The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce

Infobox Film
name = The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce (Film)


image_size =
caption =
director = Michael James Rowland
producer = Nial Fulton
writer = Screenplay:
Michael James Rowland
Nial Fulton
narrator =
starring = Adrian Dunbar, Ciaran McMenamin, Dan Wyllie, Don Hany, Chris Haywood, Bob Franklin
music =
cinematography = Martin McGrath
editing = Suresh Ayyar
distributor =
released =
runtime =
country = Australia Ireland
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1099204

"The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce" is a 2008 film directed by Michael James Rowland [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0746730/] starring acclaimed Irish actors Adrian Dunbar and Ciaran McMenamin.The film was shot on location in Tasmania and Sydney in April and May 2008.

Background

Producer and co-writer Nial Fulton [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1755276/] began developing "The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce" in Ireland in 1998 and production began on the project in Australia in the summer of 2006. The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce was inspired by the remarkable true story of an escape from the Sarah Island penal settlement in Macquarie Harbour, Van Diemen's Land in 1822 by Irish convict Alexander Pearce and the subsequent confession he made to the Hobart priest Phillip Conolly days before he was executed for the murder of fellow convict Thomas Cox.

Plot

"The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce" follows the final days of Irish convict Alexander Pearce's life as he awaits execution. The year is 1824 and the British penal colony of Van Diemen's Land is little more than a living hell. Chained to a wall in the darkness of a cell under Hobart Gaol, Pearce is visited by Father Conolly, the parish priest of the fledgling colony and a fellow Irishman. Pearce wishes to tell the priest his recollection of the horrors he endured in the three months spent traversing the brutal wilderness of Van Diemen's Land. Conolly struggles to reconcile his desire to grant absolution to the convict with the story Pearce tells him.

Production

Script

Written by Michael James Rowland and Nial Fulton, the script for "The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce" draws on all four confessions made by Alexander Pearce, but principally on the confessions he made to Commandant Cuthbertson and the final confession made to the priest Phillip Conolly. In many places the script uses the exact words written down in these confessions.

The four written confessions made by Alexander Pearce were recorded by:

*Lieutenant John Cuthbertson, Commandant of Sarah Island
*Reverend Robert Knopwood, magistrate of Hobart.
*John Bisdee, Hobart gaoler
*Phillip Conolly, Catholic priest in Van Diemen's Land

Principal Cast

*"Adrian Dunbar" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001160/] as the Irish priest Phillip Conolly. Conolly was the first Catholic priest to administer to the convict parishioners of Van Diemen's Land and took the final confession of Alexander Pearce shortly before he was executed.

*"Ciaran McMenamin" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573223/] as the Irish convict Alexander Pearce, sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia for the theft of six pairs of shoes. Born in either County Fermanagh or County Monaghan, Alexander Pearce was a farm labourer who became one of the most infamous of all Van Diemen's Lands many notorious characters.

*"Dan Wyllie" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0943814/] as Robert Greenhill

*"Don Hany" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0361546/] as John Mather

*"Bob Franklin" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0291361/] as Matthew Travers

*"Chris Haywood" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371824/] as the infamous magistrate of Hobart, the Reverend Robert Knopwood.

*"Martin Jacobs" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414544/] as Lieutenant John Cuthbertson, Commandant of Sarah Island

*"Tony Llewellyn-Jones" [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515764/] as Lieutenant Governor William Sorell

Supporting Cast

*"Richard Green" as Edward Brown

*"Matthew Preston" as William Kennerly

*"Peter Dowling" as Thomas Bodenham

*"Tony Goodfellow" as Alexander Dalton

*"Bill Young" as Hobart Gaoler

*"Kelly Butler" as Ms Brown

*"Socratis Otto" as Young British Officer

*"Carl Rush" as Constable Loggins

*"Lyndsey Smider" as Young Aboriginal Man

The film also features many cameos from members of the crew, including:

*Director" Michael James Rowland" as the night watch-man of Hobart Gaol

*Producer "Nial Fulton" as Hanging Party Guard

*Stand by Props "Paul Stewart" as the Executioner

*Set Dresser "Peter Foster" as the Surly Guard at the gates to Hobart Gaol.

Van Diemen's Land / Tasmania

Shot over five weeks on location in Tasmania and Sydney the director and producer wanted to put both cast and crew into the actual environment were the real events occurred. The film was shot on location around Lake St Clair, Nelsons Falls, Tahune, Mount Wellington and Sydney. The producers also wanted to use as many local Tasmanian cast and crew as possible, adding to the authenticity of the piece.

Almost all the extras in the film are from Tasmania and the actors "Peter Dowling" (Bodenham) "Matthew Preston" (Kennerly) "Tony Goodfellow" (Dalton) "Carl Rush" (Loggins) and "Jack Ayeward" (Cox) all live in Tasmania.

Production Design

Felicity Abbott

Editing

Post production on the film began in Sydney on the 12th May 2008. Award winning Australian editor Suresh Ayyar [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0044064/] is cutting the film.

Music

Acclaimed Australian composer Roger Mason [http://www.roger-mason.com] scored the film.

Broadcasters

*Australian Broadcasting Corporation
*British Broadcasting Corporation
*Radio Telefís Éireann

Finance

*Australian Film Finance Corporation [http://www.afc.gov.au/]
*Screen Tasmania [http://www.screen.tas.gov.au/]

Production Company

Essential Media & Entertainment [http://www.essential-media.com]

Misc. Companies

*Panavision [http://www.panavision.com.au/]