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The Last Wave (1977)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
January 1979 (USA) moreTagline:
The Occult Forces. The Ritual Murder. The Sinister Storms. The Prophetic Dreams. The Last Wave. morePlot:
A Sydney lawyer defends five Aborigines in a ritualized taboo murder and in the process learns disturbing things about himself. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
4 wins & 7 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Synapse enters the Dark Age with killer-croc film (From Fangoria. 6 November 2008, 8:58 AM, PST)
List: Counting Down Ten Sadly Underseen Films
(From IFC. 31 July 2008, 6:56 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
part of a wave of really good movies moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Richard Chamberlain | ... | David Burton |
 | Olivia Hamnett | ... | Annie Burton |
| David Gulpilil | ... | Chris Lee (as Gulpilil) |
| Frederick Parslow | ... | Rev. Burton |
| Vivean Gray | ... | Dr. Whitburn |
| Nandjiwarra Amagula | ... | Charlie |
| Walter Amagula | ... | Gerry Lee |
| Roy Bara | ... | Larry |
| Cedrick Lalara | ... | Lindsey |
| Morris Lalara | ... | Jacko |
| Peter Carroll | ... | Michael Zeadler |
| Athol Compton | ... | Billy Corman |
| Hedley Cullen | ... | Judge |
| Michael Duffield | ... | Andrew Potter |
| Wallas Eaton | ... | Morgue Doctor |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
106 minCountry:
AustraliaColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoFun Stuff
Trivia:
The only film of Northern Australian tribal magistrate Nanjiwara Amagula as 'Charlie.' moreQuotes:
David Burton: What did I see?Chris Lee: A dream.
David Burton: What are dreams?
Chris Lee: Dream like hearing ... seeing ... talking ... the way of knowing things.
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Referenced in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' (#10.19)" (2003) moreFAQ
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"The Last Wave" is one of those movies that relies heavily on the mind. The title refers to the Aboriginal doomsday theory: there will be one last wave that wipes out everything.
David Burton (Richard Chamberlain) is a Sydney lawyer hired to defend some Aborigines accused of murder. Around this time, there has been unusually heavy rainfall in Australia. While defending the Aborigines, David learns the last wave theory, and begins to wonder whether it's just mythology.
The movie's last sequence is a metaphor for descending into the depths of one's mind. Peter Weir created a perplexing, but thought-provoking, movie. Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil (whom you may have seen in "Walkabout", "Crocodile Dundee" and "Rabbit-Proof Fence") provides an interesting supporting role as one of the defendants.
If you get a chance, watch the "making of" feature on the DVD. Peter Weir explains some of the film's undertones, some of which relate to Richard Chamberlain's background.