Peter Weir is an Australian filmmaker, now retired, who carved his name into cinema history with his distinctive storytelling and visually arresting films. A leading figure of the Australian New Wave, Weir found international success with the mystery drama Picnic at Hanging Rock, after which he worked on a diverse slate of American and international movies. He stood out by being adept at multiple genres. Some of his most notable movies include the coming-of-age classic Dead Poets Society, the satirical comedy The Truman Show, and the historical epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
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At their best, Weir’s movies combine striking imagery with fleshed-out characters and complex themes. He frequently explores ideas of tradition versus modernity and science versus the supernatural. Movies like Witness and Master and Commander are both smart and stylish, serving up engaging plots alongside three-dimensional protagonists. These are the best of Weir’s projects, as ranked by the users of IMDb.
10 ‘The Last Wave’ (1977)
IMDb: 6.9/10
This mystery drama centers on David Burton (Richard Chamberlain), a Sydney-based lawyer who is assigned to defend five Aboriginal men accused of murder. As Burton delves into the case, he becomes convinced that it was a ritual killing. The more he learns, the more unexplained natural phenomena and mysterious dreams plague him. In particular, Burton starts to believe that he has some connection to these events. His research leads him to ancient underground tunnels which are linked to an apocalyptic prophecy.
With The Last Wave, Weir deftly weaves together elements of indigenous Australian mythology with a legal thriller. The premise may sound rather fantastical, but the movie is effective because Weir tells the story so realistically. It essentially asks: what would happen if a scientifically-minded modern person began to have undeniably mystical experiences? It makes for a compelling exploration of the clash between modernity and tradition.
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9 ‘Fearless’ (1993)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Jeff Bridges delivers one of his best performances here as Max Klein, a man who survives a plane crash and emerges unscathed, physically at least. However, the experience transforms Max’s perception of life, rendering him fearless and detached from those around him. He begins acting recklessly, worrying his wife Laura (Isabella Rossellini). Soon after, he meets with Carla (Rosie Perez), another passenger who made it out of the crash alive but who is struggling with survivor’s guilt. In this regard, she’s the inverse of Max, yet the only one who seems to understand him.
This was a difficult role, but Bridges more than pulls it off. He plays Max as straightforward and down-to-earth, and thus effortlessly believable. Perez was also acclaimed for her performance and received an Oscar nomination for her efforts. Fearless may not have a particularly propulsive story or catchy premise, but psychological realism is at a premium here. It’s a moving deep dive into an ordinary man’s response to an extraordinary event.
Fearless
Release Date October 15, 1993
Rating R
Runtime 122
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8 ‘The Year of Living Dangerously’ (1982)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Year of Living Dangerously is a political drama set in Indonesia in 1965, during the overthrow of President Sukarno and his replacement by the military dictator Suharto. Mel Gibson plays Guy Hamilton, an Australian journalist eager to make a mark in his career by covering the instability. However, the situation grows more perilous than even he bargained for. Hamilton and his newfound compatriots, British attaché Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver) and Chinese Australian diplomat Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt) must marshal all their wits if they hope to survive the chaos.
Not all elements of the film have aged well, but the story remains engaging and it’s an immersive snapshot of a critical moment in Indonesian history. Weir does a great job of establishing the atmosphere and serves up a seemingly endless stream of memorable imagery. He also focuses on complex characterization rather than plot, giving the stars plenty of room to flesh out their roles.
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7 ‘The Way Back’ (2010)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Based on a true story, The Way Back follows a group of prisoners who escape from a Soviet labor camp in Siberia during World War II. They include leader Janusz Wieszczek (Jim Sturgess), Valka (Colin Farrell), a tough Russian with a knife named ‘Wolf’, and Mr. Smith (Ed Harris), an American engineer. Along the way, they cross paths with Irena (Saoirse Ronan), an orphaned Polish teenager who also seeks to escape the Soviet Union. They embark on a grueling journey toward freedom, traversing thousands of miles on foot through deserts, mountains, and icy Siberian landscapes.
Visually, the film is a treat. Cinematographer Russel Boyd conjures up vivid imagery, shooting Bulgaria and Morocco as stand-ins for Siberia and Mongolia. The plot gets monotonous at times, but solid performances from the leads do a lot to keep the movie engaging. The Way Back was not particularly successful and made a loss at the box office, but it’s proof that even at the end of his career, Weir’s storytelling ambition was undimmed.
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6 ‘Gallipoli’ (1981)
IMDb: 7.4/10
Set during World War I, Gallipoli centers on two young Australian men, Archy Hamilton (Mark Lee) and Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson), who become fast friends and enlist to fight in the Gallipoli campaign. Like many young soldiers who fought in that war, Archy and Frankie start out naive and idealistic, but the realities of war soon disabuse them of their illusions. The film juxtaposes the soldiers’ youthful enthusiasm with the horrors they encounter on the battlefield.
The Gallipoli campaign’s failed Dardanelles operation was a notorious event in the war, which cost countless lives and soon acquired a reputation as a futile and misguided exercise. It looms particularly large in the Australian and New Zealand national consciousness. Weir’s film deserves credit for bringing these events to life. It could have been a dry history lesson, but instead, Gallipoli feels urgent and vivid. Most importantly, it helps to place the viewer in the soldiers’ shoes.
