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4.4 Events during the film but before the murder.
** Did the girls really pretend to be Biggles?
I have not been able to find an explicit reference to Biggles in existing quotes
from Pauline's diaries.
** Did the girls really invent all of those
characters?
Yes, and then some. This was one of the significant simplifications made by the
filmmakers, and it is an understandable one. The police reported seizing fourteen school
exercise books filled with stories written by Pauline and Juliet (handwriting was from
both, according to testimony) from the Rieper house. There were also innumerable letters
written by both girls which contained their stories, apparently written over a much longer
period of time than simply the time spent by Juliet in the sanatorium. According to court
testimony (which also simplified the whole thing significantly) the girls eventually
constructed two imaginary kingdoms/dynasties. Juliet's, more or less, was the one shown in
the film. Hilda Hulme testified that Juliet first wrote as Charles II, Emperor of
Borovnia. She then became Deborah, the Emperor's mistress, and they had a son, Diello
(Dialbo according to some news accounts. Dialbo is a rather obvious anagram of Diablo,
Spanish for "the Devil."). Diello was crowned King of Borovnia by the girls in a
lavish Coronation ceremony in December 1953. Pauline first wrote as Lancelot Trelawney, a
Cornish soldier of fortune, who eventually wed the Empress of Bolumnia (Volumnia in some
accounts) and thereby became Emperor of that Kingdom. They had a daughter, Mariole. Many
other characters were also mentioned as having had their identities assumed by Pauline or
Juliet at one time or another: Nigel, Philip, Justin, Dominic among them. The tales
gradually became more and more violent in a kind of gory one-upmanship, eventually
featuring extreme violence, sadism, bondage, the rape of maidens and the torture of
knights, according to testimony. The question is, would these stories be viewed any
differently today? Were they really an indication of serious mental imbalance? Or, just
the products of healthy imaginations?
** Did the girls really invent 'the Saints?'
Yes, the Saints shown in the film are accurate, and Mario Lanza figured prominently
in trial testimony. However, in real life there were also many more Saints, the status of
being a Saint was given and revoked often, and the whole interpretation of the meaning of
'Saints' was debated by psychiatrists and lawyers extensively. James Mason was undeniably
the most important Saint in real life, not Mario Lanza. The girls also had the concept of
Gods, a state higher than being a Saint, which was not made part of "Heavenly
Creatures." Among the Gods were: Rupert Brooke, Caruso, Julius Caesar and Charles II.
It is probably fair to say that the concept of 'Saint' was much more complicated in real
life than the way it was depicted in the film, and it probably changed with time. From
Pauline's diary entries, in particular, it would appear that the concept of the Saints
gradually became more and more sexual and erotic as time progressed, and it appeared as if
Pauline eventually used them as a code or euphemism for erotic fantasy and/or sexual
activity (see 7.4). The importance of the Gods seemed to increase with time. Also, the
girls differentiated between Saints and Gods and promoted and demoted from these
categories. In fact, the whole religious/theological structures created by JMH and PYP
were largely glossed over in "Heavenly Creatures," which is understandable
because they were really quite complex.
** Did the girls really have a shrine at Ilam?
Yes, although they apparently erected it as a monument to "dead ideas" as
well as a place to worship the Saints and their Gods. Trial testimony mentioned that they
also interred small dead animals there, such as dead mice. Medlicott testified it was a
temple to Minerva. Its significance may have been overstated in trial testimony. According
to trial testimony, the girls would spend all night at the shrine and would conduct
'religious ceremonies' to Raphael, their favourite angel and Pan, their favourite God, on
the lawns of Ilam in the middle of the night. It is true that religious and theological
musings made up a significant part of the girls' writing and conversations, and this was
omitted from the film. They had much more to say about the nature of the "Fourth
World" and its religious significance, the nature of the Gods there, death, Heaven,
life after death etc than was portrayed in "Heavenly Creatures."
** Did Dr Bennett exist?
Yes. He was a general practicioner, active in the Christchurch Marriage Guidance
Council and friend of Henry Hulme. He was consulted privately by Dr Hulme in early
December 1953 and again in May 1954 concerning the girls' relationship. This is an
important fact, and explains the filmmakers' portrayal of Henry Hulme as a man with a
manipulative streak and many hidden agendas. However, these incidents may have been more
complicated than they were portrayed. At Dr Hulme's suggestion, Honora Parker did take
Pauline to be examined by Dr Bennett a week after Dr Hulme's first consultation, just
before the start of Christmas holidays that year (which were very eventful and stressful,
as described in section 5). According to trial testimony, the Hulmes did not subject
Juliet to "psycho-analysis" as Dr Bennett had told them there was no need, and
it might even prove to be damaging to one so young. However, it had apparently been
decided by Dr Bennett and the Hulmes that it was alright to subject Pauline to
examination, although his examination could hardly be called a psychoanalysis. In
addition, Honora Parker may have played a more active role in the decision to examine
Pauline than was portrayed. In his trial testimony, Dr Bennett admited he got little more
than "yes" or "no" from Pauline in his examination, although he had no
hesitation in 'diagnosing' her as a homosexual. Dr Bennett eventually acted as a witness
for the defense, after he had performed "extensive" examinations of both girls
following the murder. As a professional and trusted family friend, he may have played a
key role in convincing the defense to enter a plea of 'not guilty by reason of insanity.'
