Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave

Maxflier · 10-31-09, 12:44 PM

The DVDTalk Criterion Film Club selection for the first half of November was chosen by gryffinmaster:

The Last Wave (1977)

Synopsis:

Spoiler:

Just a reminder, you have a full 2 weeks to view and discuss each film.

shellebelle · 11-05-09, 10:06 PM

I watched this last night. I grew up with Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Kildare, so I was rather excited to see him in this. Especialy as the little blurb on my Netflix cover sounded really good. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The movie was very slow, very symbolic, and ended in a strange way. I really don't think it answered any of the questions that it brought up.

I was pleasantly surprised to see David Gulpilil in it. He's been in quite a few Australian films, the last being Australia. I think I first saw him in Crocodile Dundee.

I am looking forward to hearing what you all thought of the movie.

gglass4269 · 11-06-09, 10:50 AM

I'm curious to see how people compare this to Picnic at Hanging Rock...

shellebelle · 11-06-09, 06:12 PM

I've never seen nor heard of that movie. What is it about?

Trevor · 11-10-09, 04:18 PM

The Barnes And Noble 50% off Criterion sale has started. Using membership and coupons, you can buy every Criterion DVD and BD for around 68% off. See this thread for details.

I'll be buying and watching this film tomorrow or so.

gryffinmaster · 11-12-09, 09:40 PM

So what did you guys think of it? Did the gradual building tension work for you guys?

Trevor · 11-13-09, 10:55 AM

Bought this last night at B&N for $8.50. Hope to watch tonight.

Kaori00 · 11-14-09, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gglass4269

I'm curious to see how people compare this to Picnic at Hanging Rock...

Those are two of my favorite films ever! I'm also curious to see how they are both compared.

gglass4269 · 11-14-09, 11:13 AM

I believe PAHR was the better film. There's just something about TLW i didnt get... IDK maybe its just me...

Trevor · 11-15-09, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gglass4269

I'm curious to see how people compare this to Picnic at Hanging Rock...

Haven't seen that one yet, but will now look to buy it during this current sale.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gryffinmaster

So what did you guys think of it? Did the gradual building tension work for you guys?

Loved that aspect of it. By the midpoint or so I felt like I could cut the tension with a knife. I was incredibly tired, going on almost no sleep, and meant to just see the intro and go to bed, but the film was so intense that I had to keep watching.

Haven't quite decided how I feel about the ending. Normally, I'm fine with ambiguity and don't need films to answer any of the questions they raise. But this time I think I wanted a little bit more.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, made me think more than most films, which I needed after a ton of mediocre horror films last month.

Wish their were more supplements on the disc, as I'd love to hear more interviews with the cast and a crictic audio commentary.

Washizu · 11-16-09, 10:25 PM

First off, thanks for selecting a movie I might not have picked up (or only in the distant future) on my own. And I've now borrowed Picnic at Hanging Rock from our library to watch in the next couple of weeks.

While I liked The Last Waveoverall, it really didn't hit for me. The deliberate pacing was nice, as was the blending of traditional/modern sensibilities. I love movies that can bring the mystical/spiritual into a "realistic" setting, but Last Wave never fully established the alternate beliefs of the "tribal" Aborigines into modern, Western Sydney before running off in the tribal direction. It always kept them as "the other," never bringing the viewer into that world or realm, so I never got a good sense of what was happening with them (perhaps that was intentional).

This may be a case where a movie should have been longer to fully integrate into the story its disparate perspectives: legal, social, religious. The last especially would have been interesting, particularly having established the stepfather as a Protestant minister--contrasting practices, views of justice, apocalyptic visions, etc.

Even so, the build-up of the movie toward the third act was nice. But I'm still puzzling over that last third, particularly after Chris and David part company. Some of it frankly seemed slap-dash to me, such as Charlie's appearance. Again, maybe that was intentional, the little-understanding outsider going into places he's not meant to be. I dunno, maybe I need to pay more attention to my own dreams.

Thanks again for the selection. I enjoyed getting this glimpse into Aboriginal beliefs and Australian cinema (which thus far for me has been limited to Breaker Morant and a movie with Rachel Ward). A pleasant, if slightly frustrating, experience.

Trevor · 11-19-09, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Washizu

Thanks again for the selection. I enjoyed getting this glimpse into Aboriginal beliefs and Australian cinema (which thus far for me has been limited to Breaker Morant and a movie with Rachel Ward).

Was that, Fortress, by chance? Love that film!

Washizu · 11-19-09, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor

Was that, Fortress, by chance? Love that film!

No, it wasn't Fortress, but I've now added it to my Netflix queue (thanks for the recommendation). It was long ago in my distant mental past, but I think the R. Ward movie might have been The Good Wife. Couldn't say for sure, just remember that I was smitten by her for a little bit afterward.

On another note, though related to this thread, I did watch Picnic at Hanging Rock earlier this week. In comparison to TLW, it wasn't as daring a movie, but it seemed to incorporate its "mystical" aspects in a more viewer-friendly way: the "mystical" was simply a "mystery" not fully understood, if at all, by any of the characters. The photography was great and I liked the music. Overall I enjoyed the movie, didn't love it, but found it a pleasant viewing. TLW was certainly more challenging, even more engaging, perhaps.

