Review of Wake in Fright (1971) by Glenn C — 24 Apr 2012
Australian cinema from the 70s really excites me and I don't think our industry has had a better era. One of the most notorious films from that decade was Wake In Fright... a long lost & forgotten film for over 30 years until it was unearthed in 2009 and remastered.
In my mind this is one of the greatest Australian film ever made. I've seen it several times now and it never fails to blow me away. Its about a middle-class teacher who is stationed in a desolate and remote two shed town in the outback.
For his Christmas break he leaves for the city to escape for 6 weeks. Things turn for him when he looses all of his money in a two-up contest during an overnight stay over in another remote town. The locals boast that they're the friendliest town in the country and their hospitality overflows.
"Have another beer mate"... "and another"....."and another" until he is caught in their sticky web of mateship and can't get out. This is a scary fucking movie. The characters are intimidating and the situations are terrifying.
Donald Pleasance steals the movie for me as he nails the Aussie accent perfectly and delves into some really deep and dark places to bring his Doc character to life. Wake In Fright is intense, claustrophobic and haunting.
One of the best.
This review of Wake in Fright (1971) was written by Glenn C on 24 Apr 2012.
Wake in Fright has generally received very positive reviews.
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