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Blackrock

 
Movies:

Blackrock

  • Director: Steven Vidler
  • AMG Rating: starstar
  • Genre: Drama
  • Movie Type: Detective Film, Psychological Drama
  • Themes: Innocence Lost, Kids in Trouble
  • Release Year: 1997
  • Country: AU
  • Run Time: 100 minutes
  • MPAA Rating: NR

Plot

The Australian coastal community of Blackrock goes into an uproar after the badly beaten, gang-raped corpse of a 15-year-old girl is discovered after an all-night beach party goes out of control. As the moral outrage heats up, the sole witness to the crime, 17-year-old surfer Jared Kirby (who organized the shindig to celebrate the return of surfing guru Ricko) is left with the wrenching decision whether or not to rat on his friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Cast

Jeanette Cronin; Chris Haywood; Rebecca Smart - Cherie Milenko; David Field - Ken Warner; Linda Cropper - Diane Kirby; Essie Davis; Lawrence Breuls - Jared Kirby; Justine Clark; Simon Lyndon - Ricko; Jessica Napier; Boyana Novakovitch - Tracey Warner

Credit

Sam Rickard - Art Director, Catherine Knapman - Associate Producer, Liz Mullinar - Casting, Christine King - Casting, David McKay - Costume Designer, Charles Rotherham - First Assistant Director, Steven Vidler - Director, Frans Vandenburg - Editor, Roger Grierson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Steven Kilbey - Songwriter, Martin McGrath - Cinematographer, George Greenough - Cinematographer, David Elfick - Producer, Glen W. Johnson - Set Designer, Guntis Sics - Sound/Sound Designer, Nick Enright - Screenwriter

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Wikipedia: Blackrock (film)
Top
Blackrock
Directed by Steven Vidler
Produced by David Elfick
Rick Enright
Melanie Ritchie
Written by Nick Enright
Starring Laurence Breuls
Linda Cropper
Music by Steve Kilbey
Cinematography Martin McGrath
Release date(s) Australia May 1, 1997
Running time 90 / 103 minutes
Country Australia
Language English

Blackrock is a 1997 Australian film directed by Steven Vidler and written by Nick Enright. Internationally, it is best remembered as the first prominent role of actor Heath Ledger.

Contents

Origin

Blackrock had its origin in 1992 as A Property of the Clan, a theatre-in-education piece written by Australian playwright Nick Enright (1950-2003). It was inspired by the real-life rape and murder of schoolgirl Leigh Leigh in Stockton near Newcastle, Australia on November 3, 1989. Enright subsequently developed it into another play, Blackrock (1995), directed by David Berthold for Sydney Theatre Company. The movie was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States before being in small independent theaters in Australia, as well as at local drive-in theaters in Australia, and later released to VHS and DVD.

Synopsis

Blackrock is set in a fictional Australian beachside working-class suburb called Blackrock (not to be confused with the Melbourne suburb of Black Rock), where surfing is popular among youths like Jared (Laurence Breuls). He has his first serious girlfriend, Rachel (Jessica Napier), who comes from a much wealthier part of the city. One day Ricko (Simon Lyndon), a local surfing legend, returns from an eleven-month odyssey and Jared gives him a 'welcome home' party at the local surf club. Unsupervised and with alcohol freely available, tragedy soon arrives - Jared witnesses a girl named Tracy (Bojana Novakovic) being raped by four youths, including Rachel's brother Toby (Heath Ledger), and does nothing to stop the attack. The rapists leave her crying - but alive, on the beach and Jared too flees the scene and heads home. Later that night Rachel, arriving at the party late and looking for Jared, finds Tracy beaten to death on the beach.

The incident - and the community - are soon being scrutinized by news bulletins across the nation. The locals react differently: The surfers continue their lives as if nothing has happened; Tracy's grieving best friend Cherie (Rebecca Smart) resorts to violent behaviour; Rachel has to face the news that her brother is one of the accused. Jared is torn between the need to reveal what he saw for the sake of justice, and the desire to protect Toby and the other rapists in the name of 'mateship'. His silence eventually leads to the breakdown of his relationships, not only with Rachel, but also with his mother Diane (Linda Cropper), who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Eventually Ricko confesses to Jared that he killed Tracy, but claims it was an accident - that she hit her head on a rock when he attempted to have sex with her. He asks Jared to back up his story to the police that they were together when the murder happened, despite the fact that Jared has already told the police he was alone at the time. When he goes back to talk to the police, they show him the photos of Tracy's battered body and it's clear that her injuries were not accidental. Jared finds Ricko at the beach and confronts him, and Ricko finally admits the truth. He found Tracy on the beach after the rape and she sought comfort from him and asked him to take her home. He agreed, but wanted to have sex with her first. She tried to fight him off and bit him in the process, which enraged him enough to beat her to death.

As Ricko finishes his confession the police arrive and he realises that Jared has turned him in. He attempts to escape but the police give chase and corner him on a cliff. Rather than go to jail - and ignoring Jared's screams of protest, he jumps to his death. In the weeks that follow, Jared's life collapses - he leaves home (despite finally finding out about his mothers illness and her recent mastectomy), buys Ricko's panel van and takes up residence in a stack of concrete pipes on a vacant block. He eventually confesses his role in the events to his mother, and the film ends with him joining Diane and Cherie in cleaning graffiti from Tracy's grave.

Cast

Actor Role
Laurence Breuls Jared Kirby
Simon Lyndon Ricko
Linda Cropper Diane Kirby
Jessica Napier Rachel Ackland
Rebecca Smart Cherie Milenko
Bojana Novakovic Tracy Warner (as Boyana Novakovich)
Leeanna Walsman Shana
Nichole Stewart Leanne (as Nichole Avramidis)
Justine Clarke Tiffany
Heath Ledger Toby Ackland
Cameron Nugent Jason
Brendan Donoghue Dave
Jade Gatt Scottie
George Basha Kemel
Shayne Francis Glenys Milenko
Jeanette Cronin Lesley Warner
David Field Ken Warner
Geoff Morrell Stewart Ackland
Julie Haseler Marian Ackland
Chris Haywood Det. Sgt. Wilansky
Essie Davis Det.Gilhooley
John Howard Len Kirby

Controversies

Blackrock had attracted considerable controversies when it was screened in 1997, partly because of its fictionalization of a real-life rape and murder without the consent of the victim's family. Many locals from the town where the actual murder occurred were also hostile to the film, believing it to have portrayed the community in a slanderous way. Nevertheless, Blackrock did make an important statement about the Australian 'coastie' culture, particularly regarding the uglier side of masculinity.

Awards and nominations

  • Australian Film Institute Awards
    • Best Achievement in Cinematography - Martin McGrath (Nominated)
    • Best Film - David Elfick (Nominated)
    • Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Simon Lyndon (Nominated)
    • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Rebecca Smart (Nominated)
    • Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Source - Nick Enright (Nominated)
  • Australian Writer's Guild

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