Two films, one old, one new.  Both put men, living on the fringes of society, under a magnifying glass, and let them sizzle under the Australian sun.

Wake in Fright, based on the 1961 novel by Kenneth Cook, was made in 1971 and was hailed at Cannes as a masterpiece of Australian film, the first of its kind.  Originally the film was released outside of Australia under the title Outback, and was long thought lost as no video copy was known to exist until recently; a remastered version was just released last year.  It follows a young school teacher on Christmas leave after his first year in Tiboonda (the middle of nowhere); he takes the train to Bundanyabba (still the middle of nowhere) where he’ll spend one night before catching a flight to Sydney.  The local policeman buys the man a drink, and from there things spiral out of control.  After a night of drinking and gambling he loses all his money, realizes he can’t leave, and instead must rely on the kindness of townfolk, who happily offer him shelter, food and… drink.  And more drink.  And more.  And more than that.

The entire film is a dark (though searingly sun-baked), dusty rampage of debauchery and indignity.  It’s hypnotic and disturbing, and is in a way the Australian version of Easy Rider or Deliverance (although technically, since the novel was written before either of those films, one could argue that they are the derivatives…)  The stark cinematography and understated score pair well for a nightmare of a bender.  You can watch the entire movie on youtube; below is the first 8 minute clip, although I’d recommend the DVD version to give the scenery its due respect.

Oh, and by the way, there’s a kangaroo hunting scene.  It’s pretty graphic. It also features a surprisingly hirsute Donald Pleasence*, so that’s freaky too.

Last Ride, starring Hugo Weaving, was released in 2009.  As the film opens, ex-con Kev (Weaving) is taking his young son Chook (slang for chicken) on a road trip – I’m not sure where it’s supposed to be but I’ll guess upstate Victoria.  As they travel it becomes clear that Kev is on the run; he cuts his long hair at a gas station, steals food and beer, and dumps his car for another.  Chook can tell something is up, and is clearly terrified of his father, but Kev assures him he’s just teaching him how to live in the family tradition. As they pass through small towns, hiding out on public land and racing over dirt roads (and sometimes over places where no roads go), we learn why Kev is running from the law, and what part Chook has played in his crime.

The film explores a very tender and tenuous father-and-son bond, and it’s hard to watch Chook suffer under his father’s meanness (likely ingrained from his father’s meanness).  Despite astounding performances by Weaving and young Tom Russel, the silent star of the movie is the Australian landscape.  Something about the cinematography tells me that it might not have been filmed in summer (well, for the places they go, that would have been insane).  The light seems cold and polarized; there are lots of shadows and burrows in this movie.  While Wake in Fright makes you sweat, Last Ride really makes you shiver.

*Leonard Maltin gave Wake in Fright 3 out of 4 stars.  That will mean something to somebody.

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