This was a good example of how good the director Peter Weir is with historical settings. The story is fictional, and based on a 1967 book. As someone who grew up in New Zealand I have been aware of Peter Weir's work practically all my life. since he made the ANZAC film Gallipoli. He later did some Hollywood based movies like Witness, Dead Poets Society and The Truman Show. I absolutely adore his 2003 film, Master and Commander: The Far Side Of the World.
Agreed - Master & Commander is a perfect example of you don’t have to follow the book if you really comprehend and are loyal to the spirit of the original.
This film made a huge impression when it was released, both in terms of the mystery and its visual aspects. Even as near-teenagers in school we were talking about it. Puff sleeves and smocks were in vogue for a short while around that time. I like your attention to details I wouldn't otherwise be aware of. It was the beginning of a sort of golden age for Australian cinema when considerable state funding was invested in the industry and Australian stories began to find an international market. I would especially recommend The Getting of Wisdom (Australia 1977) and also Razorback (Australia 1984).
My dad saw this movie years ago and always talked about it. I don’t know if he even remembered the name lol. I eventually watched it growing up and then showed it to my friends. XD
Another comment about fashion in Australia during the 19th and early 20th centuries - it’s worth remembering that they were generally 1 or 2 years behind Britain and Europe (sometimes more) due to the vast distances. Any fashion magazines would take at least 6 months to arrive by boat, and they were usually out of date before they were packed for the journey anyway. Great reaction, as always, to one of the most beloved Australian films of all time. It’s generally regarded as sparking the renaissance/resurgence of the Australian film industry in the 70s. The visuals and soundtrack are iconic, and I can guarantee there isn’t an Australian of a certain age who doesn’t fall into a deep sense of reverie when hearing those pan pipes.
MIRANDA being a Botticelli come to life is so apt. If I recall correctly, there was a remake of this made more recently with Natalie Dormer playing the headmistress, but I never watched it because the oddly _voluptuous,_ ethereal quality to Weir's film seemed impossible to replicate. And, in truth, I didn't want to see it attempted. I always had the strangest sense that I saw a version in which Miss McCraw briefly did an almost mocking, dancing sort of run up into the rock - I can almost picture it even now - but I've never seen that scene again in the film and don't know where my "memory" came from. But I love the added sense of mystery that that odd "memory" adds to my associations with this picture, so I don't mind that minor mystery in the slightest. This is simply a gorgeous and sensuous treat of a work of art, and I'm so glad it exists. I have no desire to read the lost chapter of the book; I don't want to risk having the mystery explained.
The Amazon series seemed to not try to be a remake of the movie and more of a different adaptation of the book. I don't remember much about it but it definitely had a different tone from the movie.
I really enjoyed your commentary on the accuracy of the fashions of the time. I thought they did the historical setting quite well for a 1975 movie with a very low budget.
Great reaction and analysis, Alexa. I've always loved this film. While it is a work of fiction, Picnic at Hanging Rock has subtle similarities to real-life events, such as the well-known disappearance of the Beaumont Children at Glenelg Beach in South Australia in 1966, the novel which this film is based off was written in '67.
MIRANDA! Great reaction to this classic. My dad talked a lot about this movie before I watched it, but obviously it didn’t exactly ruin the plot. None of us know what’s going on lol. I recall my parents feeling like Sara should have been with Miranda and that’s why the other girl returned but no one else did. Like it was the more “ethereal” (?) individuals who were taken away. Even Michael was less grounded (pun initially unintended) than his pal, and he’s the one who also had the eerie experience on the rocks. I love what you’re saying about time. It’s all both supernatural and “natural.” Was this just an unexplained natural phenomenon? Did they become one with nature and time, with the rocks that have been there for millions of years? Was something waiting for them, “just for us”? Miranda mentioned everything being in the right place and time. And then there was the ticking clock, stopping to perhaps signify death - of the school, of Sara - or perhaps something else. Adore the music too!
And don't forget - the maths teacher said that geographically speaking it was a recent eruption, only a million years. And then Miranda said that they'd only be gone a little while with that look in her face. As if they'd only be gone a few thousand years and may come back. Like Sarah said - Miranda knew secrets.
This was part of the senior English curriculum when I was at school in the late 80s. I walk a bit in the Glasshouse Mountains in Qld which has granite formations that are similar. Any time I’m heading up through a blind crag I shout “MIRANDA!!” in my head.
My Dad had a private pilot license when we lived in Brisbane and would fly my friends and I around the Glasshouse Mountains and over the beaches. Weird but great way to see those mountains.
