116: Peter Malone

Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

My guest this week is Fr. Peter Malone, priest and film critic, based in Australia, who was a foundational figure back when I did my own PhD in the late 1990s.

Peter talks about his interest in Christ-figure films, including through the work of Clint Eastwood, and he draws on the distinction between redeemer figures and saviour figures and we find out about his work on anti-Christ figures. He speaks about how these films reveal one’s own understanding of Jesus himself and we discuss the evolution of Jesus films.

He has been reviewing films since 1968 when he reviewed To Sir With Love and Far From the Madding Crowd, and we learn that Peter has a drive to see every film and he relays how he was once asked ‘Why can’t you just watch a film?’

We learn how he goes about reviewing a film and how he spent 11 years in London and became part of the London Film Critics Circle. He thought Philip French was one of the most amiable reviewers. Peter asks me if I pay to see a film and he refers to how it’s a waste if he goes out and doesn’t watch two films in one session. We learn how he goes about writing (or indeed speaking) a review.

He often writes discussion questions relating to each film, and Peter explains why he once wrote a letter to each of the films that have influenced him.

In the 90s he visited Pacific countries e.g. the Solomon Islands and Fiji which have given him a wider horizon regarding how people appreciate films in different countries, and we learn that for a number of years Peter went to Iran.

He tells me what he thinks about the booing and hissing that often takes place at Cannes, and we talk about whether the role of the audience impacts on the way we review a film. He refers also to when he met Martin Scorsese. I ask if studios pay attention to critics’ reviews, and our discussion moves on to the Marvel universe.

In the 90s he interviewed as many Australian directors as he could, and Peter tells me why directors are more interesting to have conversations with than actors. We also learn how his thoughts on All That Jazz changed on a second viewing, and why The English Patient didn’t do anything for him either time he watched it.

Then, at the end of the interview, we learn why when people ask him if he is sick of watching films all the time, Peter’s answer is ‘Not yet’. And, we discover why Peter cherishes looking back to the past but also looks forward.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Peter Malone and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.