Picnic at Hanging Rock

This is a true masterpiece with the unsurpassed print quality and copious thoughtful and intelligent special features that only a Criterion Collection edition can provide.

This film is an icon of Australian cinema and one of director Peter Weir's most highly regarded efforts. Deservedly so! I won't repeat the summaries others have given. But depending on your feelings what I do have to say may be seem either critical of Criterion - or perhaps exactly in line with their published aims. As follows:From the Criterion website this mission statement: "Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film." Note the phrases, "as its maker would want it seen" and "deepen the viewer's appreciation." It's my opinion that these two goals are potentially self-contradictory, and that Picnic at Hanging Rock is a glaring example of deliberately obscuring the viewers options solely to promote the director's "preferred" message.There is no doubt that both the source novel and the film have been the subject of endless debate on its enduring mysteries: What really DID happen to the missing girls? And is this a real event or not? Film lovers may recall how "Citizen Kane" built a plot about the mystery of the word "Rosebud; ultimately solved at the end. "L 'Aventura" gives us a missing person mystery - then blithely tosses it aside to follow the evolving love affair that follows, never solving the mystery at all. "Rashomon" and "Blowup" give us solutions we get to witness - then pulls them away by demonstrating the unreliability of the eyewitness and the fragility of "proof" once it vanishes into self-doubt or just goes missing itself.So what does this have to do with "Picnic" and Criterion? First, if you don't already know, there IS a solution given by the author! But that final chapter was edited out in 1967 and kept unpublished until after her death. Rightly so, IMHO. It's not very satisfactory by most accounts and I won't be the one to spoil it for the 1st time viewer; Google is your friend. At least two books about the author and her magnum opus have been written around it. But Criterion never even mentions this in the supplements. One of the books, a biography, also shows the deep influence real events had on the author when she was much younger and clearly influence the story. No mention of these - Criterion doesn't want to spoil the mystery, and that's completely in line with Weir's intent. But is that a disservice to the viewer? How can facts lessen our appreciation?The 2nd piece of evidence I'd offer is about the film itself; In showing us the director's cut we are missing the Lost Ending. Yep, there's a whole chunk that was cut before theatrical release that Weir tried to excise but then still had to leave the final voice-over in, but with different imagery. It's in line with the book and supports the film by adding the final fate of one character. To the best of my knowledge it exists on-line in only one place: You-Tube in an old post you'd have to go digging for. So my final point is that this time Criterion is doing more than preserving a film; Rather, they are actively in collusion with the Director to avoid uncomfortable, but accurate, questions that might "spoil it" (because you can't think for yourself, see?) and only presenting such a cut of the film, and deliberately choosing those Supplements as will keep you mystified - but not enlightened. Terms like the "liminal" and the "numinous" are two words that I think could give you a whole new way to approach the film. "Picnic at Hanging Rock" is a film almost as profound as the source novel and I encourage to view it for yourself. But don't stop there as there is plenty of important criticism out there for those who would pursue a mystery - rather than just shrug one's shoulders over it.

