Picnic at Hanging Rock
Synopsis
"Valentine's Day, 1900... a beautiful day for an excursion to aboriginal holy place 'Hanging Rock', the perfect place for a school picnic.
Among the young white gloved pupils of Appleyard College are senior boarders Miranda, Marion, Irma and Edith. All are properly chaperoned by headmistress Mrs Appleyard and various members of her teaching staff. When the four girls venture off to walk to the lower slopes, distant screams are heard and eventually, Edith returns, panic stricken and alone...
A search is organised and witness interrogations follow but Edith remembers nothing. What eerie events took place that day, and will those involved ever rid themselves of the demons that the ill fated picnic unearthed?"
Among the young white gloved pupils of Appleyard College are senior boarders Miranda, Marion, Irma and Edith. All are properly chaperoned by headmistress Mrs Appleyard and various members of her teaching staff. When the four girls venture off to walk to the lower slopes, distant screams are heard and eventually, Edith returns, panic stricken and alone...
A search is organised and witness interrogations follow but Edith remembers nothing. What eerie events took place that day, and will those involved ever rid themselves of the demons that the ill fated picnic unearthed?"
Production Information
|
Release Date Copyright Country Language Run Time Certification Director Writing Credits Executive Producers Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editor |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - |
1975 Picnic Productions Pty Ltd Australia English 102 Mins PG Peter Weir Joan Lindsay & Cliff Green A. John Graves & Patricia Lovell Hal McElroy & Jim McElroy Bruce Smeaton Russell Boyd Max Lemon |
Cast
|
Mrs. Appleyard Miss McCraw Mlle. de Poitiers Miss Lumley Miranda Irma Marion Edith Sara Tom Minnie Mr. Whitehead Sgt. Bumpher Mrs. Bumpher Const. Jones Ben Hussey Doc. McKenzie Col. Fitzhubert Mrs. Fitzhubert Michael Fitzhubert Albert Crundall |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Rachel Roberts Vivean Gray Helen Morse Kirsty Child Anne-Louise Lambert Karen Robson Jane Vallis Christine Schuler Margaret Nelson Tony Llewellyn-Jones Jacki Weaver Frank Gunnell Wyn Roberts Kay Taylor Garry McDonald Martin Vaughan John Fegan Peter Collingwood Olga Dickie Dominic Guard John Jarratt |
Review
At the turn of the last century a group of young ladies go out on a school trip to Hanging Rock which is the traditional 'haunting ground' of the Wurundjeri aborigini people. This happy party enjoy an afternoon of simple pleasures, a little picnic, reading books and gentle musings. On the face of it, there is no hint that anything could ever change their idyllic and privileged lifestyle.
Four girls leave the party to go off exploring on their own and at first all is well, but after a while they seem to start acting strangely as though they were affected by some incarnate energy emanating from the rocks; then three of the girls vanish without trace as well as a teacher who also mysteriously vanished. With these disappearances the tranquillity of the whole school is forever shattered.
Overall this movie is very well composed, somewhat like an impressionist painting, subtle with exquisite tones of wistful days and beauty. All the girls made special effort to ensure they looked their best in their flowing feminine dresses, they moved with carefree grace and elegance.
The scenery is also a very important factor, as for example, there is one scene where the camera pans full circle from the four girls as they are making their way up the rock. There are many montages of eerie rock formations, this combined with haunting music and fine cinematography makes for some sinister moments. What happened to the girls? Did the spirits take them? Was it hysteria? Was it murder?
Picnic at Hanging Rock is a subtle and beautiful movie that is well worth watching.
Reviewed: 23/11/05
Four girls leave the party to go off exploring on their own and at first all is well, but after a while they seem to start acting strangely as though they were affected by some incarnate energy emanating from the rocks; then three of the girls vanish without trace as well as a teacher who also mysteriously vanished. With these disappearances the tranquillity of the whole school is forever shattered.
Overall this movie is very well composed, somewhat like an impressionist painting, subtle with exquisite tones of wistful days and beauty. All the girls made special effort to ensure they looked their best in their flowing feminine dresses, they moved with carefree grace and elegance.
The scenery is also a very important factor, as for example, there is one scene where the camera pans full circle from the four girls as they are making their way up the rock. There are many montages of eerie rock formations, this combined with haunting music and fine cinematography makes for some sinister moments. What happened to the girls? Did the spirits take them? Was it hysteria? Was it murder?
Picnic at Hanging Rock is a subtle and beautiful movie that is well worth watching.
Reviewed: 23/11/05
Links
Similar & Related Media
• Movies
Walkabout (1971)
The Last Wave (1977)
Long Weekend (1978)
• Literature
Picnic at Hanging Rock, Joan Lindsay
Walkabout (1971)
The Last Wave (1977)
Long Weekend (1978)
• Literature
Picnic at Hanging Rock, Joan Lindsay
Reviews and other original content are subject to copyright © 2004 -2008 Maverick Media. Other content, scripts, images, videos and audio files are copyright © of their respective copyright holders.
Valid XHTML | Valid CSS
Valid XHTML | Valid CSS