A Journey of Discovery, Divas, and the Desert
By Amy Vincent
They’re ready for stardom. They’re ready for fame. They’re ready for their close-up. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is rapidly becoming one of my favourite movies of all time. A funny, lively, and heart-warming comedy involving two drag queens and a trans woman travelling through the hot, dusty Australian desert? Yeah, it definitely got me hooked! One of the things I loved about this film was how the Australian identity was both subtly and not so subtly introduced.
Whether it was through landscape shots, amazing costume design, outlandish dialogue or even the amused and welcoming Indigenous Australians, I found it was something that I could watch and find familiarity with. Filled with dazzling outfits, fabulous characters and classic 80’s songs, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, is anything but a drag.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is an Australian road comedy made in 1994 by Australian writer and director Stephan Elliott. It was his second feature film following his work on Frauds (1993) an Australian thriller (IMDB, n.d.). The film opens in Sydney Australia, where we are immediately hit with the song ‘I’ve Never Been to Me’ by Charlene, performed by two outrageously vibrant drag queens Mitzi Del Bra (Hugo Weaving) and Felicia Jollygoodfellow (Guy Pearce), otherwise known as Tick and Adam respectively. The performance involves lip-synching and minimalised choreography while wearing fabulously flamboyant costumes, and tonnes of eye shadow. After accepting an offer to perform at the Lasseter’s Hotel Casino Resort in Alice Springs, they, with the addition of artiste transgender woman, Bernadette (Terence Stamp), begin a four-week road trip in a tour bus they dutifully christen “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”.
While travelling through rural towns and remote lands that border the Simpson Desert, they are subjected to homophobic abuse and violence. Including having the Queen of the Desert vandalized with homophobic graffiti (later to be painted over by Adam once the bus breaks down in the middle of the desert – “Nothing like a new frock to brighten up your day”). They meet many people along the way, from the non-judgemental group of friendly Aboriginal Australians who are more than happy to join in on a drag performance of iconic 70s’ hit, ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor, even adding their own cultural twist with the additions of didgeridoos and Indigenous singing. To the down-right horrible, bottom-of-my-boot cockroaches from towns in rural Australia like Coober Pedy. In which people display less than accepting attitudes, and go as far as chasing down dressed-in-drag Adam and almost mutilating him when they find out he isn’t a woman. Joining the trio after his not-so-children-friendly entertainer wife leaves him, Bob the mechanic enjoys days on the road while sorting out his growing feelings for Bernadette.
When finally arriving at the Hotel Casino, with a plot twist coming out of nowhere, eight-year-old Benjamin is revealed, the son of Marion and Tick, and though nervous about revealing his true identity, sexuality, and career to his son, Tick is fully supported and accepted. The nightly performances of the song ‘Finally’ by CeCe Peniston feature many different outfits that reflect some of Australia’s iconic animals, landmarks, and flowers. When the gig wraps up, it is here that Bernadette reveals she is staying behind in Alice Springs with Bob, whilst Adam, Tick, and Benjamin head back to Sydney. But before they go their separate ways, they decide to fulfil a long-held dream Adam had once revealed to them, to climb Kings Canyon in full drag, and what a sight it is.
The ending scenes of the movie I think, wrap the whole experience up and resonated a lot with me. After Mitzi and Felicia finish a performance of the classic ABBA song ‘Mamma Mia’, they each take a bow and through confetti and cheers, Mitzi says “Thank you! Thank You!”, pulls off the wig and finishes with “It’s good to be home!”. To me, the scene signifies an ending to a journey of friendships, self-love, and acceptance. Between the tight-knit bonds formed with each other and those they meet on the road, a community and home are established. The search for belonging is a central theme throughout the film and leaves us questioning where exactly our own homes lie.
