Wake in Fright

Trailer—Wake in Fright

"Wake in Fright" resembles Sergio Leone's cinema.The music and opening 360 degree shot of the small cluster of buildings in the middle of the barren and empty Australian desert echoes most famous Leone's spaghetti westerns.Based on the novel by Kenneth Cook "Wake in Fright" shows the harsh reality of living in the outback.A young teacher John Grant is stuck in the town of Bundanyabba,the world of heavy alcoholism,kangaroo shooting,depravity,destruction and sexual perversion.The locals are repulsive and almost primitive.They drink tons of beer whilst being sweaty and half-naked.The footage from kangaroo hunt is unflinchingly haunting and disturbing.Stellar performances by Chips Rafferty,Donald Pleasence and Gary Bond plus some raw violence and destruction make this one a gritty classic of Australian cinema.9 out of 10.

Lord of the fleas down under where men are boys and women scarcer than kangaroos. Horror of self-discovery for British lost soul working as teacher (a God-forsaken job in any place) in woop-woop, where the students are so bored that at least they lack the energy to misbehave.. No escaping his lot he plunges deep into ockerism and comes out clean of his snobbery and finally dead content in the classroom. In my view he did it on purpose to escape the clutches of his girl in Sydney ... But what a middle age he has to look forward to. An unforgettable film with image, music and performances coming together brilliantly.

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