Long Weekend is an Australian movie that I knew very little about, but when Netflix algorithms recommended it to me (calling it a "classic" in the process) I was intrigued. When I saw the cover with a giant bird attacking and the tagline "Their crime was against nature... and nature found them guilty!" I was sold. The little I read about it made it seem like it dealt with a lot of man vs. the environment themes, and I expected a Day of the Animals style situation (where all forms of nature just go berserk and attack our characters). But that's not really the case here. Yeah, there are some animal attacks, but this is really more of a psychological thriller than anything. There are definitely points where you begin to wonder how much of the action takes place in the physical world, and how much of it is just symbolic of our leading couple's inner turmoil.
And what inner-turmoil! There is no doubt that Peter and Marcia are having relationship problems. The first time you see Peter look at Marcia it's through the scope of a rifle - never a good sign. Peter is hoping that a camping trip far out in the wilderness (for a long weekend, naturally) will help them address their issues and rekindle their lost romance. Marcia, on the other hand, hates camping/the outdoors and is angry enough about it that the whole trip could be doomed from the start. But Peter doesn't help matters by being a big dick to her. Over the course of the film, we slowly learn what is behind their anger with each other, and really, this is what makes for the bulk of the story. The animal attacks are in there, but anyone hoping for a significant portion of the film dedicated to that (or even a reasonable explanation for it) will be disappointed.
Once they are at the campsite, both Peter and Marcia prove to be less than respectful to the natural world. Marcia flat out hates being there and is just disrespectful, while Peter has this faux-rugged woodsy thing going on. He likes to go around firing his rifle at random, throws his empty beer bottles where ever, and cuts down a tree "because it's there." He fancies himself a naturalist, but is exposed to not really know what the hell he is doing.
One thing that is interesting about Long Weekend is that neither character is really all that likable - and since 90% of the movie is either one or both of them driving/wandering around, you'd think this would be a major strike against the film. But there is enough intrigue here to make it work. On the surface, you've got the mystery of the animal attacks and all the crazy stuff that's going happening to them, but beneath that is the slowly revealed story behind their embittered relationship. And while they may not be likable characters, they are realistic. You don't get the idea that they are total assholes or evil people - they're just fed up with their situation and being rude to each other out of spite. We've all been in those types of moods/relationships. So while I didn't really like them, I did relate to them in some respects.
Overall, Long Weekend had a pretty desolate vibe that I was really into. There is a lot of silence; I'd hesitate to call it a slow-burn, but no one would call it a fast-paced thrill ride either. There is this looming, hard to define sense of *something* - I wouldn't call it dread, but something like unsettling loneliness. Most of the tension/horror comes from their isolation - this is especially true when they split up. The natural landscape played into this and is shot really artfully. It's vast and empty... cool looking but distant at the same time. The Australian coast was beautiful (see the title shot at the beginning of this entry), but not in a vibrant, tropical way.
The soundtrack is exceptional as well. It's more or less ambient sounds, blending an array of non-traditional instruments with sounds of the natural world. It's really well done - and often hard to tell where the animal sounds stop and the music begins. And most of it is intentionally spooky, drone-y stuff that really adds to the unsettling vibe.
And finally, Peter and Marcia brought their dog along!
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| Oh hi Cricket! |
Breed: Chocolate Lab
Function: To be the likable character in the story (because you really should like *someone*). Also, to give Peter and Marcia another thing to fight about. And he provides tension by making you constantly wonder how/when something terrible is going to happen to him.
Fate: He makes it! Although he's left in not the greatest situation, it's still a victory for horror movie dogs.
I have to mention that there is a bit of legit animal violence here, which really turns me off. But, going in expecting an animal attack movie from the 70's, I certainly expected a lot more. You see a real, already dead kangaroo run over by a van (I'm guessing/hoping it was already roadkill by that point) and they also run over a live crab (which is just plain rude, regardless of what you think of crabs). But I'm the guy who get's bothered when they mistreat worms and cockroaches in movies, so take this at face value. It was not fun to see, but I've seen way, way, worse.
Overall, I really dug this film. If you're feeling like a moody, lonely-feeling arthousey dose of psychological horror, Long Weekend will fit the bill perfectly.
I would highly recommend this film.
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