The emotional journeys are linear, at the beginning Felicia is very bitchy, but as the journey progresses, he becomes less bothersome and more mature. Physically he goes back to Sydney but in terms of emotions he has changed for the better and stays this way. All of the characters have emotional journeys and Elliot shows this by showing the audience what the characters are like at the beginning and how they change throughout the film.
At the beginning Felicia is very active and flamboyant. In one scene he is singing an immature song while Bernadette and Mitzi are talking about the trip. Mitzi is trying to persuade Bernadette is let Felicia come along and says, ‘He’s a bloody good little performer’, and Bernadette says, ‘ Yes, 24/7.’ Elliott is trying to show the audience what the other characters feel about Felicia. Felicia is very up front and doesn’t hold anything back. He constantly annoys Mitzi and Bernadette. Elliott uses a lot of close-ups to show the other characters feelings towards Felicia such as on the bus when Felicia makes a joke about Mitzi’s son; there is a close up of Mitzi’s face showing his aggression.
Mitzi is very depressed and unsure about his life. The opening scene shows him singing a song about someone who has been to paradise but hasn’t discovered themselves. He is the most secretive of the three and keeps the secret about his wife and son to himself until the very last moment. In one scene he is walking through the night in the rain and Elliott uses this scene to show the audience how Mitzi is feeling. His feelings are reflected in the darkness and rain. Elliott uses close-ups to show the look of desperation in Mitzi’s face and to show the audience he is unsure. At the fireside scene Mitzi tells Felicia and Bernadette that he has a wife. Bernadette is calm and seems to accept the fact that Mitzi’s married while Felicia starts laughing making jokes. Elliott uses this scene to show the difference in character between Felicia and Bernadette and the acceptance of Mitzi by Bernadette.
Bernadette is very sad from the loss of her husband, Trumpet. Near the beginning she is seen talking to Mitzi about how she tried to ‘snag a sympathetic husband’. There is a close-up shot of her on the phone in darkness talking to Mitzi and there is a shot showing rain at the window in the background. Then there is a panning shot of some photos to show the audience she has had happier times. She is almost shown as a silhouette in her dark clothes and she uses a mournful town of voice. Elliott uses this scene to show the audience how unhappy Bernadette is. As the play progresses she becomes happier. At the funeral, she is talking to Mitzi about Trumpet as their surroundings are a dark wooded area, but when Mitzi mentions the trip her face lights up and they walk out of the trees into the sunshine. Elliott uses this to show she wants to go on the trip. She is also bitter toward Felicia and doesn’t want him to go to Alice Springs. She constantly insults him. She is very feminine and Elliott uses lots of close-ups to show her femininity to the audience. This shows her security with her sexuality.
All of the characters go through changes, both physically and emotionally. Both Mitzi and Felicia are happy to go back to Sydney, and this is shown in the last scene where they perform Abba in front of their home crowd and they are laughing and cheering. The crowd are grateful to have them and there is a good atmosphere. Elliott deliberately shows the crowd to demonstrate the acceptance of Felicia and Mitzi. The music is happy and shows how Mitzi and Felicia feel.
The main reason Felicia comes on the trip is to complete his dream to climb King’s Canyon in a frock. When they do climb it, Elliott uses a mix of panning shots and close-ups to show the audience the vast amount of space and their feelings of determination. Elliott also uses slow, dominating music to show that it is an important part of the film. At the top, when they decide to go home there is a panning shot of the characters and the outback. Elliott wants to show the audience what they are leaving. Felicia has become more mature and has learnt the most from the trip although he still calls Bernadette ‘Ralph’. One reason for this is when Felicia realises Benji is fine about Mitzi’s career. This causes Felicia to become more mature. Benji has a big impact on Felicia because the two bond well together although he still calls Bernadette ‘Ralph’.
Bernadette decides to stay, which has a big impact on herself and Mitzi. She is uncertain of how it’s going to turn out but as she has met Bob she feels it’s the right thing to do. There is a close-up of her when the bus leaves. Elliott uses this to show sadness. She has developed a bond with Mitzi and they are both sad about leaving each other. There is a close-up of Mitzi and Bernadette hugging and the audience can see Bernadette crying. She is shown in a full body shot wearing white, which contrasts with her outfit at the beginning. Elliott uses these scenes to show how close the two have become and how Bernadette is going to miss Mitzi and going back to Sydney.
Mitzi’s changes are mostly emotional. He feels glad that his son accepts him for what he is. He is seen wearing real men’s clothes and is referred to by Bernadette as ‘Butch’. He tries to hide from his son that he’s a drag queen. In one scene Mitzi and Benji are sitting by the river and there are a series of close-ups of Mitzi’s face showing his inability to reconcile fatherhood and his nervousness. The camera then switches to Benji who is unaffected by his Dad’s lifestyle. The camera then switches back to Mitzi and there is a close-up of his face, which shows a change in his expression when he realises Benji’s attitude. Elliott uses emotionally intense and subtle music to coincide with Mitzi’s feelings.
To conclude, I think the best technique used in Elliott’s film Priscilla was the way he linked structure with meaning. Using a variety of techniques such as lighting and camera angles, Elliott conveys the characters journeys both physically and emotionally to the audience brilliantly.
Tom Matthews