Review of The Last Wave (1977) by Chris W — 01 Jul 2007

Once again Peter Weir gives us a lesson in mood and atmosphere. This film is one of the creepiest non-scary movies I've ever seen. It has the kind of realism you would never expect to find in a natural disaster/apocalypse type of movie. The contrast of the calm tone with the very jagged events is amazing, causing the time to fly by and make the viewer want even more.

Visually this film is stunning. Considering the small budget Weir had to work with, he gives us some great scenes. It's different than most of the films that I enjoy visually, but still fantasic. The scenes are well-shot, the camera movements are smooth and enhancing, and the use of shadow is great. Peter Weir is becoming one of my favorite directors as I enjoy his new stuff and old stuff both. He does a fantastic job defining mood and giving a very relatable atmosphere in every one of the movies I've seen of his. Although The Last Wave is one of his lesser seen films, it's definitely one of his best.