Rainbow Bird and Monster Man
Encyclopedia
Rainbow Bird and Monster Man is a 2002 Australian documentary film
, directed by Dennis K Smith, telling the story of Tony Lock's childhood as a victim of sexual abuse
and his attempts as an adult to escape his tortured past.
. Tony's father was an agricultural labourer who suffered from alcoholism. Tony, without an older male role model, originally felt warm attachment to the other main figure in the film, his father's workmate and drinking friend Gordon Kerr. Then on one night Gordon - who was to be looking after the child - raped Tony. Tony and his younger brother continued to be sexually assaulted by Gordon for the following ten years until his parents unexpectedly saw this for themselves and were forced to acknowledge what was happening.
Tony and his brother were then sent away to live with family in Melbourne
. For the following years Tony seemed to be living a normal, happy life and seemed to put his past behind him. However, as Tony aged into his twenties he lost his job and drifted in a life of alcoholism
and drug abuse
. Tony then once again escaped, this time to go to Western Australia
to come clean.
After hearing radio reports of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Tony realised he was too traumatised by his past to forget. On recommendation of a social worker, Tony returned to his hometown in 1995 to have Gordon charged. Despite having a confession from Gordon himself, the police refused to initiate criminal proceedings. One night soon afterwards Tony became psychotic and pleaded for the police to detain him so he would not harm himself or anyone else. The police ignored Tony, who then went to Gordon's home to confront him. Tony was holding an axe for self defense
as he knocked on Gordon's door. After Gordon opened the door to point a gun at him, Tony then proceeded to strike Gordon as he pointed the gun away.
Tony was charged with murder
to be convicted of manslaughter
at his request in 1996. As he already served his sentence in custody before being convicted, Tony was released immediately afterwards. The film concludes in 2002 with Tony, who, while functioning in a comparatively normal life, still remains frequently traumatised by his experiences. A disturbing film that nonetheless challenges taboos, it highlights the reluctance for authorities and sometimes even families to confront sexual abuse as well as the devastating impact it has on victims' lives.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, directed by Dennis K Smith, telling the story of Tony Lock's childhood as a victim of sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
and his attempts as an adult to escape his tortured past.
Synopsis
The story begins with Tony recalling himself as a child in the 1960s at the age of four, coming from an aloof family in Trentham, VictoriaTrentham, Victoria
Trentham is a small town in the Shire of Hepburn and Shire of Moorabool Local government area, Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Trentham had a population of 629.Located at an altitude of , the town is north-west of Melbourne.-History:...
. Tony's father was an agricultural labourer who suffered from alcoholism. Tony, without an older male role model, originally felt warm attachment to the other main figure in the film, his father's workmate and drinking friend Gordon Kerr. Then on one night Gordon - who was to be looking after the child - raped Tony. Tony and his younger brother continued to be sexually assaulted by Gordon for the following ten years until his parents unexpectedly saw this for themselves and were forced to acknowledge what was happening.
Tony and his brother were then sent away to live with family in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. For the following years Tony seemed to be living a normal, happy life and seemed to put his past behind him. However, as Tony aged into his twenties he lost his job and drifted in a life of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
. Tony then once again escaped, this time to go to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to come clean.
After hearing radio reports of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Tony realised he was too traumatised by his past to forget. On recommendation of a social worker, Tony returned to his hometown in 1995 to have Gordon charged. Despite having a confession from Gordon himself, the police refused to initiate criminal proceedings. One night soon afterwards Tony became psychotic and pleaded for the police to detain him so he would not harm himself or anyone else. The police ignored Tony, who then went to Gordon's home to confront him. Tony was holding an axe for self defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
as he knocked on Gordon's door. After Gordon opened the door to point a gun at him, Tony then proceeded to strike Gordon as he pointed the gun away.
Tony was charged with murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
to be convicted of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
at his request in 1996. As he already served his sentence in custody before being convicted, Tony was released immediately afterwards. The film concludes in 2002 with Tony, who, while functioning in a comparatively normal life, still remains frequently traumatised by his experiences. A disturbing film that nonetheless challenges taboos, it highlights the reluctance for authorities and sometimes even families to confront sexual abuse as well as the devastating impact it has on victims' lives.