Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian mystery film , and adaptation of the novel of the same name. It premiered at the Hindley Cinema Complex in Adelaide, South Australia on 8 August 1975. It became one of the first Australian films to reach an international audience, receiving international acclaim and commercial popularity, and thus has an important place in both cinematic and Australian history. The film stars Helen Morse, Rachel Roberts and Vivean Gray. The film centres a party of schoolgirls, who dissappear after being drawn into a mysterious rock formation, in Australia in 1900. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 395 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (403 × 612 pixel, file size: 189 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is of a film poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the film... Peter Lindsay Weir (born August 21, 1944) is an Australian film director. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Joan Lindsay (born Joan aBeckett Weigall) (November 16, 1896 - December 23, 1984) was an Australian author. ... Rachel Roberts in a scene from Picnic at Hanging Rock Rachel Roberts (September 20, 1927 – November 26, 1980, Llanelli) was a Welsh actress. ... Vivean Gray (born on 20 July 1924)is a British-born actress, who found her niche playing gossipy characters in Australian television series. ... Helen Morse (born 1948) is an Australian actress and costume designer who has appeared in films, on television, and on stage. ... Kirsty Child is an Australian actress, best known for playing three roles in the cult drama Prisoner. ... Bach in a 1748 portrait by Haussmann Places in which Bach resided throughout his life Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (IPA: , baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart) (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. ... A portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820 Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: ), (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer. ... Russell Boyd (April 21, 1944 in Victoria, Australia) is an Australian cinematographer. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the 1976 Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // January 28 - George Lucas creates the second draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... Look up mystery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Picnic at Hanging Rock is the title of a 1967 novel by Australian author Joan Lindsay, and the 1975 film adaptation directed by Peter Weir. ... For other uses, see Adelaide (disambiguation). ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ned Kelly depicted in the first Australian feature-length narrative film The cinema of Australia has a long history and has produced many internationally-recognized films, actors and filmmakers. ... Helen Morse (born 1948) is an Australian actress and costume designer who has appeared in films, on television, and on stage. ... Rachel Roberts in a scene from Picnic at Hanging Rock Rachel Roberts (September 20, 1927 – November 26, 1980, Llanelli) was a Welsh actress. ... Vivean Gray (born on 20 July 1924)is a British-born actress, who found her niche playing gossipy characters in Australian television series. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ...

It is famed for its dreamlike aura, eerie soundtrack and mysterious, unresolved story; for the debate over its meaning, see the article on the original novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Picnic at Hanging Rock is the title of a 1967 novel by Australian author Joan Lindsay, and the 1975 film adaptation directed by Peter Weir. ...

Synopsis

The screenplay, adapted by Green from Lindsay's novel, tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at a geological formation known as Hanging Rock on Valentine's Day in 1900. The reason for their disappearance, whether by human, natural or supernatural agency, is never discovered, but their disappearance has a profound effect upon everybody in their community. Saint Valentines Day or Valentines Day is on February 14. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ...

The film begins in an English girls' school in the Australian bush. The school is headed by the stentorian Mrs. Appleyard (Rachel Roberts), an indomitable and unbending figurehead of authority. Her staff include the remote mathematics mistress Miss McCraw (Vivean Gray), who vanishes on the Rock with three pupils, the young and beautiful Mademoiselle de Portiers (Helen Morse) who teaches French and deportment, and the jittery Miss Lumley (Kirsty Child), who is anxious to please Mrs. Appleyard. Rachel Roberts in a scene from Picnic at Hanging Rock Rachel Roberts (September 20, 1927 – November 26, 1980, Llanelli) was a Welsh actress. ... Vivean Gray (born on 20 July 1924)is a British-born actress, who found her niche playing gossipy characters in Australian television series. ... Helen Morse (born 1948) is an Australian actress and costume designer who has appeared in films, on television, and on stage. ... Kirsty Child is an Australian actress, best known for playing three roles in the cult drama Prisoner. ...

The three girls, during the excursion, by the rock, where the girls travel, and are never seen again

Although she commands only a little more than a half-hour of screen time, the film's central character is Miranda (Anne-Louise Lambert), a young student whose beauty is compared by Mademoiselle de Portiers to one of Botticelli's angels. Her circle of friends includes Irma (Karen Robson), Marion (Jane Vallis), Rosamund (Ingrid Mason) and the waifish Sara (Margaret Nelson) whose affection for Miranda stems from a deep crush. Another pupil, Edith (Christine Schuler) hovers on the edge of Miranda's circle, desperate for acceptance. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Anne Louise Lambert (born August 21, 1955) is an Australian actress. ... Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli (little barrel) (March 1, 1445 – May 17, 1510) was an Italian painter of the Florentine school during the Early Renaissance (Quattrocento). ...

