Everynight… Everynight

Dale is held on remand, awaiting a court hearing and sentencing. During this time, he endures repeated brutal beatings, highlighting the injustice of his situation. The first depicted beating lasts less than three minutes of screen time, but the actual assault reportedly lasted around seven hours.

Initially, Dale submits to the harsh realities of prison life, enduring both mental and physical abuses. Authorities force him to smash blue-stone with a pick, evoking Australia's convict heritage, while other inmates are humiliated through degrading acts such as licking feces off toilet doors. These treatments aim to break his spirit.

Gradually, Dale becomes desensitized to the violence and horrors around him. He develops a way to exist and express his rage secretly and subversively, adopting an indifferent attitude towards the prison's dehumanizing environment. This mental shift signifies a form of psychological resistance.

At one point, Dale is shown pacing his cell naked and mumbling incoherently, suggesting he's pushed to the brink of insanity by the trauma. These moments reflect his deteriorating mental state caused by ongoing abuse and isolation within the prison.

Dale proclaims his resignation from life itself, urging other inmates to do the same. This declaration signifies his rejection of the prison's oppressive system and highlights his mental and emotional turn towards defiance and reclaiming his agency.

Despite strict rules prohibiting contact between inmates at night, Dale and others manage to communicate by shouting through the prison walls. He initiates a chant, 'Unity in adversity!', which reverberates through the cells, symbolizing collective resilience and resistance.

Realizing that physical and psychological abuse no longer suppresses Dale, the guards begin to panic. Their authority is challenged as Dale’s refusal to conform undermines the system's power, leading to their loss of control and further escalation of tension.

In the final scene, Dale walks defiantly from the prison to face his trial. His act of leaving symbolizes the failure of the correctional system to break his spirit. Despite the system's efforts, he maintains his sanity and voice, emphasizing his resilience.

The prison system's attempt to produce docile, disciplined bodies ultimately fails as Dale retains his mental integrity and self-determination. His departure signifies a critique of the system's inability to fully dominate or dehumanize him.