** Did Rev Norris exist?
I haven't been able to confirm the existence of Rev Norris, but Juliet's maternal
grandfather was an Anglican minister.
** How accurate was the portrayal of the school?
Except in a very few small details, the school was portrayed very accurately (see
section 3.1.5). All uniforms shown, for example, were exact (there is a school photograph
with Pauline recreated exactly in the film). The opening hymn "Just A Closer Walk
With Thee" would not have been part of the girls' school experience (see 3.1.19).
Grades would have been reported as percentages and also as rankings in class, rather than
using 'As and Bs'.
** How accurate was the Riepers' home?
This was the only physical location that no longer existed. The filmmakers had to
recreate the Riepers' home from photographs and the living memory of neighbours. The
Riepers' home was located right downtown in an area that had mixed residential and
small-business buildings and was probably slightly less clean and residential and a bit
more gritty than depicted.
** How accurate was Ilam?
The filmmakers shot on location in Ilam and its grounds. The house is virtually the
same on the exterior as it was in 1954, as it is owned and maintained by the University.
Peter Jackson stated in an interview that Juliet's 'balcony scene' was a special effect
because the balcony has been remodelled (glassed in) since 1954. Interiors had to be
reconstructed (see 3.1.7 and 5.4.1).
** Are Pauline's diary entries real and accurate?
Yes, they are real, and yes, with certain provisos, they are reasonably accurate,
though many used in the voiceover were edited for dramatic impact. The diary entries used
in the film are among the entries entered into evidence at the trial. There are also many
existing diary quotations that were not used in "Heavenly Creatures" and these
have also been collected in section 7.4.3. The only caveat, of course, is that the
existing quotations may not actually be representative of Pauline's diary entries. This is
a point made emphatically by Glamuzina and Laurie in their book. Naturally, the police
would have abstracted the entries most directly related to the murder, and the
psychologists would have abstracted diary entries which would tend to support their points
of view. We may get a distorted view of Pauline from these quotes.
** Do Pauline's diaries still exist?
Michelanne Forster: "I was told [in 1989] by the [New Zealand] Justice
Department and the [Christchurch] police that Pauline's diaries no longer existed."
** Did the girls make plasticine figures?
Jackson maintains that Juliet made plasticine models and these were displayed on
the mantle at Ilam, according to several eye witnesses. It isn't at all clear that both
girls made plasticine figures of their characters; this may have been a clever and
effective artistic device used by Jackson to bring the girls' imaginations to life for the
audience. Anne Perry (Juliet Hulme) denies that she made plasticine figures as part of
role-playing games. There is considerable documentation to support the notion that Pauline
Parker made plasticine figures to represent fantasy characters in exactly the way shown in
"Heavenly Creatures" and that there were elaborate ceremonies performed with
them.
** What 'character' references were left out of
the film?
Jackson left out many contemporary 'character' references abstracted from Pauline's
diaries and from the girls' writings and statements after the murder which tended to paint
the girls in an unflattering light. Some may be found in section 7.4, though caution
should be exercised in taking reports at face value, especially from secondary or tertiary
sources. And, when it comes to statements made at trial, the motivations of those making
the statements needs to be weighed carefully, too. For example, it was stated in testimony
that the girls had listed the Ten Commandments and had kept a running tally of which ones
they had broken. By the time of the trial, Pauline noted she had broken all ten, while
Juliet had broken nine out of ten. This exercise was taken to be extremely telling, and
damning, during the trial, but more complete diary entries for the day make the whole
thing seem quite childish and quite ordinary (see 7.4.3). The girls were accused of having
blackmailed Walter Perry over his relationship with Hilda Hulme but there is compelling
evidence that this is an incorrect interpretation of the events. Pauline did make a
half-hearted attempt to steal money from Herbert Rieper's shop, but she did not succeed.
