1980s SF film

[peteryoung]

The Quiet Earth, 1984, New Zealand   DIRECTED BY GEOFF MURPHY
If you approach this film without knowing anything about its small cult following, it's the kind of movie about which it's worth looking for a few clues. The Quiet Earth is a strange mix of elements, beginning with a somewhat bizarre first thirty minutes as the scientist Zac, waking to find he's completely alone in the world, indulges himself in some exploratory cross-dressing, train sets and a delusional power trip. It's about at this point that you ask yourself just where all this is going, but then this weirdness is summarily dropped as he discovers two other people, a woman and a Maori man, and together they make an awkward triangle of sexual tensions as Zac decides what needs to be done about the scientific experiment he was involved in that removed everyone from Earth. Once again the film transforms and towards the end becomes almost a mainstream road movie. The down-to-earth and no nonsense performances of the trio hold no gloss and in some ways their sketchiness exposes all the flaws in this film while at the same time giving it character. Their inherent awkwardness also contrasts with the sweeping and memorable score (by John Charles) and the slick, enigmatic ending that is simply to die for. Or, maybe it's a cop-out. Either way, because of this famous finale there may be meanings that could be teased out of (or read into) this film, or there may not be. No matter, as I would just like to savour it a little longer because it delivered the best and most unexpected sensawunda hit of the day. Recommended.

Comments

[serendipoz.livejournal.com]

I saw it in the theaters during original US release. It was odd then, too.

Joyce

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

What did you make of the ending, good or bad? I still can't get it out of my head!

[serendipoz.livejournal.com]

I still can't get it out of my head either. Perhaps just being memorable is appropriate. Certainly a revised take on the destruction of the world.

Joyce

[missfairchild.livejournal.com]

I love this film. Even now, just thinking about the ending gives me goosebumps.

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

I've had a copy of this on VHS for over a year, I really must connect up the old VHS player and watch it some time.

[stillcarl.livejournal.com]

I'm a NZer and have completely forgotten the ending! :-)

No, don't try and remind me, I'll look at it again with renewed interest. (I think I have the book, unread, but I doubt I have the video.)

It's one of a clutch of movies made here in the late 70s/early 80s that stopped us cringing when seeing what passed for our own cinema. Utu and Goodbye Pork Pie being the other two from Geoff Murphy.

But forget the passable, and try Don't Let it Get You. The Quiet Earth won't seem quite so bizarre then, alongside our pig-hunting musical, staring Kiri Te Kanawa...

Seen it, just ordered it...

[godelescherbach.livejournal.com]

...on DVD, as you reminded me and I took a look.

I first saw newspaper ads for this in 1984 or thereabouts, but the film only seemed to be in out-of-reach art cinemas. I saw it several years later when I found a VHS tape in the library and descended upon it with cries of joy.

Most of the film I found to be right in the tradition of various post-holocaust films (The World, The Flesh and the Devil or On the Beach or Panic in Year Zero).

The ending was something else and was a moment of sensawunda. I'm happy to see if on DVD, as this is something I wanted for my personal library (another, for example, is the series Max Headroom--when the heck are we going to see that? Or, Star Cops, dang it.)

[grytpype-thynne.livejournal.com]

I love this film too. It falls into the special category of Work I Didn't Know Existed Until I Came Across It Channel Hopping Late One Night. A rare experience that can turn round a whole shitty day.

I don't find the ending odd as such, more just a point where the makers felt satisfied that they'd done what they wanted. It's the kind of film that only gets made (I suspect) with public arts funding.

[peteyoung.livejournal.com]

I think I read somewhere that they did in fact get public arts funding to make it, then felt rather guilty about using it for such an indulgence.