Fortress (1986 film)
| Fortress | |
|---|---|
Film poster
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| Directed by | Arch Nicholson |
| Produced by | Raymond Menmuir |
| Written by | Everett De Roche |
| Based on |
Fortress by Gabrielle Lord |
| Starring |
Rachel Ward Vernon Wells |
| Music by | Danny Beckermann |
| Cinematography | David Connell |
| Edited by | Ralph Strasser |
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Release date
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24 November 1985 (US TV) 26 June 1986 (Australia) |
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$4.4 million |
| Box office | A$139,000 (Australia) |
Fortress is a 1985 Australian thriller television film directed by Arch Nicholson and written by Everett De Roche, and starring Rachel Ward, based on Gabrielle Lord's 1980 novel the Fortress.
A teacher (Rachel Ward) and her students at a small rural school in Australia are kidnapped and held for ransom by a band of violent shotgun-wielding masked thugs wearing Christmas character masks. Held for ransom in a cave, she and the children daringly escape from their captors, are pursued, establish a stronghold, and fight for their lives.
The novel Fortress by Gabrielle Lord was inspired by the 1972 Faraday Primary School kidnapping of an isolated rural single teacher school and was influenced by William Golding's 1954 novel the Lord of the Flies.
At one stage it was thought the novel would be filmed by Murdoch and Stigwood's R & R Films as a follow up to Gallipoli (1981). However this never eventuated.
The film rights were purchased by Crawford Productions who intended to make a feature film for local release and a tele movie for HBO in the US. Half the budget was from HBO who insisted the lead be played by an actress who was familiar to the American public.
Everett De Roche wrote the script and originally Bruce Beresford was announced as director. He dropped out and then Arch Nicholson was hired. Crawfords and HBO wanted Bess Armstrong to play the lead. Actors Equity objected, so Sigrid Thornton was accepted as a compromise. However two months prior to shooting Thornton fell pregnant and HBO and Crawfords insisted on Armstrong. Actors Equity would not relent and the film shut down, despite the fact $700,000 had already been spent. The project was later re activated when Rachel Ward (a British actress who had moved to Australia) was approved.
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