10-31-09, 12:44 PM	#1
Maxflier DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Louisiana Posts: 5,909	Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave The DVDTalk Criterion Film Club selection for the first half of November was chosen by gryffinmaster: The Last Wave (1977) Synopsis: Spoiler: Richard Chamberlain stars as Australian lawyer David Burton, who takes on the defense of a group of aborigines accused of killing one of their own. He suspects the victim has been killed for violating a tribal taboo, but the defendants deny any tribal association. Burton, plagued by apocalyptic visions of water, slowly realizes his own involvement with the aborigines…and their prophecies. Just a reminder, you have a full 2 weeks to view and discuss each film. __________________ My DVD / HD DVD / Blu-Ray Collection My Game Collection XBOX Live Gamertag:Maxflier PSN:Maxflier My Countdown Counting down to: The first Saturday in May. 159 days 7 hours 40 minutes Last edited by Maxflier; 10-31-09 at 12:47 PM.

11-05-09, 10:06 PM	#2
shellebelle Cool New Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Where it's too damn hot and doesn't rain nearly enough... Posts: 32	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave I watched this last night. I grew up with Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Kildare, so I was rather excited to see him in this. Especialy as the little blurb on my Netflix cover sounded really good. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The movie was very slow, very symbolic, and ended in a strange way. I really don't think it answered any of the questions that it brought up. I was pleasantly surprised to see David Gulpilil in it. He's been in quite a few Australian films, the last being Australia. I think I first saw him in Crocodile Dundee. I am looking forward to hearing what you all thought of the movie. __________________ My 2009 October Horror Movie Challenge List My 2009 Summer SciFi Challenge List My 2008 October Horror Movie Challenge List My 2007 October Horror Movie Challenge List My DVD Collection

11-06-09, 10:50 AM	#3
gglass4269 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pekin, IL Posts: 472	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave I'm curious to see how people compare this to Picnic at Hanging Rock... __________________ "A movie isn't good or bad because of what it is about, but how it is about." - Roger Ebert MY COLLECTION http://gglass4269.dvdaf.com/

11-06-09, 06:12 PM	#4
shellebelle Cool New Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Where it's too damn hot and doesn't rain nearly enough... Posts: 32	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave I've never seen nor heard of that movie. What is it about? __________________ My 2009 October Horror Movie Challenge List My 2009 Summer SciFi Challenge List My 2008 October Horror Movie Challenge List My 2007 October Horror Movie Challenge List My DVD Collection

11-10-09, 04:18 PM	#5
Trevor DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 12,917	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave The Barnes And Noble 50% off Criterion sale has started. Using membership and coupons, you can buy every Criterion DVD and BD for around 68% off. See this thread for details. I'll be buying and watching this film tomorrow or so. __________________ current exclusives & comparisons threads - Unwatched film thread - Spending - Challenge Compendium - DVD "upgrades" missing features from original release - DVDTalk Facebook - My Pathetic GamerTag/Score - 31 Day Subset - my horror list My Countdown Counting down to: The 5th Annual DVDTalk Horror Challenge The 5th Annual DVDTalk Horror Challenge is Live

11-12-09, 09:40 PM	#6
gryffinmaster DVD & Video Game Reviewer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Floating on a raft with a penguin, a cougar, and one crabby llama. Posts: 3,001	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave So what did you guys think of it? Did the gradual building tension work for you guys? __________________ “Sticking feathers up your butt doesn't make you a chicken." -- Fight Club Thomas, DVDTalk Staff Reviewer -- DVDTalk Reviews -- Thomas' Cinema Musings -- Twitter

11-13-09, 10:55 AM	#7
Trevor DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 12,917	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave Bought this last night at B&N for $8.50. Hope to watch tonight. __________________ current exclusives & comparisons threads - Unwatched film thread - Spending - Challenge Compendium - DVD "upgrades" missing features from original release - DVDTalk Facebook - My Pathetic GamerTag/Score - 31 Day Subset - my horror list My Countdown Counting down to: The 5th Annual DVDTalk Horror Challenge The 5th Annual DVDTalk Horror Challenge is Live

11-14-09, 11:13 AM	#9
gglass4269 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Pekin, IL Posts: 472	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave I believe PAHR was the better film. There's just something about TLW i didnt get... IDK maybe its just me... __________________ "A movie isn't good or bad because of what it is about, but how it is about." - Roger Ebert MY COLLECTION http://gglass4269.dvdaf.com/

11-16-09, 10:25 PM	#11
Washizu New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 5	Re: Criterion Film Club (Nov. 1) - The Last Wave First off, thanks for selecting a movie I might not have picked up (or only in the distant future) on my own. And I've now borrowed Picnic at Hanging Rock from our library to watch in the next couple of weeks. While I liked The Last Waveoverall, it really didn't hit for me. The deliberate pacing was nice, as was the blending of traditional/modern sensibilities. I love movies that can bring the mystical/spiritual into a "realistic" setting, but Last Wave never fully established the alternate beliefs of the "tribal" Aborigines into modern, Western Sydney before running off in the tribal direction. It always kept them as "the other," never bringing the viewer into that world or realm, so I never got a good sense of what was happening with them (perhaps that was intentional). This may be a case where a movie should have been longer to fully integrate into the story its disparate perspectives: legal, social, religious. The last especially would have been interesting, particularly having established the stepfather as a Protestant minister--contrasting practices, views of justice, apocalyptic visions, etc. Even so, the build-up of the movie toward the third act was nice. But I'm still puzzling over that last third, particularly after Chris and David part company. Some of it frankly seemed slap-dash to me, such as Charlie's appearance. Again, maybe that was intentional, the little-understanding outsider going into places he's not meant to be. I dunno, maybe I need to pay more attention to my own dreams. Thanks again for the selection. I enjoyed getting this glimpse into Aboriginal beliefs and Australian cinema (which thus far for me has been limited to Breaker Morant and a movie with Rachel Ward). A pleasant, if slightly frustrating, experience. Last edited by Washizu; 11-17-09 at 09:01 AM.