John Grant (Gary Bond) is a teacher in the Outback of Australia. School is out, and his intention is to go on holiday with his girlfriend. Things don't go to plan, when John arrives in the mining town of Bundanyabba, which the locals call 'The Yabba'. During his one night stay he gambled away all of his money on a game of two-up and is left stranded in the Yabba.
'Wake in Fright' began the Australian New Wave, preceding 'Picnic at Hanging Rock', 'Mad Max' and 'Gallipolli'. Critically acclaimed upon release, but gradually forgotten throughout the years. Soon after release, the film was announced lost. Every copy of the film was gone forever. Eventually, the editor of the film found a negative and positive of the film in Pittsburgh, and began restoring it frame by frame. Finally, the film has been released on blu-ray, and it looks glorious.
I tend to like movies where characters descend into madness (Filth, The Wolf of Wall Street), as the directors and actors are let off the hook and go completely crazy. 'Wake in Fright' is definitely one of those films and is a terrifying experience. It shocked people on release and it still shocks now, with a deserved 18 certificate.
The Yabba may be a fictional town, but it feels scarily real. The Outback is an area of the world which is shown in an incredibly small amount of films. The large stretches of desert combined with the sweltering heat creates a strange alienating atmosphere. The Yabba is a frightening place taken from a nightmare, which may well be welcoming when Grant enters, but turns horrific by the time he leaves.
Gary Bond plays Grant fantastically. He has a great stereotypical, posh, English accent and is a relatable and sympathetic protagonist. It is a shame he has faded into obscurity, and never made the big time. With a voice like that I'm surprised he didn't get a role in 'Chariots of Fire' or 'A Passage to India'. The supporting actors do a good job of portraying vile characters. They are frighteningly realistic.
No review of 'Wake in Fright' would be complete without talking about the kangaroo hunt. At first glance I didn't think they were real, but were stuffed kangaroos, but I was wrong...so wrong. The hunt turns into a massacre as the main characters slaughter a disgusting amount of kangaroos. It adds to the film notoriety, while making it more terrifying. It's disgusting, and would demote nearly every other film, but strangely, it adds to the film.
The film is shot flawlessly, but the restoration is still patchy in places. The film should have ended ten minutes earlier, but I'm just being picky. It deserved EMPIRE Magazine's infamous five star review, and is an experience I would recommend to anyone. Unless they worked at a kangaroo reserve.
TO CONCLUDE
A terrifying and memorable film which is different to anything I have ever seen. I'm so glad this film was found.
SCORE
80
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