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In a Savage Land

  • 19991999
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
541
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
In a Savage Land (1999)
  • Adventure
  • Drama
Two married anthropologists go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research.Two married anthropologists go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research.Two married anthropologists go to an island off of Papua New Guinea for field research.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
541
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Bill Bennett
  • