QIs John supposed to be English or Australian?
AWithin the context of the film, it is not clear whether John Grant (played by English actor Gary Bond) is an English immigrant to Australia, or a native with a "Cultivated" (British-sounding) accent that is now rare in Australia. However, the scene where John tells Janette Hynes of his ambition to "get to England" and become a journalist seems to imply that John was not originally from England. Two other English members of the cast, Donald Pleasence (Doc) and Sylvia Kay (Janette), adopted more distinctively Australian accents for their roles in the film. The novel also gives little information about John's background, apart from mentioning an uncle in Sydney who apparently paid John's teaching bond.
QWhat were the differences between the Australian and American release?
AThe American distributor retitled the film Outback and at some point removed approximately 10 minutes of violence and sexual content. The most significant cuts were to the kangaroo hunt and to John Grant's intimacy with Janette Hynes (Sylvia Kay) and Doc Tydon. The shot of John climbing out of bed naked was replaced with an alternative take in which he is wearing underpants. This edited version was later released on VHS by Alpha Video. The original Wake in Fright was reissued in 2009, having been fully restored by Australia's National Film & Sound Archive.
QDid Doc and John have a homosexual encounter?
AWhile not stated explicitly, the movie and the novel both hint that Doc Tydon (Donald Pleasence) initiates a homosexual encounter with John Grant (Gary Bond) after their night of heavy drinking together. This implication is less clear in the novel, in which Doc's character disappears from the narrative after this episode. In the movie, however, John later returns to Doc's cabin with a rifle, apparently intent on shooting Doc as an act of vengeance.
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