The plot of this movie has some similarities with Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows". Humans trespass onto the sacred land of the old gods. The old gods require a sacrifice in return. Odd events occur until the gods take their sacrifce. If I had to chose one of the old gods as the culprit, it would definitely be Pan, god of the wilderness and origin of the word "panic". One of the girls is rejected by Pan and driven away in panic. Panic sets in at the school when the lost girl returns. Pan is also known for his sexual appetite, thus the word "horny". When he calls the girls and the woman to him, clothing and propriety are shed. The girl that does not do so is rejected. As far as the girl who returns, who knows? Perhaps she is sent back as a warning, a changling, or the carrier of Pan's child. I know she was intact, but virgin births are kind of a god's thing.
6:12 Picnics being the only time to act like you're still in England when you're in Australia. Anyone who thought they could turn Australia into England made a very foolish error.
Christmas is still pretty British, at least in my family. Piping hot roasts, turkey, baked potato, gravy, puddings, etc all at the hottest time of the year as if we were in the midst of winter. Not to mention Christmas crackers, etc.
When Sarah was left alone and told to memorise the poem, just before she said "Oh Miranda" she also said "Bertie....oh Bertie were are you?" And Bert mentioned his kid sister when he and Michael watched the girls....
Unique, uber intelligent, throwback, entertainer, ethereal spirit of better days. You are simply a marvel and it has been a pleasure watching you going all the way back to the start of your reactions
I highly recommend the book as it conveys so many more intriguing details and possibilities. It keeps the same mystery as the film and doesn’t reveal what happened, but I also think it contains a few extra clues that led me to a non-supernatural theory about what actually happened (I won’t share my theories because it is a bit spoilery for the book). But then of course there is the secret chapter haha. Nevertheless, the mystery is what is so captivating about both the novel and the film. And yes, many have picked up on the lesbian subtext. This is Australian Gothic at its finest. I think white colonisers really felt that awe, a mixture of inspiration and fear, at the native landscape. The film conveys that feeling of the Australian bush being an ancient and overwhelming force, and speaks to the sense that white colonisers will never quite fit in. The visual contrast of the people’s clothing, parasols and tea sets with the wild landscape really represents the idea that the European settlers will always be alien. It also reflects the idea that the land we now call Australia was “empty” and primitive for millions of years, which is terrifying to think of and lends itself well to the evocation of the supernatural. Although of course that is not the case, as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the custodians of the land for tens of thousands of years. Thanks for the reaction! I’m glad the historical accuracy was accuracy-ing haha
One additional layer to add is that Hanging Rock had been an important Aboriginal site, and the people were forced out due to colonization. So, a conflict exists between the spiritual/mystical aspects of the original Aboriginal culture with its emphasis on the Dreamtime and the culture of the colonizers.
This story leaves so many questions. Time slips? The two men who could have been involved in disappearance. Deep dream time business that white Australia stumbled into blindly and without thought. It's a haunting mystery fiction filmed beautifully. Thanks for your reaction to classic Oz film.
I love to savor fashion accuracy in films also. Anachronisms are very distracting. People either love this movie or hate it. I've tried showing it to whatever guy was in my life decades ago a few times. Nope. Not getting it. I find it strange and mystical, and enjoy the non-answers.
21:04 Heard one fan theory that Miranda had to be taken away by Pan's flute because she was the reincarnation of Helen of Troy, and it was decided that she'd be taken away before another war could start, and that they took the maths teacher and the scientific girl with her to serve Athena. Some reckon they were chosen because of what they represented - Miranda: Beauty and Love, the other girl: Science, the teacher: Mathematics, and that Irma was rejected because she was Vanity and the girl who complained and screamed because she was Gluttony or Slothfulness. Some wonder if it had anything to do with the Dreamtime. If it was no one said anything specific about it. And if it was then I guess it was something the tracker (the Aboriginal man we saw during the search) must have known it was something he needed to keep his mouth shut about. Someone even wondered if it was something even older than Dreamtime. Heard someone in the theatres threw his coffee at the screen when the movie ended because he was so annoyed that it didn't have an explanation.
Oh my goodness, this was way back when we had a film industry here in Australia. I remember being dragged along to see this movie as a 10 year old and hating every minute of it. With 49 years of hindsight, it's a well made film, I'll have to give it another chance. I've heard this often called either a 'true story' or 'based on a true story', which is incorrect. btw The mystery/supernatural aspect of the plot didn't sit well with the adults I saw it with, they would have preferred a tidy, logical resolution. Recommendation: British TV series 'The Feathered Serpent' (1976 - 78)
"...and all you've done is talk about sleeves?" That's why I'm here quite frankly, lol. This beauty for me is a Manet painting come to life. Speaking of time portals, have you seen Jennifer Ehle's (Pride & Prejudice) Possession (2002)? No portals, but lots of timey wimey stuff.
@@alexachipman Oh yes, I absolutely know that (and respect it totally; as a long time viewer of your channel). I gave no spoilers, you watch a lot of wonderful period pieces, and you mentioned the time portal, I figured that would be my 'in' to suggest Possession. The 'time' aspect is done away in the first minute of the movie.
