"On Saturday 14th Feburary 1900 a party of schoolgirls from Appleyard College picnicked at Hanging Rock near Mt. Macedon in the state of Victoria. During the afternoon several members of the party disappeared without a trace..."
This quote is taken from the opening of the film and tells that story that will have the cinema world spinning and putting Peter Weir's first film as a classic. It's one of the oddest first films for a director in my collection. The picture above was a movie poster at the theater I regularly go to. Walking out I spotted this and told my friend we have to come back when this is playing. Since I am a fan of Peter Weir I wanted to know more about the films I was not so familiar with, starting with this one. The quote also insists that this is based of fact, but the truth is it's based on a novel by Joan Lindsay.
This film was never introduced to the people in the United States until 1997 or so. I saw it at my local independent cinema that I always go to. The striking attractiveness of the young girl on the front of the poster (see above) got me to come to see the movie. The turnout for the film was actually quite impressive and I was surprised that films like this had a following or even a popularity. The Australian landscape made itself a character in the movie. In a cast of virtually unknowns to me each person played there roles quote well.
So here again is a bit of plot without giving it away. Picnic at Hanging Rock is about three virginal young women and a school mistress who, on Valentine's Day in 1900 disappear without a trace while on an expedition to a splendid outcropping called Hanging Rock. Whatever the origins the story provides Peter Weir with material for a kind of Australian horror-romance that recalls Nathaniel Hawthorne's preoccupation with the spiritual and moral heritage of his own New England landscape. The movie is comprised of clues. Its methods are illusory, not necessarily to trick us but to force us to use our imaginations.
The film also has this wonderful aware of showing a bunch of sexual longings everywhere: students for students, students for school mistress, school mistress for someone we don't even know and even the maid for the gardener. Peter Weir also provided us with a feeling that the rock that they go to on this hot day is alive. When four girls ignore all the warning signs we have they sense that they are being called. One chubby girl panics and runs back screaming back to the base of the rock. Later the report is true that four people have disappeared and the viewer, such as myself really wonders if this rock is really the culprit.
The film is well done and wonderfully rich with dialogue and great visuals of what Australia is known for. Take my word for it, the film is a classic. It's a film that begs to be looked at closer for it's film study. I just watched it the other day to remind me how great sometimes great directors first films are wonderful and creative. Enjoy this Australian film and you too will put Peter Weir on your films to watch list! Enjoy!
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