The Hot Spot Rating
Head On (2000)
Starring: Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis, Julian Garner, Tony Nikolakopoulos
Director: Ana Kokkinos
Synopsis: bristling with raw energy – performance driven drama of angst and frustration
“Dimitriades does fine, brave work.”
— David Stratton, Variety
“Head On is not just about the state of denial within the Greek community in Melbourne. It’s a bomb aimed at the placid and polite styles of Australian film.”Paul Byrnes, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
“In terms of iconoclastic daring, Head On has no equal in Australian cinema.”— Paul Byrnes, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
“One of the most beautiful and enigmatic endings of any Australian film.”— Paul Byrnes, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
“Head On is social realism crossed with a nightmare; kitchen sink drama that enters the realm of the senses.”— Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian
“Painfully brilliant.”— Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian
“Shocking, confronting and dazzling.”— Margaret Pomeranz & David Stratton, SBS Movie Show
“The young thesp utterly convinces as a reckless, hedonistic seeker of instant gratification.”— David Stratton, Variety
Ari is a bundle of confusion and nervous energy, driven by the turmoil raging within. He is a 19-year-old Greek Australian struggling desperately to find his own place in a world that seems to have no room for him. Being a young, unemployed, angry child of immigrants on the streets of Melbourne already leaves him feeling alienated enough, but his confused sexuality only serves to deepen his sense of isolation.
The tortured Ari — running from his own shadow
Ari is strikingly good-looking. Girls turn for a second glance because of his dark, brooding features, yet however hard he tries to be “normal” and do the things that normal people are supposed to do, he finds himself constantly battling against his own nature. He is forever arguing and bickering with his fiercely traditional Greek parents who endlessly hark back to the good old “revolutionary” days, recalling how they fled Greece in search of a better life and greater tolerance. Here in suburban Melbourne, the revolution that never happened is dissected over endless cups of Greek coffee in the local tavernas of Little Athens.
Ari flirts with the idea of coming out of his repressive closet. He jokes about sexuality and his choice of friends, yet despite opening the closet door just a crack, he never quite finds the courage to step through it. That repression becomes just another of the countless conflicting emotions tearing him apart. His sexual encounters provide his only form of escape, though they are almost always anonymous, cold and fleeting, taking place in the dimly lit back alleys and clubs of Melbourne after dark. He reaches desperately for anything that offers even momentary comfort or release, whether it be anonymous sex, drugs or simply another distraction from the reality he cannot face.
He spends the entire film running from himself, and by the end, despite all the trauma he experiences — particularly alongside his cross-dressing friend Toula, superbly played by Paul Capsis — he remains every bit as confused as when he began. Ironically, Toula, who is beaten senseless by police, emerges emotionally far stronger, knowing exactly who she is and what she wants.
Alex Dimitriades — a star in waiting
When the film draws to a close, Ari is back where he started, still searching for anonymous encounters, still running from himself, from his confused thoughts, his anger and any meaningful vision of the future. He runs because he simply cannot reconcile who he is with who everyone expects him to be.
The film is a profoundly Greek affair. Director Ana Kokkinos, herself of Greek heritage, fills the film with the rhythms, rituals and tensions of Melbourne’s Greek community. It becomes not merely a story about sexuality but about the crushing burden of family expectation, of growing up different within a tightly knit immigrant community and facing the prospect of shattering your parents’ dreams simply by being yourself.
Alex Dimitriades is sensational. Already a familiar face to Australian audiences, he delivers a performance of remarkable honesty and emotional intensity. Handsome, brooding and magnetic, he possesses the effortless screen presence of a young Mel Gibson and the quiet intensity that would later make actors such as Vin Diesel so compelling. As Ari he conveys an astonishing range of emotions, often without saying very much at all. It is a deeply convincing performance.
Ana Kokkinos directs with tremendous assurance, bringing real vitality and visual flair to the material. She captures the Greek community beautifully, from the exuberance of the wedding celebrations to the clever use of archive footage that is seamlessly woven into the narrative. Most importantly, she draws superb performances throughout, not only from Dimitriades but from virtually every member of the supporting cast.
Head On will not be everyone’s cup of tea because of its frank sexual content, but beneath that lies a raw, vibrant and utterly honest portrait of a young man crushed beneath expectation yet unable to embrace his own identity. It may not quite be the Australian Trainspotting, but it possesses the same fearless honesty, crackling energy and visual confidence. It remains one of the finest Australian films of its era and announced Ana Kokkinos as a filmmaker of genuine talent. Above all, it confirmed Alex Dimitriades as one of Australia’s most compelling young actors.
