Review of Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) by Steve S — 03 Feb 2013

This looked for all the world to be a clever historical thriller, apparently based on a real event. It smacked of lesbian love triangles, deception and murder, not unlike Heavenly Creatures. Not only did it end ambiguously, I later had a chance to check out the book and discovered that it is complete fiction. The author, Joan Lindsay did her best to imply, both in the book and in interviews, that it was factual.

The woman is a fraud and a dolt. Her original explanation at the ending was so absurd, it had to be edited out and the story made into a mystery that is never solved. Without any sort of conclusion, be it one that solves the mystery or not, the movie has a hollow feel that would be intriguing it it were a true story, but is simply meaningless otherwise.

Nevertheless, Picnic At Hanging Rock makes a good atmosphere piece and has some great location photography and wardrobe, it you can get past the fact that the story is never resolved, and never really happened.