Runtime: 109 minutes
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff (RIP)
Starring: Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson
From: NLT Productions
Tomorrow I'll catch but tonight I'll discuss what was viewed last night:
A belated RIP to Ted Kotcheff. The Canadian director passed away more than a month ago yet I waited to pull the trigger on one of his most famous films, an Ozploitation classic. Most will of course know him best for First Blood but he made some other pictures in Hollywood along with movies in his native Canada, along with some TV work. What a career: everything from this and First Blood to Weekend at Bernie’s, North Dallas Forty, & Fun with Dick and Jane. As multiple people have compared this with the new Nicolas Cage picture The Surfer (that may be viewed in the future), might as well finally pull the trigger.
What an uncomfortable, sweltering picture this was. Schoolteacher John Grant is forced to work in the barren Outback of Australia; the opening credits and other opening scenes presented this unforgiving landscape perfectly. It is around the time of Christmas but of course in the Southern Hemisphere, that means it is around the start of summer. He is forced to stay in the town of Bundayabba for the night before flying to Sydney. However, plans go quite awry and Mr. Grant is forced to stay in a place full of eccentrics, alcohol, and an increasing envelopment of a sinister feeling. By the way, I learned via Wiki that the two-up game (involving two pennies) is still a legit thing in Australia.
Yes, I did know beforehand the most infamous scene; a kangaroo hunt occurs-a number of kangaroos are actually shot & killed, along with a pair of disturbing knife kills. For some that will be a deal-breaker. One character eats kangaroo meat; if people IRL ate that meat, I won’t feel as awkward about it. There are other uncomfortable moments in the film as Grant increasingly becomes a part of a world full of drunk, insane people. The character portrayed by Donald Pleasence was the most intriguing; like Grant he’s an educated man but unlike Grant, he stayed in this setting because he had unconventional opinions (including sexuality) and even he is a crazy drunk. Pleasence was the most memorable actor although Gary Bond impressed as the lead, and before last night I only saw his supporting role in 1964’s Zulu.
What a wild year 1971 was in cinema between films like this, A Clockwork Orange, The Devils, and probably a few others I haven’t viewed before. This was unsurprisingly not a box office success; due to circumstances, the only known print of the film was in lousy condition. Thankfully, in 2004 one much better was found in Pittsburgh and this allowed for a proper restoration. Unless you feel the most controversial aspect will be too much for you, Wake in Fright may be well worth viewing.
No comments:
Post a Comment