Years ago I bought the original Criterion Collection DVD edition of "Picnic at Hanging Rock". The back of the DVD box claims the movie is in widescreen format, but it is not. It is letterboxed; widescreen in a 4:3 format. I guess that works with the older 4:3 TVs, but on the new standard 16:9 sets, it leaves black bars on the right, left, top, and bottom of the screen. This new Blu-ray/DVD edition finally gets it right, giving us a true widescreen version of the film. Here are some observations on this new edition:The new DVD is dual-layer, and slightly larger (7.37GB) than the original Criterion DVD (6.57GB). I note this because very often the DVDs included with BD/DVD sets are single-layer, inferior versions of the DVD compared to DVD-only versions of a film you can buy. I give Criterion credit for not doing this with the DVD here; it is a quality version of the film. The only real difference between the original DVD and the new one is that the new DVD is in 16:9 format, compared to the letterboxed original DVD. The quality of the video is improved over the original, but there is some grain and a lot of artifacts visible.The Blu-ray disk is also in 16:9 format, of course. The film quality is very good, but not great; I assume that is due to the condition of the master that was used to create the new disks. But the BD version removes all the artifacts seen on the DVD, so it is a definitive improvement in that way. Colors are more vibrant and more detail is visible, too, with very little grain evident. You certainly want to watch the BD disk, not the DVD. I'm being a bit over-critical when I say the video quality is not great. It is so much better than the original Criterion DVD, and really looks fine.There are two DVDs in this new edition. One contains the movie, the other contains the extras. The Blu-ray disk includes both the film and the same extras that are on the second DVD.I am a bit surprised that this new set is "director-approved", with the transfer supervised by Peter Weir himself. I say that because Weir changed the format of the film for this new version. The film was originally produced in 1.66:1 format, which is not the same as the 16:9 version we see here. 16:9 fills the whole screen, while 1.66:1 is slightly wider and narrower. If the film were in 1.66:1 format here, there would be small black bars at the top and bottom of a 16:9 screen. Personally, I would prefer that over this modified version. We lose a little bit of information on the right and left sides of the screen, since it had to be slightly cropped to make it fit a 16:9 screen (trust me; I obsessively compared the two versions of the film and confirmed this). I always prefer the original format of a film over one modified in any way. I wish this new BD were in the original format. But that is a minor quibble, since this is a much better version than the original letterboxed DVD, and very little is lost in this new version, certainly nothing of any importance. Finally we get to see the film fill our screens, instead of having a tiny film with black bars on the sides, top, and bottom of the screen!The audio is improved on the Blu-ray disk, too. The original Criterion DVD had Dolby 5.1 mix; the new BD is DTS-HD Master Audio, which means it is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master. The audio is center-channel heavy, with little to no surround effects, the same as the original DVD. I would have liked more enveloping sound, especially in the outdoor scenes, with insects and birds buzzing around. But again, I'm being a bit picky.The inclusion of the book the movie was made from is a terrific bonus, too. That alone adds greatly to the value of this edition of the film. I hope this becomes more of a trend for disk releases of films that are made from books, if the authors or their estates allow it.Of course, my review here is more about the technical aspects of the new BD/DVD set than the film itself. I give this new set 5 stars both for the technical improvements (in spite of my nit-picking), and because this has long been one of my favorite films. it is a great film, one that sticks in your mind long after you've watched it, and one you will want to watch more than once. Finally we have it in a format that it deserves!

A true story leaving us wondering what ever really happened to those girls?! Helen Morse good as usual ...

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) is directed by Peter Weir, and is a masterpiece of cinema. This film is simply unforgettable, with its mysterious plot, powerful music, and stunning visuals. Set in 1900, the viewer is put right into the period, with accurate depictions of the culture and decorum. This is a film that draws you right in and never lets go, with its even pacing and just the right running time (107 minutes). Let’s start with the music: Along with Hanging Rock itself, the music is like a ‘character’ in this film, with its unsettling and moody tone, sort of ambient at times. We get a deep, vibrating wind-like sound via organ when the characters are near Hanging Rock. Then there’s the flute sounds that are simply amazing and create a feeling of mystery. Secondly, there’s the plot: Without any real spoilers here, I’ll simply say that there are strange happenings and supernatural forces at play, with characters doing strange things, as if under a spell. Finally, the visuals in this film are unforgettable as well, with closeups of Hanging Rock with loud, powerful music to make its presence and mysterious nature known. To sum up, Picnic at Hanging Rock, in my opinion, is a thinly-veiled, subtle horror film, sort of ‘art horror.’ The Criterion Collection blu ray is a fantastic product, with some nice special features and a booklet included. Do not miss out on this fantastic film; there’s plenty to like.

Picnic en Hanging Rock se centra en la desaparición de un grupo de chicas durante una excursión escolar así como en lo que ocurre después de este suceso. Una historia intrigante, bellamente filmada y con una conclusión que no agradará a muchos, pero que es precisamente lo que la hace destacar sobre el montón.Como la mayoría de las veces, Criterion no decepciona. Si bien, el precio es un poco elevado, vale completamente la pena. Esta edición incluye audio remasterizado en 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio y características especiales entre las que destacan una entrevista al director y un pequeño documental filmado en el set de grabación. Igualmente incluye un librillo con un ensayo crítico acerca del filme. Lamentablemente ni la película ni las características especiales cuentan con subtítulos en español.Por parte de Amazon el servicio excelente como de costumbre, llegó antes de tiempo y aunque el disco venía suelto dentro de la caja este no presentaba ningún daño.