Gallipoli
Release Date August 7, 1981
Rating PG
Runtime 111
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5 ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ (1975)
IMDb: 7.4/10
In 1900, a group of schoolgirls and their teachers from Appleyard College travel to Hanging Rock in Victoria, Australia for a Valentine’s Day picnic. It’s a famous geological formation that holds spiritual significance for the Aboriginal peoples who once lived there. But, as the day progresses, three girls and one teacher mysteriously vanish without a trace. The rest of the film deals with the fallout from this. Two young friends, Michael (Dominic Guard) and Albert (John Jarratt) become obsessed with the disappearances and attempt to find out what happened. From there, Weir crafts a layered mystery charged with supernatural undertones and repressed desire.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is considered a key entry in the Australian New Wave. Both a commercial and critical success, it did a lot to establish Weir as a director. The film remains highly regarded in Australia and has influenced subsequent movies both in that country and the US. Sofia Coppola, for example, drew inspiration from it with both The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette.
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4 ‘Witness’ (1985)
IMDb: 7.4/10
Image via Paramount Pictures
Harrison Ford stars in this neo-noir crime thriller as John Book, a Philadelphia detective investigating the murder of an undercover police officer. When a young Amish boy named Samuel (Lukas Haas) becomes a witness to the crime, Book takes the boy and his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis) into protective custody within the Amish community. As Book adapts to the peaceful and simple Amish way of life, he and Rachel develop a bond that transcends their differences.
The movie is a fusion of a Hitchcockian thriller and a poignant love story, anchored by complex performances (this is Ford at his dramatic best) and a smart script. Not for nothing, it won that year’s Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In addition, it’s Weir’s most sophisticated statement on the tension between tradition and modernity, one of his signature themes. Weir’s interest in the subject matter is obvious, and the movie is most engrossing when simply showing us Book’s adaptation to this new environment. A sleeper hit, Witnessgrossed over $68m domestically against a $12m budget.
Witness
Release Date February 8, 1985
Rating R
Runtime 112 minutes
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3 ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ (2003)
IMDb: 7.5/10
During the Napoleonic Wars, British Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) is tasked with intercepting a French warship, the Acheron, off the coast of South America. Ambitious to the point of recklessness, Aubrey pushes his crew to the brink in pursuit of the vessel. He sends them on an epic sea adventure, replete with naval battles, gunfights, and rowdy crews verging on mutiny. As the difficulties mount, the seamen grow restless and fearful, leading to superstitious paranoia and even suicide.
With a budget of $150m, Master and Commander is by far Weir’s grandest spectacle. It required extensive sets and costumes, as well as full-scale replicas of the sailing ships. It’s considered one of the most realistic recreations of that era, thanks to Weir’s meticulous attention to historical detail. Crowe also rises to the occasion with a fiery, larger-than-life performance. Paul Bettany is likewise terrific as the ship’s surgeon, Dr. Stephen Maturin who, in one wince-inducing scene, performs surgery on himself.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Release Date November 14, 2003
Rating PG-13
Runtime 138 minutes
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2 ‘Dead Poets Society ‘(1989)
IMDb: 8.1/10
“Carpe diem!” Weir’s most uplifting movie takes place in 1959 at the conservative Welton Academy, where English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) employs unorthodox methods to inspire his students. He reintroduces the concept of the “Dead Poets Society,” encouraging the boys to use poetry to break free from society’s expectations and chart their own course in life. As a result, the students, including Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) and Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), find themselves on a journey of self-discovery.
However, eventually, tragedy strikes, leading to a powerful climax that underscores the film’s themes of independence, creativity, and the transformative power of education. While the movie does at times flirt with melodrama and cliché, it’s ultimately a heart-warming and affecting story. Authentic performances carry it over the finish line, especially from Williams. He had delivered dramatic performances before with The World According to Garp and Moscow on the Hudson, but he really hit his stride with Dead Poets Society. With Keating, he finds a great balance between being restrained and his more comedic side.
Dead Poets Society
Release Date June 2, 1989
Rating PG
Runtime 128
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1 ‘The Truman Show’ (1998)
IMDb: 8.2/10
Image via Paramount Pictures
In this satirical comedy-drama, Jim Carrey is Truman Burbank, an affable insurance salesman living in Seahaven, a seemingly idyllic town. Unbeknownst to Truman, his entire life is a meticulously crafted reality TV show. Every aspect of his existence, from his relationships to his daily routines, is orchestrated and broadcast to a global audience. As Truman begins to notice peculiarities in his surroundings, he becomes increasingly suspicious of his reality and eventually seeks to free himself.
This is Carrey at his best, both charismatic and understated. Through his performance, and Weir’s intelligent direction, the movie explores media manipulation, the desire for authenticity, and the consequences of a life lived under constant surveillance. It was remarkably prescient, prefiguring social media and the rise of reality TV by some time. In some sense, we’re all the stars of our own Truman Show now. The film lends itself to endless interpretation, and much ink has been spilled about its themes and subtext. It’s a testament to Weir’s skill that the movie is so accessible and yet so rich in ideas.
The Truman Show
Release Date June 4, 1998
Rating PG
Runtime 103
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