When talking to my mum about Australian films and which one to watch, one of the first suggestions she had was The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. She had loved the Australian-isms such as the scenery, the outback folk and attitudes, but also how it could evoke sadness despite it being a comedy. Deciding to watch the trailer, I was surprised at how uniquely Australian it was. Almost taken aback by the accents, mannerisms and language used, despite knowing the story, cast and settings were set in Australia. Perhaps this is because I consume a lot of British and American media. Yet when watching the trailer, through those Australian mannerisms, I was reminded of the days when I would stay up before bed and watch Home and Away, an Aussie soap opera I was obsessed with. I knew immediately after watching the trailer that this was the movie for me, it has that cheeky, flippant, and dry-humoured comedy (“Do you have the Texas Chainsaw Mascara?”) and outrageously outstanding outfits. I was also curious to see how Stephan Elliott addressed issues and the at-the-time stigma surrounding sexuality, drag queens and transgendered individuals in a 1990s comedy.
I love comedies, who doesn’t? So, for me, the majority of the film was spent laughing. Within the first four minutes, I had a split-eating grin on my face and a nostalgic feeling in my bones. I reckon it had been a while since I had last seen pure true-blue attitudes, excessive unapologetic swearing, and outlandish personalities. Following the end of the first performance, we see a man in the audience throw a beer can at Mitzi Del Bra, and with a quick, sharp wit and a microphone in hand, Felicia Jollygoodfellow has a crack back.
FELICIA: Well that was fucking charming, you gutless pack of dickheads.
MAN 1: Fuck off, you talentless dog!
FELICIA: What was that?
MAN 2: Show us your pink bits.
FELICIA: No, I don’t think I will. Now, do you know why this microphone has such a long cord?
MAN 3: Why?
FELICIA: So it’s easily retrieved after I’ve shoved it up YOUR ass.
This is one of the many scenes that showcase the type of comedy and atmosphere that is expected in this film. Through the song choices of ‘Go West’ by the Village People and the ABBA classic ‘Mamma Mia’, you can’t help but feel excited, upbeat, and indestructible when dragged along with the trio on their drama-filled adventure through Australia.
One aspect of the film I respect is the positive portrayal of queer culture, and gay and transgender people. Whilst the film has many jokes, it is never at the expense of the tremendous trio. Despite Adam being the punchline of most jokes, it is often taken in good nature and has a witty one lined response that follows, making it clear to the audience that we are not laughing at him, but with him. Priscilla avoids the victimization of Tick, Adam, and Bernadette, who are often met with homophobic and transphobic transgressions. Whilst they appear infrequently throughout, when they do appear it is often surrounded by an alarming, stand-still atmosphere. One such instance is when the homophobic AIDS-related slur ‘AIDS fuckers go home’ was painted in deep red on Priscilla. Adam is seen painting over the bus in a lavender colour, which, for some background knowledge, is the colour associated with LGBTQ+ resistance after the Lavender scare in the 1950s, of which governments fired LGBTQ+ workers. So, to see the depth of details that went into reclaiming such a powerful act of defiance made me see the film beyond being ‘just a comedy’, and into something more invigorating and inclusive (Hastings, 2020).
Something that resonated with me and one of the takeaways of the film was the theme of needing acceptance in a society that constantly changes what’s ‘right’ and what’s ‘wrong’. I think everyone, at some stage in life has struggled with the need to fit in, to be liked and accepted. It’s ever-changing and it wasn’t until I was older and more mature, that I realised there was no point or enjoyment in trying to change who you are just for the acceptance and betterment of others. Who cares? All you need is acceptance in yourself, to be you and be proud of who you are. Throughout the film we see both Bernadette and Tick almost silently struggle for acceptance from society, and it is only at the end that we see them become the flamboyant Queens they are, without hesitation. Whereas Adam thrives on creating conflict, he’s antagonistic, a drama queen in all senses of the word, always looking to push a few buttons to upset the balance of society. He has no qualms about who he is and often uses it to his advantage. When trying to figure out how they are getting to Alice Springs, Adam turns up with a bus that cost $10,000, one which they cannot afford, and by telling his mother what she wants to hear, he has conned her out of the money. He recites the conversation to the group in a voice akin to mockery:
ADAM: Mummy, maybe a trip to the Outback would help me get over this little phase I’m going through, and you never know I might meet some lovely country girl.
