franklin	...	Sid
Marco Chiappi	...	Bevan
Simon Burke	...	Michael
Tara Morice	...	Dianne

Runtime:

60 min (4 episodes) | Australia:120 min (2 episodes)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

CoxKnight Productions

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Ray Barret plays the violin near the start, he is obviously not playing - the bow doesn't touch the strings and his fingers move where there are no note changes.

Quotes:

Alex Kirby: ...Relationships aren't into bloody details. They're not rational. They don't make sense. Then before you know it you love someone, and you can't imagine life without them, so when it's all over it still doesn't make sense. And that's why you have to hate. And that's why you hate me. And that's why I have to learn to hate you.

Beware of the edition, check its running time

Please don't judge its quality until you see the original 194 minutes long film maker's edition. The current edition on Region-1 disc, released in 2004, is tragically abbreviated. It is no better than a 103-minutes-long-teaser of "After the Deluge".

As for the original 194 minutes edition of "After the Deluge", it richly delineates the conflict and reconciliation among the family members of the Kirby's through a lot of overwhelming episodes such as traumatic memories of war, memories of a beloved woman, the onset of geriatric Alzheimer's Disease, infertility, grief of sinking into oblivion, breakdown as a family man and a business man, and something like Oedipus complex. These are so skillfully interwoven beyond time and place that all of them are indispensable to lead to the finale that is rather bitter but serene and merciful.

FYI, it was the original edition that won several Australian Film Institute Awards in 2003. Hope that it will be fully released worldwide and immerse us in brilliant flood of emotion with its quality of a universal theme, an elaborate and elegant plot, beautiful music, and wonderful ensembles of performers.