The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

A young Australian reporter tries to navigate the political turmoil of Indonesia during the rule of President Sukarno with the help of a diminutive photographer.

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

David Williamson (screenplay), Peter Weir (screenplay)

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hunt

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Hunt	...	Billy Kwan
Mel Gibson	...	Guy Hamilton
Bembol Roco	...	Kumar
Domingo Landicho	...	Hortono
Hermino De Guzman	...	Immigration Officer
Michael Murphy	...	Pete Curtis
Noel Ferrier	...	Wally O'Sullivan
Paul Sonkkila	...	Kevin Condon
Ali Nur	...	Ali
Dominador Robridillo	...	Betjak Man
Joel Agona	...	Palace Guard
Mike Emperio	...	Sukarno
Bernardo Nacilla	...	Dwarf
Bill Kerr	...	Colonel Henderson
Sigourney Weaver	...	Jill Bryant

Storyline

Guy Hamilton is a journalist on his first job as a foreign correspondent. His apparently humdrum assignment to Indonesia soon turns hot as President Sukarno electrifies the populace and frightens foreign powers. Guy soon is the hottest reporter on the story with the help of his photographer, half- Chinese dwarf Billy Kwan, who has gone native. Guy's affair with diplomat Jill Bryant also helps. Eventually Guy must face some major moral choices and the relationship between Billy and him reaches a crisis at the same time the politics of Indonesia does.

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Plot Keywords:

foreign correspondent | journalist | embassy | diplomat | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

Mel Gibson . . . Living Dangerously

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English Tagalog Filipino Indonesian

Release Date:

18 February 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Year of Living Dangerously

Filming Locations:

Artransa Park Film Studios, Mobbs Lane, Epping, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,000, 23 January 1983

Gross USA:

$10,278,575

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,278,575

Company Credits

Production Co:

McElroy & McElroy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Average Shot Length = ~5.2 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~4.9 seconds.

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Goofs

The LE TIGRE t-shirts the reporters are wearing did not come until 1977 - they were not around in 1965.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Billy Kwan: June 25th, 1965. Dossier H-10. Hamilton, Guy. Born 1936 under the sign of Capricorn. Occupation: Journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Service. Jakarta: first assignment as foreign correspondent.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Little Nikita/Vice Versa/D.O.A./Off Limits/Stand and Deliver (1988)

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Soundtracks

Beim Schlafengehen
from "Four Last Songs"
by Richard Strauss
Performed by Kiri Te Kanawa and London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Andrew Davis
Courtesy of CBS Masterworks
Published by Boosey-Hawkes

User Reviews

Politics, Mysticism and Romance

In "The Year of Living Dangerously" director Peter Weir attempts much and accomplishes most of his goals. It's a socio-political essay on the dangers of Western meddling in Third World countries. It's a fascinating view into the challenges of journalism in a volatile foreign country. It's a steamy romance involving two beautiful, intelligent characters. It's a distinctly Far Eastern morality play that seems to delight in yin/yang paradoxes. Plus it's one of the best films at evoking the mood, texture, and sensuality of life in Southeast Asia. Don't be too harsh on Weir for the lapses in historic accuracy and plotting, because it's a complicated, busy landscape he is painting here. The best things about the film are:

-Linda Hunt's amazing performance. Unlike other gender-bending performances (Julie Andrews in "Victor/Victoria", Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie") you never once give any thought to the fact that this is a woman playing a man. It's a seamless transition and a performance of immense heart and honesty. The image of a distraught Billy pounding at his typewriter, pleading "What then must we do?" while an aria swells around him and the eyes of Jakarta's poor stare at him from his own photographs, is an incredibly moving scene.

-The atmosphere created by the combination of Russell Boyd's cinematography and Maurice Jarre's score. Take a look at the scene with Weaver walking through the streets of Jakarta in a tropical downpour. The effect is breathtaking.

-The chemistry between Gibson and Weaver. You can feel the heat between them. Unlike other posters here, I believe their romance is one of the film's strong points.

I agree that the ending is a bit of a letdown, but it doesn't diminish Weir's accomplishments. "The Year of Living Dangerously" is a startling unique film, and certainly one his best.