Il existait déjà des films australiens dans les années 60, bien sûr, mais c’est un Britannique parti tourner dans le pays qui le mit sur la carte du cinéma mondial une fois pour toutes, faisant dans le même mouvement pour la première fois d’un Aborigène une star (David Gulpilil). Après Walkabout de Nicolas Roeg en 1971*, c’est notamment Peter Weir qui réussit en quelques années à faire de l’Australie un pays de cinéma fécond, avec cette fois-ci à la tête de films tournés en Australie un réalisateur du cru. En quatre films – The Cars That Ate Paris / Les Voitures qui ont mangé Paris (1974), Picnic at Hanging Rock / Pique-nique à Hanging Rock (1975), The Last Wave / La dernière vague (1977), Gallipoli (1981) – Peter Weir devint la figure de proue de ce que l’on a pu appeler la Nouvelle Vague australienne. En fait, c’est à lui seul Picnic at Hanging Rock qui lui conféra ce statut de par le monde, à commencer par la Grande-Bretagne, où pour la première fois on considéra sérieusement l’existence d’un cinéma australien spécifique (qui regardait aussi ce que l’empire lui avait apporté, au lieu d’avoir un regard britannique porté sur un pays toujours un peu lointain, exotique et difficilement compréhensible sans le réduire à quelques clichés).Au départ, il y a le roman du même titre de Joan Lindsay. Rien que d’adapter un roman paraissait à certains un peu étrange dans le milieu du cinéma australien au début des années 70. Sans compter que le cinéma du pays était essentiellement dirigé vers l’action, et que le contenu largement méditatif du roman ne semblait pas une matière bien attractive à beaucoup. Peter Weir, qui avait été captivé par le roman, raconte qu’il a dû rencontrer l’écrivaine afin qu’elle approuve le choix de ce jeune homme qui n’avait réalisé qu’un premier film a priori bien éloigné de son univers. Weir, bien qu’il ait particulièrement aimé que le roman entretienne le mystère et ne cherche pas à le résoudre, raconte qu’il n’a pas pu s’empêcher de demander à Joan Lindsay si l’histoire était vraie, et ce qu’elle imaginait comme résolution possible. Lindsay se refusant à répondre, et souhaitant de toute évidence que l’on ne restreigne pas les possibles, Peter Weir a su une fois pour toutes que son adaptation devrait en cela lui être absolument fidèle. On le lui a parfois amèrement reproché, comme pour tous les films qui ne proposent pas une résolution bien claire au spectateur alors qu’ils l’ont appâté avec un mystère qui ne demande qu’à être expliqué, au moins partiellement. Cet aspect est bien entendu ce qui a rendu le film si magnétique aux yeux de beaucoup, et une des raisons pour lesquelles il le reste tout autant près de cinquante ans plus tard.Pour le reste, il s’agit d’un des plus grands films d’atmosphère jamais réalisés. Celle-ci, créée avec tous les moyens du cinéma, tire le meilleur parti des paysages et de la vision de ses personnages – grâce à la lumière avant toute chose (photographie de Russell Boyd), et presque tout autant avec la musique (ah, ce mélange de la flûte de pan de Gheorghe Zamfir, de Beethoven et de Mozart, etc), des cadres et des effets visuels et sonores. Mais attention : film d’atmosphère ne signifie en aucun cas absence de netteté du trait. Limpide dans ce qu’il montre, le film arrive à être dans le même temps constamment évocateur, et permet à la fois d’indiquer nombre d’éléments clairement et de faire travailler l’imagination du spectateur pour susciter le reste. Cela est tout aussi vrai de ce qui est suggéré des jeunes filles et du pensionnat dans lequel elles sont éduquées (et largement cloîtrées), du rapport entre les personnages anglais et australiens, et bien entendu du lieu et du mystère de la disparition elle-même. La plus grande réussite de Peter Weir réside sans doute là : montrer nettement et pourtant susciter beaucoup par-delà ce qu’il montre ; donner le sens d’un monde qui n’est peut-être qu’un « rêve dans un rêve » tout en ne cédant pas à la facilité de différencier trop évidemment ce qui relèverait de la réalité et ce qui relèverait du songe** ; donner le sens d’un malaise profond (bien sûr largement lié à une civilisation reposant largement sur la répression, notamment de la sexualité) sans avoir à multiplier les effets pour le faire ressentir et à l'expliquer démesurément.Certains pensent que Picnic at Hanging Rock est de loin le meilleur film de Peter Weir, qu’il n’a jamais retrouvé par la suite ce qui fait l’équilibre assez miraculeux de ce film unique. Cela est sans doute vrai, même si l’on peut comme moi aimer beaucoup certains films de sa période américaine : en ce qui me concerne, notamment The Mosquito Coast (1986), sans oublier Master and Commander (2003), tout de même le plus grand film d’aventures maritimes des dernières décennies. Picnic at Hanging Rock reste très spécial encore aujourd’hui, et en ce qui me concerne c’est un des films que je revois régulièrement avec un plaisir toujours intact.*Auquel on pourrait ajouter Wake in fright / Réveil dans la terreur, du Canadien Ted Kotcheff, sorti la même année. Film certes formidable mais qui n’a pas dû être sponsorisé plus que cela par les offices du tourisme locaux...**’All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream’, comme le donne à entendre la voix off dès la première séquence. Outre cette citation d'un poème d'Edgar Allan Poe, il y a plus d’une référence à Shakespeare dans le film, à commencer par le prénom d'une des protagonistes principales qui est celui de l’héroïne de La Tempête, Miranda.EDITION BLU-RAY AMERICAINE CRITERION (2014 / 2019)Toujours pas d’édition spécifiquement française en blu-ray, alors qu’elles existent dans les pays anglophones depuis déjà un bout de temps. En Grande-Bretagne, c’est le cas chez Metrodome depuis 2010. Aux Etats-Unis, c’est Criterion qui s’en est (très bien) chargé depuis 2014. Ils avaient alors sorti une édition ‘combo’ dvd + blu-ray, et en 2019 ils ont ressorti dvd et blu-ray séparément, mais il s’agit bien du même contenu.Comme toujours avec Criterion (en tout cas pour ses éditions spécifiquement américaines), il faudra d’une part pouvoir lire les dvd zone 1 / blu-ray zone A, d’autre part être anglophone (sous-titres en anglais disponibles si besoin). Mais si les conditions sont réunies, c’est pour l’instant, et de loin, l’édition à acquérir. Il est sans doute encore possible d’améliorer le master, mais celui-ci restitue une image chaleureuse aux couleurs assez vives, en faisant fort bien passer les différents degrés de diffusion de la lumière. La bande-son peut parfois sembler un peu mate et saturée, mais j’imagine qu’il est là difficile de faire beaucoup mieux avec le matériel d’origine. Comme souvent approuvée par le metteur en scène, ce master donne en tout cas plus que satisfaction.Les suppléments sont comme toujours assez nombreux. On retiendra notamment l’entretien d’une vingtaine de minutes avec Peter Weir, qui revient quelque quarante ans plus tard sur la confection du film sans nostalgie démesurée mais avec une tendresse évidente. Le livret papier, avec ses essais sur le film et sur Peter Weir et la « Nouvelle Vague australienne », achève de rendre cet ensemble indispensable.Si l’on n’est pas détenteur d’un lecteur dézoné, le blu-ray britannique Metrodome peut être une bonne alternative – attention : il ne propose pas plus de français que le blu-ray américain (sous-titres en anglais disponibles également, toutefois).

