Peter Weir’s classic is the latest to be given a gorgeous new disc release from Second Sight
One of the most fascinating things about horror is that a film can have absolutely none of the usual signifiers and still be classed as part of the genre. Demons, ghosts, zombies, masked killers – none of these are strictly necessary to consider a film horrific. Peter Weir’s 1975 classic Picnic at Hanging Rock is a perfect example of horror-adjacent cinema – and thanks to its gorgeous new release from Second Sight, it’s about to find a whole new audience.
It’s Valentine’s Day, 1900. Southeast Australia. A group of girls from a local private school visit Hanging Rock for a celebratory picnic – but when four of their number disappear without a trace, the effects on the local community, and members of the school, are terrible.
Weir’s film certainly has an air of the horrific about it – throughout, its images and sounds are haunting and unnerving, embedding themselves into your mind and refusing to budge. What’s ultimately most memorable about the film is not one particular scene or moment, a line reading or specific shot, but a feeling of constant unease and nervousness. From its scene-setting photography at the beginning all the way through to its tragic closing montage, there’s a vague, sinister sense of the otherworldly – that there’s something else going on at Hanging Rock that neither we nor the investigating locals are privy to. This unease continues long after the credits have rolled, and is perhaps the film’s greatest strength.
Also of note are the ensemble performers – all are terrific, but of particular note are Rachel Roberts as Mrs Appleyard, the school’s headmistress, and Helen Morse as Mlle de Poitiers, who was presiding over the picnic when the girls went missing. Roberts especially gives a towering turn, brimming equally with rage and remorse as she’s desperate both to find answers and keep the school afloat in the wake of the girls’ disappearance. Mlle de Poitiers, meanwhile, feels personally responsible for the incident, and Morse imbues her with an incredible, delicate sense of grief and brokenness. It’s clear she cares for the girls (missing or otherwise) more than she is willing to say – but even that cannot prevent the tragedies that occur.
And speaking of tragedies… Margaret Nelson deserves heaps of praise for her turn as the young Sara Waybourne, an orphan whose attachment to one of the missing girls leads her down a dark path. Nelson, who’s become something of a recluse since the late 70s, gives a quiet, tender performance that would be a highlight of any other movie of the era – Sara is withdrawn and vulnerable, but that doesn’t stop Nelson attacking the role all she can.
Beyond the acting and directing, what really makes Picnic work is the combination of visuals and music, courtesy of DP Russell Boyd and composer Bruce Smeaton. Their work melds together beautifully to create a string of ethereality throughout the film, lending the entire experience the unease that it utilises so well and makes it such an undeniable classic.
For existing fans of the film, this new Second Sight release (4K and regular Blu-ray) is a must-have. Containing both the theatrical and director’s cuts of the film, as well as a plethora of extras across either two or four discs (depending on whether you opt for the dual-format deluxe edition or not), it’s one of the label’s most comprehensive releases yet. Highlights include A Dream Within a Dream, a feature-length documentary all about the making of the film, an audio commentary with academics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson, and new interviews with actor Karen Robson, DP Russell Boyd and camera operator John Seale. The deluxe release also includes a book of essays and a copy of the original novel by Joan Lindsay. Even if that doesn't tickle your fancy, the new set is worth snagging for the restoration alone: the film looks drop-dead gorgeous, whether in regular HD or 4K. The already-terrific lighting and cinematography pop even more, and not a single shot looks dated. We already knew Second Sight were good at restorations, but here they've outdone themselves.
In short: it’s a must-have if you’re an existing fan. And if you’re not? Well, Picnic at Hanging Rock is more than worth your time. A cerebral, unsettling work that more than deserves its place among the best of Australian cinema, horror-adjacent cinema rarely comes better than this.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is available now on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Second Sight.
Images courtesy of Second Sight. All rights reserved.