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:

El año que vivimos en peligro

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, 21 January 1983, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$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

Linda Hunt replaced David Atkins in the role of Billy Kwan.

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Goofs

Billy's still camera is a Nikon F2 Photomic, which was not released until 1971, while the film takes place 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

Featured in Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men (2002)

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Soundtracks

Long Tall Sally
Words and Music by Little Richard (uncredited), Enotris Johnson (uncredited) and Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell (uncredited)
Performed by Little Richard
Courtesy of Vee-Jay International Records

User Reviews

Riveting and emotive political-drama set in Indonesia during Sukarno's fall

This excellent movie is set in 1965 Indonesia, when an Australian reporter named Gay Hamilton is assigned on his first work as a foreign journalist. His apparently simple mission to Yakarta soon turns hot when he interviews a rebel leader , while President Sukarno was toppling by pressure left from communists and right from military. Guy soon is the hottest reporter with the help of his photographer, a native, half- Chinese midget named Kwan . Eventually Hamilton must confront moral conflicts and the relationship between Billy and him reaches some problems connected with a British diplomatic attaché , at the same time the political upheaval takes place in coup détat.

Mel Gibson is good as correspondent covering a conflict and finding himself becoming personally involved when he befriends a free-lance photographer named Billy Kwan and falling for a beautiful Embassy assistant, a mesmerizing Sigourney Weaver .The movie has its touching moments found primarily in the superb supporting performances as Michael Murphy as lively journalist , Bill Kerr as veteran Colonel and of course diminutive Linda Hunt who steals the show as sensible photographer in her Academy Award-winning character, a woman acting a man, and well deservedly prized. Moving and intimate musical score though composed by synthesizer by Maurice Jarre. Atmospheric cinematography that adequate as a mood-piece by Russell Boyd.

The motion picture is stunningly directed by Australian director Peter Weir who achieved several hits (Witness, Gallipoli, The last wave) and some flop (Mosquito coast, The plumber). The movie belongs to sub-genre that abounded in the 80s about reporters around the world covering dangerous political conflicts , such as Nicaragua in ¨Under fire¨ by Robert Spottswoode with Nick Nolte , Gene Hackman and Joanna Cassidy, Salvador in ¨Salvador¨ by Oliver Stone with James Woods and James Belushi, and Libano in ¨Deadline¨ by Nathaliel Gutman with Christopher Walken and Hywel Bennett. These movies are very much in the vein of ¨The year of living dangerously ¨.