In a Savage Land (1999)

Two married anthropologists go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research.

Director:

Bill Bennett

Writers:

Bill Bennett, Jennifer Cluff (as Jennifer Bennett)

Stars:

Rufus Sewell, Martin Donovan, Maya Stange

7 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Credited 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

Storyline

Two anthropologists married to each other go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research in pre-World War II. Eventually the war breaks out and many lives are disrupted and complicated.

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Plot Keywords:

anthropologist | papua new guinea | pearl | photograph | aboriginal culture | 

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Taglines:

She came to the edge of the world to find something more.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Beyond Films [Australia]

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 1999 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Az egzotikus sziget

Filming Locations:

Alotau, Papua New Guinea

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Partners, Savage Land Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

"When you take a film crew to a location, normally you have facilities like phones, hotels or accommodation, laundry services, cafes or restaurants, newspapers radio and television, hospitals nearby, police, even the basics such as running water or toilets. On the Trobriands [aka the Trobriand Islands], we had none of these," said producer-director Bill Bennett. "There was one 'Lodge', which I wouldn't have kennelled my dog in. The highlight of their daily menu was deep fried Spam with deep fried chips. There was no air conditioning or even fans that worked, toilets which only worked spasmodically, and a staff that made 'Fawlty Towers' look like 'The Ritz'."

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in In a Savage Land: Cast & Crew Interviews (2001)

User Reviews

An epic beyond any other

Bill Bennet's really come of age as a film maker with this masterful epic. Top notch performances from Sewell and Donovan are shadowed by the stunning Strange.

Maya Strange may be unknown to viewers outside Australia, but through small roles in such films as 'Head On' and "McLeod's Daughters" we down in Oz have watched and waited to see her in a role which does justice to her talent. At only 24, she not only carries her own alongside Donovan and Sewell - but also carries the film itself, appearing in almost every scene.

The script by Bennet and his wife Jennifer is layered and complex. The photography, by first time DOP Danny Ruhlmann, is exquisite.