Picnic at Hanging Rock

Anne-Louise Lambert

Australian cinema experienced a renaissance in the 1970s, spearheaded by the films of Peter Weir, George Miller, and Ken Hannam and movies set in Australia like Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout. The most important of these films, the one that really put Australian cinema on the map, was Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock. Released in 1975, the film is based on the novel of the same name written by Australian novelist Joan Lindsay and the screenplay adaptation was done by Cliff Green. Lindsay’s original novel presents itself as if it was a record of an actual historical event, and the film does nothing to dissuade this notion, but it is a purely fictional story. Starring in the film is Anne-Louise Lambert, Rachel Roberts, Dominic Guard, Hellen Morse, Margaret Nelson, John Jarratt, Wyn Roberts, and Karen Robson. The story is simple, on Valentine’s Day, 1900, a group of girls and teachers from the private girl’s school Appleyard College in Victoria, Australia take a day trip to nearby Hanging Rock. During their picnic, three of the girls and one of the teachers disappear under unexplained circumstances.

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a film that has engendered a lot of speculation as to the central mystery of the girl’s disappearance, but to dwell on that aspect is to perhaps miss the point of the film. The film shouldn’t be viewed as a mystery to be unraveled, or even really a thriller, though there are some suspenseful moments. Really, what happens to the girls during the picnic isn’t the core of the story, instead, it is the aftermath that is really the heart of the film, the effects that the unexplained disappearances have on the school and nearby town. Now, that shouldn’t be considered a slight upon the actual picnic sequence itself, which is both beautiful and bizarre. Cinematographer Russell Boyd’s camera work creates a dreamlike vision, an effect created by placing a bridal veil over the camera lens and taking full advantage of Australia’s wonderful natural light and landscapes. The images are truly beautiful and have the look of an impressionistic painting, an art movement that lines up with the film’s 1900 setting.

Cinematography during the picnic sequence...

...Resembles impressionist art. (The Boat by Edward Cucuel)

However, once the girls begin to wander off, the camera starts to take on a life of its own and we ourselves are transported on a surreal trip in which the girls enter their fugue state. This part of the film, as well as Michael’s search and Irma’s return visit to the school, are more horror than anything else, filled with existential dread and hysteria produced apparently from some external force. But what force is it exactly? There are hints at a supernatural explanation (stopped watch, lost memory) but there is no definite evidence. Australia is a place that had a culture and religion long before the arrival of white, Christian colonizers, and at least in the movie world, there is a power to that, an ancient natural force. At Hanging Rock, the old and the new meet, the Christian and the Pagan, and in this case the power of this old world is enough to overwhelm the Victorian sensibilities of the girls, who themselves are in the middle of awakening womanhood. As they come to this moment, they cast off the vestiges of their Victorian womanhood, both figuratively and quite literally by taking off their shoes, stockings, and corsets, the latter in particular a definitive sign of the repressive culture in which they were raised. Now loosed from these restrictive shackles, the girls revert to the old world definition of primal, unleashed femininity.

An easy comparison can be made with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1947 film Black Narcissus, in which another group of repressed women, in this case, Nuns, go to a land of old and powerful sensuality (India) and are overwhelmed by it. The elements of psychological horror and beautiful cinematography are also comparisons. Black Narcissus is an excellent companion piece to be watched before or after Picnic at Hanging Rock and should be watched regardless due to its standing as one of the best films ever made.

There are other curiosities in the film, in particular, Mrs. Appleyard’s role in Sara’s fate and that girl’s connection with Albert, as well as the exact nature of some of the relationships in the film. These, along with the central picnic enigma make Picnic at Hanging Rock a movie that rewards multiple viewings. Even having seen it several times, I still find more to unwrap.

Available for streaming from Amazon and Filmstruck.