Picnic at Hanging Rock [4K UHD]

Picnic at Hanging Rock [4K UHD]

Studio: The Criterion Collection

April 18, 2024
Web Exclusive

By Kaveh Jalinous
Photo from The Criterion Collection

It may not be an exaggeration to claim that by Peter Weir Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of the most exciting movies ever made. Certainly, the 1975 film lacks all the stereotypical elements of the horror genre, such as jump scares or dimly lit settings. But the unsettling, intrusive nature of the film's plot, style, and themes are enough to make the experience stick with you long after the credits roll.

Set in 1900 in Australia, Picnic at Hanging Rock follows a group of young students at a small, all-girls boarding school that emphasizes proper etiquette and following the rules more than anything else. On Valentine's Day, all the girls—except one—go on a field trip to Hanging Rock, a massive, volcanic rock full of secret passages, poisonous snakes, and many areas of solitude. The girls have a picnic on a hillside, where they are almost completely alone – barring the presence of a wealthy couple and the two gentlemen who accompany them. Suddenly, four schoolgirls decide to go for a walk and explore the rock, leaving their friends and teachers behind. As the four move up in formation, tensions rise between one of the students and the other three. In a terrified panic, this girl runs back to the group.

Hours later, and hours past curfew, the field trippers finally return to their school with the news that the three girls have disappeared, along with one of their teachers. With no idea what they did on the mountain or where they went, curiosity quickly turns to obsession as various characters—including the single girl who isn't allowed on the excursion and one of the men on the mountain—try to solve the mystery.

Some of his horror Picnic at Hanging Rock it comes from the film's narrative and intrigue. As elements of the narrative develop, including the general audience's interest in understanding what happened to the schoolgirls, the film quickly morphs into an examination of the ways in which obsession can completely take over one's mind, throwing logic out the window for theories and opinions about what might have happened. There is a constant, chilling feeling that the fate of the students has already been decided from the moment they chose to take their walk. In this sense, despite everyone's collective desire to know what happened, it's clear that any attempts to solve the mystery will be short-lived, making the characters' more drastic and dangerous actions all the more terrifying.

But the real horror of Weir's film is how the director frames the story. The director's visual style is filled with various oddities—such as disturbing camera pans when capturing the rock, or zooming in/out of character's faces to capture their intense expressions. In addition, the cinematographer weapons the sound of the film. Especially as the narrative unfolds, the director juxtaposes moments of silence, the heavy piano score and the overwhelming harmony of nature (especially the chirping of cicadas) to show how isolated all the characters are – from themselves, from each other and the environment SPACE. When the characters speak, the desperation of their voice and tone often heightens the contrast between them and these other noises. Therefore, despite the fact that conversational dialogue was dropped or completely abandoned during many of the film's sequences, Picnic at Hanging Rock is always sonically overwhelming.

Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of the best examples of the successful fusion of form and content. The combination of the narrative, the film's visual language, and the lack of complete audio coherence constantly build upon each other to evoke a certain, chilling feeling in the viewer, even before the girls disappear at the end of the film's first act. As the tension of the film increases, the strength of the relationship between these three elements increases, heightening the sense of dread and terror. The story is scary, yes. But because of how successfully Weir commands the film's elements, the experience of watching the story unfold is that much more terrifying.

Criterion Collection re-release and 4K upgrade Picnic at Hanging Rock it is essential and worth a purchase. Along with the new 4K restoration – which perfectly highlights the film's crisp contours and bold, summery hues – the physical version includes several additional features. Among the best: an on-set documentary documenting the experience and process of making the film, one of Weir's short dark comedies, and an interview with Weir. For fans of Weir's work, fans of different types of horror films, or those interested in seeing how one's expectations of a film can be so easily subverted, Picnic at Hanging Rock it is something to watch.

(www.criterion.com/films/565-picnic-at-hanging-rock)