Picnic at Hanging Rock
1975
****
Director: Peter Weir
Cast: Rachel Roberts, Dominic Guard, Helen Morse, Jacki Weaver, Anne-Louise Lambert, Karen Robson, Jane Vallis, Christine Schuler, Margaret Nelson, John Jarratt
On Valentine's Day in 1900, girls from an Australian boarding school go on a picnic at Hanging Rock, a striking geological formation, where three girls and a teacher disappear without a trace. The disappearance devastates the students, staff, and the surrounding community. Peter Weir's directorial breakthrough was adapted from Joan Lindsay's 1967 novel. It depicts fictional events, but is framed as though it were a true story. This adds to the overall mystique, and the dreamy cinematography and haunting soundtrack help to create a sustained uneasy atmosphere.