I don't think I've seen Picnic At Hanging Rock before, but I was happy to watch it along with you Alexa. It was a pleasure as always. It kind of took me back to Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea. And of course Tom Sawyer. I got lot's of books here to read. Tom Sawyer was written in 1876, which I'm still reading. There was a movie of it made in 1973 Alexa you might like to see, which I recomend to you. Maybe you could do a reaction video of Tom Sawyer sometime?
Miranda. Very interesting reaction, your guesses at the end turn out to be very close to the money. I find the ending frustrating, but I love the movie nonetheless, I saw it in the cinema when it first came out, I was about 6, brought along by my parents.
It was worth it just to see your reaction to the ant scene! ❤ In the 80s a TV skit show called Fast Forward did a parody of this movie… "Miranda!" Movie recommendation: Malcolm (1986)
23:09 Movie's better than the book (I know it's usually the other way round but this time it's the rare occurrence of the movie being better). Still, that was just my opinion so please ignore this comment if you want to. I can't say anything about the TV series yet though, I haven't seen it. From what I have seen though they flesh out some things a bit more (since they can), and try to make it their own instead of a reshooting of the movie - can't blame them, and kudos to them for event trying to tackle such a great movie.
I’ve been looking forward to this reaction, as it’s one of my favorites. I appreciate your doing it and how much your thoughts added to my understanding of the film. Thank you. Another suggestion: The Earthling -1980
Hanging Rock is a real place. Google it it's about 40 mins out of Melbourne. I've been lots. It's really creepy. Something supernatural definitely lives there.
Peter Weir always satd the Mystery is what will keep this Film alive it was Joan Lindsays genius writing she never said when peter asked Joan in 1975 regarding what happened to those girls she said YOUNG MAN I HOPE NEVER ASK THIS QUESTION AGAIN. Peter then said is is wide opened were they taken by Aliens joan replied ANY OF THE ABOVE she wouldnt say. It is a Portal to another time space and Erma wouldnt go she was rejected by the force and found later but remembered nothing its a film without a conclusion an Australian classic that will live for us forever. Alexa so glad to you reviewed this film i knew you would like it as of 2023 the film is now available in 4K HI RES worth getting Amazon or Ebay.
I first saw and first heard of this when it came on Turner Classic Movies around 1999. At one point late in the movie, I was expecting and hoping it would end without being resolved and without explanation and it did. The text at the beginning implied it was a true story. I was eager to look it up online the next day - didn't have internet at home - and was kind of disappointed that it was not the true story. The Criterion blu ray set includes the novel.
Did you boost saturation and contrast at all? For 70's outdoor stuff that looks pretty amazing. I'm imagining everyone sitting around all dressed up for weeks, waiting for perfect weather.
I cannot recall on this particular one - I do severely change colors and contrasts on footage to lower the odds of videos being blocked. Usually I am desaturating, though.
Australian New Wave movies of the 1970s were known for capturing the quality of Australian light, especially when they had excellent cinematographers like Russell Boyd.
Based on a true incident. A friend of mine said : Why are they wearing Victorian clothes? 😂 The scene of the Governess running across the field in her underwear is truly uniquely bonkers. One of those 70s film that is timeless nostalgic.
Your expertise is delightful and adds a great deal of understanding and enjoyment. Two excellent period films: The Lion in Winter (1968), and The Leopard (1963)(Italian).
Great choice, Alexa. Thanks for sharing your response to this intriguing and stylish Peter Weir film which marked something of a renaissance for Australian cinema in the mid-to late 70s. I see the costuming gets your fastidious stamp of approval, an achievement in and of itself! The haunting music of Romanian pan flautist Gheorghe Zamfir was relatively unknown at that time and was most effective. I'm familiar with the location and it's really quite benign, though the area is known for its magnetic properties and yes, snakes and ants are a given.anywhere in the Aussie bush. And we're talking Australian native ants, aggressive and bity, not those little black ubiquitous Argentinian pests.Finally, thanks for a new word today - myrmecophobia.
Wish I could see you react to a lot more period drama. Especially Downton Abbey but many great movies too. Probably not worth the work though given you likely get fewer views than would make it worthwhile. Maybe watch some episodes in your own time and give us a summary? Or a review. Christmas at Downton reaction was magical (3 years ago)
The problem is they are very long episodes (I get maybe half an hour off a day) and people (other than yourself) seem to alas have no interest in it :(
Wendy Hiller, who played the school head, was a prestigious English actor who was awarded a damehood. Glad you liked the film; to be crude, it was like an extended episode of Twilight Zone! But I'm only joking; it's a classic.
This is a movie about female cruelty, not to men, but to other women. Albert and Michael are from different classes, but they're just broes together. Miranda dominates Sarah and forces her to worship her. Her loss is devastating because she made Sarah dependant.
