Review of The Last Wave (1977) by Josh M — 14 Jul 2009

Opening with a freak hailstorm in the midst of a very blue-skied day, The Last Wave tips its hand early on that there's a hint of the unnatural to its story. What impresses, then, is the film's patience, taking its time as it builds to a stunner of a final minute that ties everything together in a single, wordless image.

Of course, the eerie, uneasy atmosphere is brilliantly done, using some incredible imagery (my favorite, oddly, involved a car radio), but the film works on far more levels that simply of dread. Much like the recent (and, in my opinion, underrated) Knowing, Weir uses The Last Wave as a way of exploring the boundaries between belief and reality, and what happens as they collide.

Of course, you could argue that it's the fascinating look into tribal aboriginal culture that gives Wave a unique flavor, but I think it's the intelligence and respect with which the subject is handled throughout.

Still, what lingers in the mind, and what gives The Last Wave its staying power, is the patient, creeping dread established through so many surreal images, all the way up to that final moment. A great blend of horror and drama, and a film that I feel is pretty sadly overlooked by a lot of people.