Wake in Fright

Yet another first-class film made in Australia by foreigners (a Canadian director working for a British studio), during the long period from World War II to the early 1970s when Australian cinema lay fallow. Like many other good ones - "The Overlanders" (1946), "They're a Weird Mob" (1966), "Age of Consent" (1969), "Walkabout" (1971) - although "Walkabout" is more seriously flawed than the others I've named - it doesn't feel like a foreign film; it feels as if the director made an honest attempt to be Australian, and succeeded. It's interesting that all these films are British. American films shot in Australia during the same period are, without qualification, American films; one scarcely even notices that "On the Beach" was shot in Melbourne rather than, say, Capetown or Tierra del Fuego, however many trams and banksias there may be.

The central character is clearly English; just as clearly, he doesn't like Australia. But I suspect that even in 1971 a greater proportion of Australians would have felt themselves to have been trapped in Hell if they'd been in his circumstances, than English. A greater proportion of Australians, then as now, live in cities, and the outback is further away from over 90% of Australians than anything is from anyone in England.

It's interesting that this fellow should be so RIGHT about everything (The Yabba IS a "bloody terrible" place, the hospitality he encounters DOES border on aggression, the game of two-up IS about as simple-minded and dull as it's possible for a game of chance to be), and yet be such an unsympathetic, unimaginative prig with scarcely more insight than he has backbone. He always needs a local to tell him what's going on and even then he doesn't get it. Yet we follow him with fascination and real concern all the same.

"Outback" is unlike any other film ever made and quite impossible to categorize. If the movie taught me anything at all, it's that the Aussies can drink seriously hard and loads of it. They even drink till they pass out and then immediately open another can when they come to their senses again. I thought only Belgians did that. You cannot possibly count the amount of beer cans and bottles that are consumed in this film and the most repeated line of text/monologue is without a doubt: "C'mon mate, let's have a drink then". Based on the novel by Kenneth Cook, "Outback" tells the story of a young school teacher visiting the little outback community of Bundanyabba, where the local population is so hospitable and acts so familiar it becomes truly disturbing. They fill their days with drinking, gambling, getting involved in bar fights, drinking again, kangaroo hunting and drinking some more. John initially disapproves their savage habits and looks somewhat down upon the villagers, but slowly and gradually he becomes one of them as he wastes his entire year salary on booze and primitive roulette games. "Outback" is very slow-paced and moody. Sometimes you can literally taste the copious amounts of liquor and experience the heat of the Aussie summer. The noticeable heat, together with the feeling pure geographical isolation truly makes the film disturbing and uncomfortable as hell. "Outback" works effectively as psychological drama but even more as the non-fictional portrait about a society that is largely unknown and unspoken of. The footage of the kangaroo hunting trip is haunting and very, very depressing. I was really relieved when, during the end credits, a message appeared on the screen to state that no real kangaroos were harmed during the production. The film mostly benefices from astonishingly mesmerizing photography, superb music and Ted Kotcheff's solid direction. The versatile and brilliant actor Donald Pleasance is even convincing as an Aussie drunkard and the rest of the relatively unknown cast delivers great performances as well. This is one of them unique movies you only encounter a couple of times in a lifetime, but it's incredibly obscure so if you find a copy treasure it. So mate … shall we have a beer then?

It's been said: "The best film ever made about Australia was directed by a Canadian." Possibly true. "Outback/Wake in Fright" is one of those films which gets a little too close for comfort. Unlike most Australians, those of us who grew up in the country will recognise a lot in this film, not always with displeasure.

What a strange, malleable career Ted Kotcheff has had. Of late he has retired to the relative comfort of making TV movies and even contributed to "Law and Order SVU". Yet like Nicolas Roeg ("Walkabout"), Kotcheff's brief spot of work in Australia was a wake-up call to a blinkered urban population (or those that went to the movies at any rate) to the complexity of the outback, in all its bloody glory, dispensing with the romantic pills we were used to swallowing. Kenneth Cook's novel should be held in equal regard, but his writing doesn't get much press these days, which is a shame.

Television prints of this film - rarely shown these days - heavily censor the kangaroo kills, which says a lot about the hypocrisy of the city. Uncut version is essential viewing.

School is out for the Christmas holiday, and teacher, John Grant (Gary Bond) has six weeks before the next term. So, he leaves his rented room in Tiboonda, Australia, hops a train, and heads for Sydney. Along the way, Grant stops off in the town of Bundayabba for a night. Here, he discovers what just might be the answer to his secret prayers.

Since he's not really fond of teaching anyway, Grant believes he's found an easy way to pay off his government debt, thereby escaping his job. It all comes down to the toss of two coins, which appears to be the biggest excitement in town. That, and consuming incredible amounts of alcohol.

Unfortunately, Grant finds himself skint, and constantly delayed and drawn in by the "hospitality" of the inebriated, crackpot locals. Not surprisingly, this includes his consuming oceans of beer. The longer he stays in the Yabba, the deeper he falls into stupor and depravity.

WAKE IN FRIGHT is an increasingly frenzied spin into drunken madness. Disturbing, nightmarish, and fascinating, this movie takes the viewer on Grant's dark journey to near oblivion. The opening and closing shots establish the desolation between them, showing the utterly barren landscape that seems to stretch on forever. By the end, Grant has gone through torment and desperation, and makes one wonder what will become of him.

Co-stars the vastly underrated Donald Pleasence as the unassumingly low-key, Doc Tydon, and Sylvia Kay as the palpably bitter, Janette Hynes. Chips Rafferty also puts in a great performance as the gleefully corrupt cop, Jock Crawford.

ANIMAL LOVERS BEWARE: The infamous kangaroo hunt is truly terrible, as well as lengthy. Although it is explained in the disclaimer, it's still difficult to watch...

Depicting a society and culture in Australia circa 1970 that isn't too far from how some live their lives today; albeit with an increasing amount of pharmaceuticals (legal or otherwise) to complement the alcohol. If you take some time to reflect on how cultures around the world behave and are able to exhibit such diversity, you will invariably happen upon a range of reasons for such variance in the way people live their lives - the cause and effect. Arrive at your own conclusions but there are some common denominators originating from white western European cultures that uniquely deliver you to the fright you could easily wake up to, if you stop being you, and go with the flow.

Surprised how well received this film is considering the genuine animal slaughter that takes place. An eye opener and a sharpener, should you need one, nonetheless