In a Savage Land (1999)

Director:

Bill Bennett

Writers:

Bill Bennett (writer)
Jennifer Cluff

Release Date:

21 October 1999 (Australia)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

In the tradition of Out of Africa.

Plot:

Two anthropologists married to each other go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research in pre-World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Papua New Guinea | Colonial Governor | Missionary | Male Female Relationship | Old Woman

Awards:

7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Rufus Sewell	...	Mick Carpenter
Martin Donovan	...	Dr. Phillip Spence
Maya Stange	...	Evelyn Spence
Max Cullen	...	Douglas Stevens
John Howard	...	Rev Macgregor
Andrew S. Gilbert	...	Gerry
Marshall Napier	...	Sir Geoffrey Hallerton
Susan Lyons	...	Helen Stevens
Don Barker	...	Barman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Syson	...	Party Patron

Directed by
Bill Bennett

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bill Bennett		writer
Jennifer Cluff		(as Jennifer Bennett)

Produced by
Bill Bennett	....	producer
Mikael Borglund	....	executive producer
Jennifer Cluff	....	producer (as Jennifer Bennet)
Gary Hamilton	....	executive producer
Brenda Pam	....	co-producer
Sandra Schulberg	....	executive producer
Jon Silver	....	associate producer

Original Music by
David Bridie

Cinematography by
Danny Ruhlmann

Film Editing by
Henry Dangar

Casting by
Todd M. Thaler

Production Design by
Nicholas McCallum

Art Direction by
Angus Tattle

Set Decoration by
Emma Lawes

Costume Design by
Edie Kurzer

Makeup Department
Tina Gordon	....	hair stylist
Tina Gordon	....	makeup artist
Jennifer Lamphee	....	hair stylist supervisor
Jennifer Lamphee	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Dick Beckett	....	unit manager
Michael Gill	....	unit manager
Silvana Milat	....	post-production supervisor
Julia Ritchie	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jennifer Leacey	....	second assistant director
Johnny Pacialeo	....	third assistant director
Chris Webb	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Tony Cronin	....	set dresser
Geoff Howe	....	construction coordinator
Robert Moxham	....	stand-by props
Ingrid Weir	....	graphic design

Sound Department
Brent Burge	....	sound effects editor
Gethin Creagh	....	sound
Robert 'Gotch' Cutcher	....	boom operator
Sonal Joshi	....	sound editor
Toivo Lember	....	location sound
Wayne Pashley	....	sound designer
Wayne Pashley	....	sound
Fabian Sanjurjo	....	adr editor
Fabian Sanjurjo	....	dialogue editor
John Simpson	....	foley artist
Peter D. Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jenny T. Ward	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Jeff Little	....	special effects technician
Kevin Turner	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tony Clark	....	visual effects supervisor
Ben Paschke	....	animator
David Short	....	3D animator: Rising Sun Pictures

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Bennett	....	additional camera operator
Bill Bennett	....	still photographer
Robert Foster	....	focus puller
Mark Jefferies	....	gaffer
Brett McDowell	....	key grip
Trevor Toune	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorotka Sapinska	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Jenny Hicks	....	assistant editor
Basia Ozerski	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Robin Gray	....	music scoring engineer

Other crew
Steve Marcus	....	caterer
Victoria Mielewska	....	dialect coach: Rufus Sewell
Paul Ranford	....	production coordinator
Nadine Schoen	....	location manager
Cassandra Simpson	....	production coordinator
Carmel Torcasio	....	continuity (as Carmelina Torcasio)

Thanks
Marion Pilowsky	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Hollywood Partners

Distributors

• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (1999) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Beyond Films (1999) (worldwide) (all media)
• Divisa Home Video (2005-2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Motion International (Canada)
• Seven Network (2006) (Australia) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2000) (Australia) (video)
• Universal Pictures

Special Effects

• Rising Sun Pictures (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)  funding
• Big Bang Sound  sound post-production
• Showtime Australia  financing
• South Australian Film Corporation, The  funding
• South Australian Film Corporation, The  sound post-production
• Spectrum Films International  post-production facilities
• Strand/New Oz Productions  financing

Also Known As:

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:Not Rated | Australia:MA | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Hollywood Partners

Quotes:

[first lines]
Evelyn Spence:I once met a man, not my husband, another man. He looked back on a life. What would you carry into the darkness? For me, I'll take the smell of a pearl shell, freshly opened, one day on a beach.

Covering too much

Let's see, we start off with gender issues, spousal domination, economic exploitation, colonialism, church oppression, scientific oppression through cultural arrogance and nationalism. Although, engaging and great to watch the film just tries to cover too much and winds up just giving superficial attention to all these issues.

I always have trouble with films that have an attractive lead actress, who has her hair pulled back and wears glasses when she's supposed to be dowdy or a-sexual. The different transformations of Maya Strang were a bit hard to take and the sequence where she goes native was over the top.

I would have liked better character development and a stronger focus. That said, the film was not a waste of time and Ms Strang is actor to watch.