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A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

Wake in Fright [Blu-ray]

(Ted Kotcheff, 1971)

Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Theatrical: NLT Productions

Video: Madman Video / Image Entertainment

Disc:

Region: FREE! / Region 'A' (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:48:54.083 / 1:48:54.083

Disc Size: 23,355,363,484 bytes / 22,637,651,208 bytes

Feature Size: 19,194,605,568 bytes / 17,506,885,632 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.99 Mbps / 19.98 Mbps

Chapters: 12 / 12

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: June 27th, 2010 / January 15th, 2013

Video:

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Audio:

Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB
Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

Subtitles:

None / English, none

Extras:

• Audio Commentary with director Ted Kotcheff and editor Anthony Buckley
• Interview with Director Kotcheff (23:16)
• Theatrical Trailer, International Trailer - 'Outback' (alt title - :34)
• TV Spot: Who Needs Art? (1971) - segment on Wake In Fright (6:00)

• Chips Rafferty Obituary by Ken G. Hall (3:42)
• TV Spot: ABC's 7:30 Report - Rediscovery and Restoration of the film (6:40)
• Restoration Comparison (1:57)
• Deleted Scenes From the 2008 documentary, Not Quite Hollywood (6:09)
• Teaser Trailer / Madman Promos
• 32 liner notes pages Booklet

• Audio Commentary with director Ted Kotcheff and editor Anthony Buckley

• To Yabba and Back - Interview with Director Kotcheff (12:45)

• Q+A with Kotcheff at the 2009 TIFF (45:51)

• TV Spot: Who Needs Art? (1971) - segment on Wake In Fright (6:00)

• Chip Rafferty's Obituary (3:19)

• TV Spot: ABC's 7:30 Report on the Rediscovery and Restoration of the Film (6:24)

• Trailer (2:00) and other trailers

Bitrate:

Madman Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP vs. Image Entertainment - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

Description:

Sweat, Dust and Beer... There's Nothing Else Out Here Mate!

Awe-inspiring, brutal and stunning, Wake in Fright is the story of John Grant, a bonded teacher who arrives in the rough outback mining town of Bundanyabba planning to stay overnight before catching the plane to Sydney. But his one night stretches to five and he plunges headlong toward his own destruction. When the alcohol-induced mist lifts, the educated John Grant is no more. Instead there is a self-loathing man in a desolate wasteland, dirty, red-eyed, sitting against a tree and looking at a rifle with one bullet left...

Believed lost for many years, Wake in Fright has been painstakingly restored by Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive and AtLab Deluxe, and is presented in its original uncompromising form.

***

Wake in Fright tells the story of a young school teacher who descends into a personal hell after finding himself stranded in a brutal, menacing town in outback Australia.

For many years, Wake In Fright enjoyed a reputation as Australia’s great 'lost' film because its unavailability on video tape or DVD -- and its absence from television broadcasts -- meant that it was little seen after its original run of screenings. However, in mid-2009 a thoroughly restored, digital re-release of Wake in Fright was shown in Australian theatres to considerable acclaim. Later that same year, it was issued commercially on DVD and Blu-ray disc, reaffirming its status as a classic of the Australian cinema.

The Film:

John Grant (Gary Bond) is a fledgling, middle-class teacher from the big city. He feels disgruntled because of the onerous terms of a financial bond which he signed with the government in return for receiving a tertiary education. The bond has caused him to be posted to a tiny school at Tiboonda -- a remote fly-speck situated in the arid Australian outback. It is the start of the Christmas school holidays, and Grant plans to journey to Sydney to visit his girlfriend and surf at the beach. But first, he must travel by train to the nearby mining town of Bundanyabba (known as “The Yabba”) in order to catch a Sydney-bound flight.

At "The Yabba", Grant encounters several disconcerting denizens of the town. They include a police sergeant, Jock Crawford (Chips Rafferty), who encourages Grant to consume repeated glasses of beer before introducing him to the local obsession with the gambling game of two-up. Hoping to win enough money to pay off his bond, and thus escape his "slavery" as an outback teacher, Grant at first has a winning streak playing two-up but then loses all his cash. Unable now to leave "The Yabba", Grant finds himself dependent on the charity of bullying strangers while being sucked into the crude and hard-drinking lifestyle of the town's residents.

Reluctantly at first, Grant goes boozing with a Bundanyabba identity named Tim Hynes (Al Thomas) and is taken to Tim's house. Here he meets Tim's daughter, 30-something Janette (played by Sylvia Kay, the then-wife of the movie's director Ted Kotcheff). While he and Janette talk, several men who have gathered at the house for a drinking session question Grant’s masculinity, asking: “What’s the matter with him? He’d rather talk to a woman than drink beer.” Janette then initiates an awkward sexual episode with Grant, who vomits and eventually passes out drunk. Grant finds refuge of a sort, staying at the shack of an alcoholic medical practitioner known as "Doc" Tydon (Donald Pleasence). Doc tells him that he and many others have had sex with Janette. He also gives Grant a pill from his medical kit, ostensibly to cure Grant's hangover.

