'Wake in Fright' is a film that explores a nightmarish descent into madness in the most disturbing, terrifying, yet perfect manner possible. The very first shot of the film(an overhead wide angle shot) establishes the desolate, isolated nature of the setting. The protagonist Gary Bond, a British school teacher in Tiboonda, a remote township in the Australian Outback, is clearly trapped in the middle of nowhere and Bond is all too aware of this fact. We see him verbalise his contempt towards the educational system for tying him down with a financial bond and making him their slave. When the Christmas vacation starts, Bond with the intention of going to Sydney to visit his girlfriend, first makes his way to a nearby town named Bundanyabba which the locals call 'Yabba'. Once in Yabba, Bond comes into contact with the locals who seem over-exuberant to make his acquaintance and offer him their booze. Once the booze starts to get gulped, everything goes crazy.
The reckless drinking in Yabba pretty much takes Bond on a journey into the deep dark abyss of the reckless and toxic side of masculinity. The men who Bond comes across in Yabba have nothing to do except drink and indulge in highly disturbing activities which they consider to be an exercise in bonding. This desperation to one- up each other and engage in violence and uncontrolled machismo has its roots in the fact that these people have very little to do in their lives. The loneliness and pointlessness of the life of a man in the Australian Outbacks fuel their need to play with danger and grapple with their deranged conception of 'manliness' among each other. Although the alcohol is the primary reason behind the deplorable experiences that Bond goes through in Yabba, but the director Ted Kotcheff and screenwriter Evan Jones subtly imply that Bond isn't completely faultless either. His repressed frustration for being tied down to Tiboonda actually makes him feel a bit liberated once he reaches the far more populated town of Yabba. To some extent he allows himself to be taken advantage of because of his own desire to let go. Unfortunately, his quest to liberate himself from the cage of his mundane life in Tiboonda leads him to a bigger cage of alcohol and violence in Yabba.
The setting of the Australian outback instantly offers a unique visual texture to the film. The setting is essential in the thematic context too and adds to the bleakness of the tone. Ted Kotcheff and his cinematographer have to be admired for expertly capturing the Outbacks which look very post-apocalyptic(reminded me of Mad Max) and they manage to make the Outbacks look almost beautifully hideous. Tone wise Kotcheff finds the perfect balance between gritty realism and almost a Nicolas Roeg-esque transgressive surrealism. The editing goes a long way in accentuating the sequences of Bond getting drowned in booze. The frantic nature with which Kotcheff and his editor cut the film complements the frantic nature of the violence and debauchery on screen. 'Wake in Fright's grainy visual texture and its cynical view of humanity leaves a bit of an air of hopelessness in the mind of the viewer and the uninhibited nature of its dedication to capture this cynicism can be equated with the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. I have read that Scorsese was hugely influenced by 'Wake in Fright' and that makes me want to make another analogy. The descent into nightmarish madness that Gary Bond embarks upon in this film is somewhat similar to the colourful and idiosyncratic night that Paul Hackett goes through in Scorsese's 'After Hours'. Although 'After Hours' is a black comedy and is nowhere near as disturbing as 'Wake in Fright', but the fish out of water element in both the films is certainly comparable.
John Grant is wonderful as Gary Bond. The transitions that he goes through in the course of the film are well executed and he does well to portray the inner struggles, the dilemma and heartbreak which add depth to the character. Donald Pleasence is brilliantly disturbing as the odd ball Doc Tydon. His character remains a bit of an anomaly throughout, but his presence and peculiar mannerisms help to add an unsettling element in various scenes.
'Wake in Fright' is to alcoholism, what 'Requiem for a Dream' is to drug use. But having said that, it will be unfair to describe 'Wake in Fright' as nothing but a cautionary tale about reckless drinking. It is deeper than that. This film has things to say about the toxic masculinity of the 1970s in the Australian Outbacks, the reasons for which are rooted in plain boredom. It explores the perils of loneliness and throws light on how one can lose control of his/her senses when living a life of utter discontentment. 'Wake in Fright' is not for everyone, but for me, it is a dark, unsettling and surreal masterpiece.
The reckless drinking in Yabba pretty much takes Bond on a journey into the deep dark abyss of the reckless and toxic side of masculinity. The men who Bond comes across in Yabba have nothing to do except drink and indulge in highly disturbing activities which they consider to be an exercise in bonding. This desperation to one- up each other and engage in violence and uncontrolled machismo has its roots in the fact that these people have very little to do in their lives. The loneliness and pointlessness of the life of a man in the Australian Outbacks fuel their need to play with danger and grapple with their deranged conception of 'manliness' among each other. Although the alcohol is the primary reason behind the deplorable experiences that Bond goes through in Yabba, but the director Ted Kotcheff and screenwriter Evan Jones subtly imply that Bond isn't completely faultless either. His repressed frustration for being tied down to Tiboonda actually makes him feel a bit liberated once he reaches the far more populated town of Yabba. To some extent he allows himself to be taken advantage of because of his own desire to let go. Unfortunately, his quest to liberate himself from the cage of his mundane life in Tiboonda leads him to a bigger cage of alcohol and violence in Yabba.
The setting of the Australian outback instantly offers a unique visual texture to the film. The setting is essential in the thematic context too and adds to the bleakness of the tone. Ted Kotcheff and his cinematographer have to be admired for expertly capturing the Outbacks which look very post-apocalyptic(reminded me of Mad Max) and they manage to make the Outbacks look almost beautifully hideous. Tone wise Kotcheff finds the perfect balance between gritty realism and almost a Nicolas Roeg-esque transgressive surrealism. The editing goes a long way in accentuating the sequences of Bond getting drowned in booze. The frantic nature with which Kotcheff and his editor cut the film complements the frantic nature of the violence and debauchery on screen. 'Wake in Fright's grainy visual texture and its cynical view of humanity leaves a bit of an air of hopelessness in the mind of the viewer and the uninhibited nature of its dedication to capture this cynicism can be equated with the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. I have read that Scorsese was hugely influenced by 'Wake in Fright' and that makes me want to make another analogy. The descent into nightmarish madness that Gary Bond embarks upon in this film is somewhat similar to the colourful and idiosyncratic night that Paul Hackett goes through in Scorsese's 'After Hours'. Although 'After Hours' is a black comedy and is nowhere near as disturbing as 'Wake in Fright', but the fish out of water element in both the films is certainly comparable.
John Grant is wonderful as Gary Bond. The transitions that he goes through in the course of the film are well executed and he does well to portray the inner struggles, the dilemma and heartbreak which add depth to the character. Donald Pleasence is brilliantly disturbing as the odd ball Doc Tydon. His character remains a bit of an anomaly throughout, but his presence and peculiar mannerisms help to add an unsettling element in various scenes.
'Wake in Fright' is to alcoholism, what 'Requiem for a Dream' is to drug use. But having said that, it will be unfair to describe 'Wake in Fright' as nothing but a cautionary tale about reckless drinking. It is deeper than that. This film has things to say about the toxic masculinity of the 1970s in the Australian Outbacks, the reasons for which are rooted in plain boredom. It explores the perils of loneliness and throws light on how one can lose control of his/her senses when living a life of utter discontentment. 'Wake in Fright' is not for everyone, but for me, it is a dark, unsettling and surreal masterpiece.