During the picnic, a handful of the girls - Miranda, Irma, Marion and Edith - decide to explore the rock in direct defiance of Mrs Appleyard's specific instruction. One of the teachers, Miss McCraw, follows them. By sunset, only Edith has returned, hysterical and unable to explain what has transpired. The police investigation led by Sgt. Bumpher (Wyn Roberts) and Constable Jones (Garry McDonald) leads them to a young Englishman, Michael Fitzhubert (Dominic Guard) who was lunching at the rock with his family, Colonel Fitzhubert (Peter Collingwood) and Mrs. Fitzhubert (Olga Dickie). Michael, with Albert (John Jarratt), the Fitzhubert party's young local Australian valet, spent part of the lunch watching the picnic, but offer no clues in the investigation. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Dominic Guard (b. ... John Jarratt is an Australian actor born 5 August 1951 and currently garnering accolades for his portrayal of Mick Taylor in Wolf Creek. ...

The town of Woodend quickly becomes restless as news of the disappearance spreads. The townsfolk are angry, demanding answers, while Michael, and later Albert, search the rock - discovering Irma, though she has no memory of what happened on the rock, or of the fate of her companions. Woodend is a small town in Victoria, Australia, with a population of about 5,000. ...

Production

The film was produced by Patricia Lovell, Hal McElroy and Jim McElroy. Peter Weir directed the film. Screenwriter David Williamson was originally chosen to adapt the film, but was unavailable and recommended noted TV writer Cliff Green for the job. The film had a budget of A$440,000. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Peter Lindsay Weir (born August 21, 1944) is an Australian film director. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Weir originally cast Ingrid Mason as Miranda, overlooking Anne-Louise Lambert who had a remoteness that set her apart from the other girls at the audition. Later, realising that such remoteness was precisely what the character needed, he re-cast Lambert as Miranda. Mason was persuaded to stay on, in the role of Rosamund.

Filming commenced at Hanging Rock, Victoria on 2 February 1975. Martindale Hall, in South Australia was used to stand for Appleyard Hall. Hanging Rock (originally called Mount Diogenes) is a volcanic formation of solvsbergite in Victorias Mt. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ...

Analysis

Themes

At the beginning of the film we are introduced to a microcosm of English propriety - a traditional English college for young ladies, set in the wild, chaotic landscape of the Australian bush. The contrast between transplanted English tradition with the ancient, spiritual wilderness of Australia permeates the film. The veneer of order which comes with the transplanted English tradition masks a community simmering with emotion: young Sara's crush on Miranda, gardener Tom's (Tony Llewellyn-Jones) affair with Minnie (Jackie Weaver) and more. Jackie Weaver (b, May 25, 1947) is an Australian actor. ...

Style

The film's rhythm is marked by a recurring sense of unease created by lingering images of the Rock and of the Australian bush. Director of photography Russell Boyd reportedly enhanced the film's diffuse and ethereal look with the simple technique of placing a piece of bridal veil over the camera lens.^{[citation needed]} A cinematographer (from cinema photographer) is one photographing with a motion picture camera. ... Russell Boyd (April 21, 1944 in Victoria, Australia) is an Australian cinematographer. ...

Miranda, as she draws closer into the rock, is one of the most important characters, yet only appears in small parts of the film

Compounding the film's dreamlike quality is the sometimes disjointed but intriguing dialogue - in the opening sequence, Miranda (Anne-Louise Lambert) paraphrases Edgar Allan Poe, whispering "What we see and what we seem are but a dream; a dream within a dream". (Poe's quote is "All that we see or seem | Is but a dream within a dream"^{[citation needed]}) Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Anne Louise Lambert (born August 21, 1955) is an Australian actress. ... Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, editor, critic and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ...

The narrative structure of the film is dominated by irresolution; most noticeably, the mystery of where the girls vanished to is not explained, but also the fact that the orphaned Sara and the valet Albert are clearly brother and sister remains unresolved within the frame of the story, and while each character relates an anecdote which confirms the relationship, they never meet.

Responses

Weir recounts that when the film was first screened in the United States, American audiences were greatly disturbed by the lack of any clear resolution to the plot.^{[citation needed]}

In honour of the film's success, and its enduring popularity, Picnic at Hanging Rock is still screened annually in the picnic grounds at Hanging Rock, Victoria, on St. Valentine's Day.

