After a near-death experience, a man wonders if he actually did die and is now in Hell.After a near-death experience, a man wonders if he actually did die and is now in Hell.After a near-death experience, a man wonders if he actually did die and is now in Hell.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 11 nominations
- Harry's Mother
- (as Sara De Teliga)
- Harry's Daughter
- (as Saski Post)
- Dwarf
- (as Marco Colombani)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWas shown on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) by John Hind on his film show, and created a mass controversy due to the film's sexual content. The complaints at the time created the most criticised event ever on the ABC.
- Quotes
Adrian Clunes: Y'know Harry, where exactly are you going to draw the line? If you fire us, you have to fire all the clients.
[Oyster flies off his fork]
Adrian Clunes: I'm sorry. Now listen: they release about 18,000 totally new organic compounds every year; none of them are properly tested. God knows how many cause cancer! The whole of the Western world is built on things that cause cancer. They cannot afford to stop making them!
[pause]
Adrian Clunes: Oh, for Christ's sake, look at your clients. Austrol had benzine in petrol; which is a carcinogen. Mitsuzi use it making tires! And we, we use saccharine, and even if we switch to cyclamates instead, they're just another suspect. And that other lot, your dry cleaning companies, use carbon tetrachloride! And every time
[pause]
Adrian Clunes: an announcement is made that something might cause cancer, people are less worried because they cannot believe it possible that half of what they breath and eat
[pause]
Adrian Clunes: is going to kill them.
- Alternate versionsThe version originally screened at the Cannes Film Festival ran 135 minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Reading Australian Film (1988)
Harry Joy, an advertising executive, has a near-fatal heart attack - but when he recovers he is convinced he is in hell. And why not? His bitchy wife is having a torrid affair right under his nose, his son is trading drugs for sex with his own sister, and his ad agency represents the most destructive and polluting companies in town. Harry's life spirals out of control until he breaks away from his awful family and finds redemption in his love for the beautiful Honey Barbara.
Filled with extraordinary images, the film captures the surreal mood, the sense of hidden menace and the outrageous black humour of Carey's book, and brings the characters vividly to life.
Barry Otto, one of Australia's greatest actors, is perfect as Harry and he is brilliantly supported by an outstanding cast, including Lynette Curran as his horrible wife, Miles Buchanan as his evil and depraved son, Gia Carides as the daughter, and especially Helen Jones as his hippy 'innamorata', Honey Barbara.
If you can find it, the longer "director's cut" version is a must-see, for the amazing police-station scene - inexplicably removed from the initial release version - where Harry, under arrest after a series of bizarre and hilarious incidents, transfixes the cops with one of his famous stories. Barry Otto delivers an electrifying monologue, in one long, unedited scene, with the camera gradually pulling closer and closer to an extreme closeup of his face.
"Bliss" is director Ray Lawrence's only feature film to date - but one perfect film is better than ten duds!
- Dunks
- Sep 29, 1998
- How long is Bliss?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Saadet
- Filming locations
- Iron Cove Bridge, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia(Harry driving bent car scene)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- A$3,400,000 (estimated)