Distributor:
Umbrella Entertainment Certificate: PG | 104
minutes | All Region Year: 1975 Director: Peter Weir
Available to buy Extras: Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW?
Helen
Morse, Anne Louise Lambert, Rachel Roberts, Dominic Guard, Jacki Weaver,
Karen Robson, John Jarratt
WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
St
Valentine's Day 1900: A party of
Australian schoolgirls go on an
excursion to the mysterious
natural monument Hanging Rock,
four of the girls go exploring
on the Rock's upper slopes, only
for three of them to
mysteriously vanish never to be
seen again.
SO
IS IT ANY GOOD?
The
very essence of atmosphere, rightly regarded as one of the best
Australian movies of the 1970's and one that helped rejuvenate the
industry with its worldwide success. Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock
(based on the 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay which in turn was supposed to
have been based on a real happening) is a superb piece of cinema full of
stunning cinematography and gorgeous visuals. The Hanging Rock where the
girls disappear is portrayed as being almost alive, the trio seemingly
compelled to
explore further
into the rock structure.
Boasting a fine
soundtrack Hanging Rock has the same kind of mysterious langour as an
Henry James novel (think Turn of the Screw) and contains an almost
melancholic longing.
What turns the
movie from being a great movie into a classic one is the way Weir (and
original author Lindsay) do not seek to offer an explanation for the
girls disappearances allowing us to draw our own conclusions. It also
means that the movie stands up to repeat viewings, we certainly don't
have any concrete conclusions to offer but with the themes of sexual
repression and the phallic Rock offering some kind of forever freedom to
the girls is pretty tangible. Picnic at Hanging Rock is that rare thing
- a true classic.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
This two disc
set is gorgeously packaged in a gatefold digipack featuring antique
looking photographs of the girls, disc one contains the movie and the
original theatrical trailer whilst the second disc is full of fantastic
extras. First up is the magnificent two hour A Dream Within A Dream a
new doco on the making of the film and featuring interviews with all the
prominent members of the cast and crew; A Recollection - Hanging Rock
1900 is a vintage 1975 onset documentary again featuring interviews
with cast and crew as well as author Joan Lindsay; Joan Lindsay
Interview is just that - a lovely and sweet interview from 1974 with
the author; Short Recollections features audio interviews with
actors Dominic Guard and Karen Robson; Hanging Rock and Martindale Hall:
Then and Now - A look at the films two main locations; The Trailer
Collection features various trailers including a Cannes promo and
various double bill line ups; There is an extensive photo gallery
montage accompanied by a novel excerpt read by Helen Morse; The Day of
St Valentine is silent footage of an amount to film the movie by 13 year
schoolboy Tony Ingram (who provides a commentary) back in 1969.
