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The Last Wave

Australia

1977

106 Min
Color
1.85:1
Aboriginal, Italian, English
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
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DIR Peter Weir

PROD Hal McElroy, James McElroy

SCR Peter Weir, Tony Morphett, Petru Popescu

DP Russell Boyd

CAST Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow, Vivean Gray, Nandjiwarra Amagul, Walter Amagula, Roy Bara, Cedric Lalara, Morris Lalara

ED Max Lemon

PROD DES Goran Warff

MUSIC Charles Wain

Synopsis

Richard Chamberlain stars as Australian lawyer David Burton, who takes on the defense of a group of aborigines accused of killing one of their own. He suspects the victim has been killed for violating a tribal taboo, but the defendants deny any tribal association. Burton, plagued by apocalyptic visions of water, slowly realizes his own involvement with the aborigines…and their prophecies. —The Criterion Collection

Director

Original

Peter Weir

Known for making moody, complex dramas that often focus on the emotional struggles of men caught up in social change and/or upheaval, Australian director Peter Weir is regarded as one of the most solid directors in both his native country and in Hollywood. His many accomplishments include making vehicles that promoted such stars as Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Robin Williams, and Jim Carrey into the realm of “serious” acting, something that further established Weir as one of the foremost interpreters of the inner lives of men.

The son of a real estate agent, Weir was born in Sydney on August 21, 1944. After giving his father’s business a try, he spent time traveling around Europe. Upon his return to Australia, Weir secured a job with the Commonwealth Film Unit, where he learned his craft on the sets of documentaries and educational films. He made his directorial debut in 1971 with Three to Go, an effort that went largely unnoticed by audiences and critics alike. His next feature… read more

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Joel

13Nov12

A little more straight-laced then the Still above would suggest. Yet perhaps that's it's strength, it's both somewhat normal 80s crime thriller and elements of the mystical surrealism of Picnic at Hanging Rock. It's those poetic elements and the downright creepiness of this film that cause it to linger.

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Justin Oakey

6Jul12

An outstanding example of controlled, yet highly effective, storytelling by the brilliant Peter Weir - this is without a doubt his best picture. The eerie apocalypticism that manages to creep into the story so subtly soon becomes the overwhelming force that drives it. Beautifully shot from start to finish with incredibly compelling performances by all - "The Last Wave" is the perfect Australian new-wave film.

Silenzio and rien va like this

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wolfmansRazor

10Apr12

Peter Weir's amazing water-drenched legal-drama-cum-hallucinatory-mystery about Sydney's aboriginal underclass. I loved it. Its attitude toward native peoples is remarkably similar to Wolfen's. The natives are relegated to the status of an impoverished underclass and pushed to the fringes of the urban environment. By maintaining a connection to their ancient culture, they enjoy mystical powers the whites can't fathom

rien va likes this

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T. J. Harman

15Mar12

A wonderfully mysterious fantasy with an entrancing score. Read Proust at the beach on a nice day then go home and get high or drunk and watch this film and it's magic. I wish Peter Weir were still making movies like this or Picnic at Hanging Rock.

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Untitled

By Christo​pher Smith on December 17, 2008

Difficult to describe Australian film evokes an interesting atmosphere, but falls short with a less than compelling story. There are a few unquestionably powerful moments and images, but it’s slow…  read review

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The Last Wave/Enigmatic Endings

9 posts by 9 people over 3 years ago

DVD

Buy the DVD from The Criterion Collection.