"Picnic at Hanging Rock" (1975) is directed by Peter Weir (Gallipoli, The Last Wave, The Truman Show, Master and Commander, Dead Poet's Society, Witness, Mosquito Coast) and based on the novel by Joan Lindsay. The movie was thought to have some historical fact though was essentially written from the dreams of Joan Lindsay. The film is set in 1900s and is about the disappearance of four girls on a picnic at Hanging Rock. The film has a dream like quality at times that blends a subtle form of horror and mystery. This film is often mentioned when discussing the emergence of the Australian New Wave of filmmaking that lasted for about ten years from the early 1970s to the 1980s.Criterion has done a wonderful job with this release which includes numerous features such as the making of the film, interviews with the director, actors, producers, film scholars, and the author. Also included is an earlier film by Weir called "Homesdale"(1971). There is a booklet featuring an essay by Megan Abbott, and excerpt from film critic Marek Haltof. And remarkably there is also included a nearly 200 page pocket copy of the novel "Picnic at Hanging Rock."

One of the nicer box sets I got by Criterion. Includes the original novel in addition to a nice booklet with essays and pictures from the movie. Amazing film, dreamlike period mystery, with beautiful imagery of Australia and music by Zamfir.

One of my favourite films. Exceeded my expectations as I was not expecting a copy of the book not all the bonus features on the disc. Excellent audio and video quality that we expect from Criterion. Highly recommended. You may find other Blu-ray editions but get the Criterion edition for it's exceptional audio and picture quality and the bonus book and features on the disc.