Peter Weir Criticism
Peter Weir is an acclaimed Australian director, screenwriter, and actor known for infusing his films with a sense of the mystical within the mundane. As a prominent figure of Australia's New Wave cinema, Weir's work often juxtaposes beauty with the bizarre, constructing narratives that explore hidden, unsettling forces beneath the surface of ordinary life.
Weir's career began with short films, leading to a position at Film Australia, where he directed his first feature, The Cars that Ate Paris. This film is a genre-blending metaphorical fantasy that critiques the dehumanizing effects of technology, as noted by Philip Strick and Geoff Brown. Despite its commercial failure, it was well-received critically.
Picnic at Hanging Rock, considered a landmark in Australian cinema, uses its ethereal visuals to mask a disturbing narrative, reflecting themes of fear and the supernatural. Critics like Richard Combs and Ed Roginski have discussed its atmospheric and psychosexual complexities, despite some narrative disjointedness.
The Last Wave continues Weir's exploration of mystical themes through water imagery and Aboriginal spirituality, although some critics argue it prioritizes mood over narrative depth, as suggested by Vincent Canby and Gordon Gow. The Plumber, another of Weir's films, transforms a domestic tale into a narrative of class struggle and societal norms, as analyzed by Marsha Kinder.
Even though Weir claims not to focus deliberately on the supernatural, his films frequently capture the enigmatic nature of reality, echoing Edgar Allan Poe's introspection on dreams and perceptions, as illustrated in the opening of Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Contents
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'Incredible Floridas'
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In the following essay, Ed Peltier argues that Peter Weir's film Incredible Floridas masterfully intertwines music and poetry by exploring the creative connections between composer Richard Meale and poet Arthur Rimbaud, effectively capturing the haunting beauty of both arts.
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'The Cars that Ate Paris'
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In the following essay, Philip Strick argues that Peter Weir's film The Cars that Ate Paris serves as a metaphorical fantasy examining the dehumanizing effect of technology, comparing its thematic depth and anarchic tone to works by Kurosawa and Romero, while acknowledging its uncertain narrative direction and comedic influences.
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Film Reviews: 'The Cars that Ate Paris'
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In the following essay, Geoff Brown critiques Peter Weir's film "The Cars That Ate Paris" as a grotesque yet engaging horror-comedy that, despite some flaws in pacing and performance, offers a refreshing use of Australian cultural elements to enhance its intriguing narrative.
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'Picnic at Hanging Rock'
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In the following essay, Richard Combs critiques Peter Weir's "Picnic at Hanging Rock" for its stylistic displacement, arguing that while the film effectively creates an atmospheric Victorian mystery, it falters by overemphasizing unresolved psychosexual themes and introducing multiple sub-mysteries, resulting in a narrative that ultimately feels disjointed.
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'Picnic at Hanging Rock'
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In the following essay, Tom Milne critiques Peter Weir's film Picnic at Hanging Rock for its tendency to overstate symbolic themes, yet acknowledges its moments of brilliance in blending narrative elements, suggesting Weir's work could benefit from more disciplined direction.
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Reviews: 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'
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In the following essay, Ed Roginski analyzes Peter Weir's film Picnic at Hanging Rock, arguing that it explores themes of repression, sexuality, and the boundaries between civilization and the natural world through its depiction of a mysterious, mythical event that transcends reality and provokes unease by challenging conventional perceptions of reality.
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Film Reviews: 'The Last Wave'
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In the following essay, Richard Combs critiques Peter Weir's film The Last Wave, arguing that while Weir excels in creating atmospheric and visually rich scenes, the film ultimately suffers from narrative and thematic incoherence, particularly in its handling of Aboriginal elements and the contrived murder investigation plot.
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'The Last Wave'
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In the following essay, Gordon Gow argues that Peter Weir's film The Last Wave compellingly integrates subtle supernatural elements within a naturalistic setting, creating an eerie atmosphere that challenges viewers' perceptions of reality, echoing themes of mysticism and atavism previously explored in Picnic at Hanging Rock.
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'The Last Wave'
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In the following essay, Tim Pulleine critiques Peter Weir's film The Last Wave, asserting that while the film initially combines strong narrative elements and rich imagery, it ultimately falters in maintaining engagement and depth, particularly in its superficial portrayal of Aboriginal characters and its reliance on a clichéd shock ending.
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Mysticism Down Under
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In the following essay, Vincent Canby critiques "The Last Wave" as a film that starts with significant promise and mood but ultimately disappoints with its climax, though he acknowledges Peter Weir's talent for finding the eerie in everyday life, reminiscent of Hitchcock's style.
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Apocalypse, Now
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In the following essay, Dan Yakir examines Peter Weir's film The Last Wave, highlighting its genre-blending narrative and the thematic exploration of societal complacency and the clash between Western civilization and Aboriginal spirituality, ultimately portraying a reality intertwined with dreams.
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Doused
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In the following essay, Pauline Kael criticizes Peter Weir's film The Last Wave for its overuse of ominous cinematography and failure to develop characters, arguing that it romanticizes white guilt and lacks the profundity it seeks, ultimately rendering the film hollow and unengaging.
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Film Chronicle: Trash and Poetry
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In the following essay, Vernon Young argues that Peter Weir's film "Picnic at Hanging Rock" is a poetic masterpiece of Australian independent cinema, imbued with subtle eroticism and exquisite visual beauty, challenging the conventional notion of a masterpiece by prioritizing lyrical complexity over moral or social messages.
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Reviews: 'The Plumber'
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In the following essay, Marsha Kinder argues that Peter Weir's film The Plumber effectively transforms a domestic comedy premise into a complex narrative exploring class struggle, gender roles, and societal norms through ambiguity, subversive humor, and musical cues to highlight thematic depth and character conflict.