The girls did perform petty shoplifting at Woolworths and other stores. They apparently
did steal and pawn some items from Ilam, as shown in the film. Pauline and Juliet made
statements about becoming prostitutes to earn money for their escape, calculating what
could be earned and what would have to be done to earn it. Much was read into these
statements during the trial, but they seem quite naive, ludicrous and fanciful in
hindsight. There is absolutely no evidence that these 'plans' were ever considered
seriously by either girl, let alone that any were carried out. On the other hand, much
more conventional, and practical, plans such as checking steamship departure dates,
finding out the cost of fares, trying to find jobs to earn money were pursued. This makes
the whole issue of the few, off-the-cuff remarks about prostitution seem insignificant,
the point rather belaboured. Trial testimony noted considerable evidence of juvenile
delinquency such as lying, cheating, blackmailing, thieving, shoplifting and truancy but,
in hindsight, these may have to be weighed by the contemporary attitudes of the community
before coming to any judgement about their seriousness. In their interrogations after the
murder, both girls made clear statements to the effect that they had no regrets and
considered the killing justified, on many occasions. These need to be examined and weighed
carefully, in my opinion. Some of the existing statements may have been quoted out of
context and there is always the issue of the girls indulging in mind games with their
interrogators. For example, Dr Bennett testified to this exchange with Juliet Hulme:
FO Bennett: "I asked Juliet about hell and she said:" JMH: "No. There is no hell The whole idea is too primitive and too inartistic."
FOB: "Do you believe that in heaven or paradise you'll meet all the people you knew on earth?" JMH: "Of course." FOB: "Then you probably will meet Pauline's mother." JMH: "I suppose so." FOB: "With blood on her face." JMH: "Well, she wouldn't arrive in that state. Anyway, she'll be in heaven and we'll be in paradise. Even if we didn't meet her, it wouldn't matter. She wasn't a happy woman. The day we killed her she seemed to know and she didn't seem to bear any grudge." FOB: "Do you have any regrets?" JMH: "None whatever. Of course, I did not want my people to get involved in this, but we have been so terribly happy since. It was well worth it."
FOB: "Who then are the best people?" JMH: "The best people are those who fight against all obstacles in the pursuit of happiness." FOB: "Even to murder?" JMH: "Oh yes, if necessary."
These and many other quotations in a similar vein, presented in testimony by Medlicott and Bennett both, paint a picture of an extraordinarily callous person. Of course, it is equally possible that Juliet was a girl seriously disconnected from reality, and not necessarily a cold sociopath. In any event, this testimony inflamed the public and had a direct consequence in the sentencing. And, of course, there is the evidence about the relationship between Juliet and Pauline, which was quoted and misquoted and edited heavily in press reports. Much of the available evidence has been collected in section 7.
** Was Pauline's encounter with 'Nicholas'
accurate?
There were diary references which suggested that Pauline had two
sexually-significant encounters with a boarder, referred to as 'Nicholas' in the trial,
and these were vaguely similar to what was depicted in the film. However, 'Nicholas'
played a much bigger role in real life than was depicted in "Heavenly
Creatures." He apparently spent two nights in Pauline's bed before being discovered
by Mr Rieper but Pauline's relationship with him lasted much longer and had a
significantly different tone to it (much more intellectual) than the version we see in the
film and the time line of her relationship with 'Nicholas' was quite different. One
psychiatrist was careful to point out in testimony that Pauline only wrote of one
incidence of completed intercourse. Evidence was presented that Pauline frequently slipped
out of her room at night during 1952 and 1953, sometimes meeting with Juliet and sometimes
with boys. Some of Pauline's trysts were with boys (University students) from Ceylon (Sri
Lanka), and this inter-racial aspect was used by the prosecution to support their
description of her as "immoral, criminal and bad."
** Did the girls really go to see "The Third
Man?"
Alas, no they didn't. Pauline actually didn't refer to Orson Welles by name in any
of the diary extracts which still exist, but by his "Third Man" character name
"Harry Lime." It was as "Harry Lime" that he was tabulated in her
table of the Saints. This is an interesting fact, and illustrates the influence of pop
culture on the girls. Orson Welles supported himself in the early 50s, among other ways,
by 'milking' the tremendous popularity of Harry Lime. There were serialized radio shows,
some written by Welles, based on the Harry Lime character and these were very popular,
world-wide. The shows played in the U.K., the U.S. and were even translated, by Welles,
into French for the French/euro market. Also, Anton Karas' 'Harry Lime' theme was an
extremely popular recording on the radio. Pauline does mention that she had seen pictures
of Harry Lime, too, so the girls also devoured film magazines, no doubt. The film the
girls actually saw was "Trent's Last Case" (British Lion/Republic), directed by
Herbert Wilcox, screenplay by Pamela Bower from the novel by E.C. Bentley and starring
Michael Wilding, Margaret Lockwood and Orson Welles. It was released in July 1953, so it
still took a year to get to Christchurch NZ, but this is a bit smaller delay than the
three years implied by "The Third Man" in "Heavenly Creatures." So,
the use of "The Third Man" in "Heavenly Creatures" was a little bit of
justifiable artistic license on the part of Jackson. 4.5 Family situations