Later, an inebriated Grant participates in a barbaric kangaroo hunt with Doc and Doc's friends Dick (Jack Thompson) and Joe (Peter Whittle). The hunt culminates in Grant clumsily stabbing a wounded kangaroo to death, followed by a pointless drunken brawl between Dick and Joe and the vandalising of a bush pub. At night's end, Grant returns to Doc's shack where Doc initiates a homosexual encounter between the two.

A repulsed Grant leaves the next morning and walks across the desert. He tries to hitchike to Sydney, but in error boards a truck that takes him straight back to "The Yabba". He contemplates shooting Doc, but instead attempts suicide. Grant recovers in hospital from his suicide bid and Doc sees him off at "The Yabba's" rail station. He returns to Tiboonda for the new school year.

Excerpt from Wickipedia located HERE

Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Wake in Fright is kind of a hidden gem in that was thought lost but the restoration and subsequent digital releases have given it exposure to a new, appreciative, audience. This may not look 'perfect' on Blu-ray in modern-film-transfer terms but for a 40-year old piece of clandestine cinema, of its nature, and with its history - it looks very good. Any softness is consistent and seems inherent in the print source but there are some impressive moments of detail. There a green cast over a lot of the film and it's not distracting but worth noting. This is only single-layered with a bitrate in the mid-twenties so some noise is occasionally prevalent. It looks quite smooth but never glossy but there are some cases of blown out brightness - again probably inherent in the film's original cinematography. Having never seen the film prior to this viewing - I'd have to guess that this is a remarkable presentation - quite clean although don't expect any depth or brilliant colors.

Foolish of me to match so many screen captures as this is the same D1 source as evidenced by the running time (to the 1000th of a second). The Image does have a slightly lesser bitrate and may me marginally softer - but this is almost imperceptible on a standard viewing level. It is from the same restoration and the video comments above hold true.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Madman Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP vs. Image Entertainment - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

Audio :

No boost going on here - its a flat 2.0 channel track pushing dialogue, crowd noises and some gunplay. I like the authenticity but fans who indulge for their Surround systems will, obviously, be left empty handed with Wake in Fright. Without a lossless audio rendering nothing is notably crisp or has demonstrative range or depth. A linear PCM track would have been the choice here. The track may have had restoration as well as it is without heavy flaws. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles offered but the Aussie accents aren't disagreeably thick and I didn't have any instances where I couldn't interpret the dialogue. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

Same audio - still not lossless, but the Image Entertainment has optional English subtitles and is region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

There are some solid extra here - nice to see the effort has been put in with a commentary by director Ted Kotcheff and editor Anthony Buckley, a 25-minute interview with Kotcheff , some older TV Spots (a dozen minutes), a restoration comparison, deleted scenes, old trailers and a nice 32 liner notes pages booklet. NOTE: Extras played on my region 'A'-locked Oppo.

Mostly the same extras - same commentary, an interview, an interesting and lengthy Q+A at TIFF. TV Spot on restoration and the Who Needs Art? (1971) piece. No significant differences.

Madman Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray LEFT vs. Image Entertainment - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT

BOTTOM LINE:
Pretty interesting film that grew on me a lot more in my second viewing (the commentary). It is quite subtle in some areas but obvious in others. There is a lot to like here. I wouldn't put this in the class of Walkabout or Picnic at Hanging Rock but I think it's a great film to have on Blu-ray - one I'm sure to revisit. Quite an indictment of Australian culture! The package is done up with some viable, worthy extras and it's not a film you are likely to see on TV too often. I encourage those willing to venture here to indulge in the Blu-ray - the best way you are going to see it today in your home theater although we have heard rumor of a North American release in the future. Those prudent can wait - but for the less patient and adventurous - we recommend.

This is a film that tends to grow on you - and get better - with subsequent viewings. Nice to see Image Entertainment have made it more accessible for North American audiences. Certainly worthy of any digital library.

Gary Tooze

April 24th, 2010

January 1st, 2013

About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be it, but film will always be my first love and I list my favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible HERE.

Gary's Home Theatre:

60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD

Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD Player
Momitsu - BDP-899 Region FREE Blu-ray player
Marantz SA8001 Super Audio CD Player
Marantz SR7002 THX Select2 Surround Receiver
Tannoy DC6-T (fronts) + Energy (centre, rear, subwoofer) speakers (5.1)

APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V

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