Wake in Fright (***1/4)

A young Sydney schoolteacher (Gary Bond), midway through a year-long stint in a small town that he can’t wait for to end, stops over in another remote town on the way back home for vacation. The local pastime, at least among the men, seems to be beer drinking and gambling; the teacher seems to hold himself above them, but in the course of a single weekend learns that he shares some of their basest instincts. This 1971 film, re-released, recalls the sort of western in which a stranger wanders into a small town, but instead of facing down a local outlaw the educated teacher must face down his own nature. It can also be seen as relating to group conformity, a fictional exposition of a psychological experiment.

One or two things about the movie seem a bit forced. Does every male Australian take offense if you won’t drink beer with him? The time line seems somewhat compressed as well, making the hero’s unraveling less convincing, although we actually know little about him. Still, the economy of the storytelling has power, and the outback setting is indelibly evoked by director Ted Kotcheff, who with screenwriter Evan Jones adapted a novel by Kenneth Cook. There is apparently no new footage, but a disclaimer at the end relating to a kangaroo hunt notes that footage was taken from an actual hunt. Animal lovers, or admirers of human nature, be warned. The best-known (and most memorable) cast member is Donald Pleasence, playing an alcoholic, debauched doctor. Director, Ted Kotcheff went on to do, among other films, Weekend at Bernie’s.


IMDb link


viewed 11/19/12 7:00 pm at Ritz Bourse and reviewed 11/20/12