The film was a major critical success, in Australia, the U.S. as well as the UK and many other countries. It has a rating of 94/100 fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.^[1] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Music

The main title music, which plays a major role in creating the haunting atmosphere for which the film is remembered, comes from two traditional Romanian panpipe pieces, "Doina: Sus Pe Culmea Dealului" and "Doina Lui Petru Unc" with Romanian Gheorghe Zamfir on panpipe (or panflute) and Swiss born Marcel Cellier playing organ. Pan pipes (also known as the panflute or the syrinx or quills) is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the stopped pipe, consisting usually of ten or more pipes of gradually increasing length. ... Gheorghe Zamfir (born April 6, 1941, in Găeşti, Romania) is a musician who is a virtuoso of the pan flute. ... Marcel Cellier (1925- ) is a Swiss organist, ethnomusicologist and music producer. ...

Weir first heard Zamfir's music on the album Flutes de Pan et Orgue, originally released on the French Cellier label. Although the film was instrumental in popularising Zamfir's distinctive music, Weir later revealed that Zamfir refused to contribute original music for the film, forcing Weir to obtain the licencing rights for the tracks he had originally heard on the Cellier disc.^{[citation needed]}

The "ascent" theme, which plays first during the girls' climb, then during Michael's ascent of the Rock in pursuit of the missing girls, and later when Albert makes a similar climb, was one of several original compositions written for the film by Australian composer Bruce Smeaton.^{[citation needed]} Bruce Smeaton is a composer, well known for a variety of Australian movie film scores. ...

Other music in the film is classical, including: Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C, a piano piece used near the beginning of the film; the Romance piece from Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; the Andante Cantabile movement from Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No.1 Op.11; and the Adagio Un Poco Mosso from Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, also known as the Emperor Concerto, a dreamlike piano piece used later in the film when Michael is haunted by his memories of Miranda. Bach in a 1748 portrait by Haussmann Places in which Bach resided throughout his life Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October... A portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820 Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: ), (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Concerto No. ...

The last of these, the Adagio from Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, is a favourite of producer Hal McElroy; it has been used in several of his films, including the television mini-series Return to Eden. Return to Eden was a Australian miniseries starring Rebecca Gilling, James Reyne (who was also a singer with pop band Australian Crawl), Wendy Hughes and James Smillie. ...

There is currently no official soundtrack commercially available. In 1976, CBS released a vinyl LP titled "A Theme from Picnic at Hanging Rock" through their Epic label in the UK. This album included the two Doinas listed above, subtitled "Miranda's Theme" and "A Theme from Picnic at Hanging Rock" respectively; the remaining tracks were more Romanian folk tunes, and the artwork was unrelated to the film, or to Hanging Rock. The Doinas concerned are available on CD on the relatively obscure Disques Cellier label, and are also available as recorded live versions. CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... Marcel Cellier (1925- ) is a Swiss organist, ethnomusicologist and music producer. ...

Awards

• In 1976, the film was nominated for one award - Best Cinematography - by the British Society of Cinematographers.
• In 1977, it was nominated for three BAFTA Awards by the British Academy of Film and Television: Best Cinematography for Russell Boyd, Best Costume Design for Judith Dorsman and Best Soundtrack for Greg Bell and Don Donnelly. Boyd won.
• In 1979, the film was nominated for two Saturn Awards by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films in the United States: Best Cinematography for Russell Boyd and Best Writing for Cliff Green. Boyd won.

Category: ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy and horror in film, television and home video. ... Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ...

Director's cut

In 1998, the film was re-released theatrically as a director's cut. Unlike many directors who use the opportunity to restore material to a film, Peter Weir chose to cut seven minutes from the film in parts he felt were either too long, or distracted from the film's narrative. This shortened version remains controversial to those who felt it damaged the pacing and texture of the original 1975 cut which had stood for twenty-three years. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

The director's cut is currently the only version available on DVD, although the German release does feature the removed scenes as "Bonus Material".

External links

• Official website of Hanging Rock (Mt Diogenes) in Australia.
• Official website of Martindale Hall, the location used as Appleyard College.
• Picnic at Hanging Rock at the Internet Movie Database
• Review by film critic Roger Ebert
• Film page at the Hanging Rock website
• Fan summary of The Murders at Hanging Rock
• Criterion Collection essay by Vincent Canby
• Picnic at Hanging Rock at the National Film and Sound Archive