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Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Rate: 5
Viewed: 6/25

PicHang
6/25: That's why story matters a lot.

Picnic at Hanging Rock doesn't have a lot to say. Four females disappear one day, and...and...and... That's it. The rest of the way is dealing with the aftermath here and there. I can't help but think how well-directed Permanent Record was given the same exact situation. By the way, is this the one that the all-time hack Sofia Coppola ripped off for her film The Virgin Suicides in terms of style even though the novel had been published beforehand?

So, did the incident happen for real? The answer is no; it's manipulation at will for the sake of being artsy-fartsy, nothing more. That's why, for an Australian production, A Cry in the Dark made for a compelling viewing. Instead, I'm treated to dialogue that's either uninteresting or pretentious. Once in a while, the headmistress will speak of financial matters, but I'm sure her school will close either way for being out of touch with reality.

Wikipedia states that "Picnic at Hanging Rock was a commercial and critical success and helped draw international attention to the then-emerging Australian New Wave of cinema." That's quite funny because I guarantee Mad Max was the one that completely changed everything, making Mel Gibson a huge international star, especially after The Road Warrior came out, and putting Australia on the map cinema-wise. Just compare the box-office results between these two.

Regardless, Picnic at Hanging Rock isn't a dull movie, thanks to the semi-high production value. The cast is okay, but many was dubbed and rarely acted again afterwards. However, Rachel Roberts' performance should be singled out as the headmistress. I like the A+ cinematography which was handled by Russell Boyd who has done tons of work including Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

All in all, Picnic at Hanging Rock moves too slowly to make some kind of impression.