Followed shortly by dialogue that makes me bloody grin every time I hear it, and I will forever quote it:
ADAM: I hereby christen this budget Barbie camper, Priscilla, Queen of the desert.
Priscilla certainly followed the mould with typical road trip movies, featuring lots of drive-by scenery, deep talks during campouts and meeting the locals. One of the more obvious aspects of the film that makes it Australian is the use of scenes that display the rugged outback to track their movements through the seemingly never-ending desert of Kings Canyon. If there’s one stereotype about Australia that’s true, it’s that we have a lot of desert land, and the film certainly shows it.
If we look beyond the obvious tell-tale signs of the film, the landscape, accents, and mannerisms, Priscilla shows us a little bit of the darker side of Australia. From fights on the side of the street to aggressive swearing for no apparent reason. Whilst it isn’t a common occurrence in the film, it still appears every now and again. One such instance is in the scenes following the first performance by Mitzi and Felicia. While Tick is walking home through the Sydney streets, in the background we can hear car alarms going off and the drop of the f-bomb more times than I care to count. The portrayal of the ‘darker side to Australia’ in my opinion is essential to Australia’s national cinema. It’s an inside look into the continent, past the typical stereotypes of mateship and easygoingness, and instead, a look at the everyday occurrences we could experience as an Australian. Isn’t that what Australian national cinema is about – showcasing all of Australia?
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a big hit with the public and the industry. As stated by a report titled ‘Australian Films at the Australian box office’, Priscilla took home $16,459,245AUD, securing a place in the world’s top 10 highest-grossing films of 1994 (Film Victoria, 2011). According to director Stephan Elliott, the audiences that viewed the film in Australia, the United States and France all had different reactions to different aspects. He stated that Australian audiences laughed at the Australian-isms, while Americans laughed, but at different jokes, showing a cultural disconnect to the national cinema (Epstein, 1974). Priscilla was nominated for many awards and won eleven of them in categories such as ‘Best Production Design’, multiple ‘Best Costume Design’, ‘Best Makeup and Hair’, ‘Outstanding Film’, and both Terence Stamp and Hugo Weaving for ‘Best Actor’. With such extraordinary visuals and designs around Australian themed costumes, including ones of: emus, bush wattle, bearded dragons, and the Sydney Opera house, it is not surprising that recognition was awarded.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a movie that was ahead of its time, and I think it should be watched and appreciated by everyone at some stage in their life. The release of this film marked a monumental movement in the film industry, not just in Australian national cinema, but worldwide. I think that because of its positive representation of queer and transgender individuals, it has changed Australia’s viewpoint and has opened up avenues for conversations to be had around queer and transgender issues in society.
Through Australian visuals such as classic outback settings and small-town landscapes, Australian mannerisms and First Nations appearances, the film built upon the pre-existing national cinema that Australia has and ushered in a new age for LGBTQ+ cinema. This film certainly has changed the way I think, feel and most of all, the way I dress.
References
Epstein, J., 1974. Stephan Elliott. Cinema Papers, pp. 04-10.
Film Victoria, 2011. Australian Films at the Australian Box Office, Victoria: Film Victoria.
Hastings, C., 2020. How lavender became a symbol of LGBTQ resistance. [Online]
Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/lgbtq-lavender-symbolism-pride/index.html#:~:text=In%201969%2C%20the%20color%20came,taken%20place%20a%20month%20before.
[Accessed 11 July 2022].
IMDB, n.d. Stephan Elliot. [Online]
Available at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0254632/
[Accessed 11 July 2022].
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. 1994. [Film] Directed by Stephan Elliott. Australia: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.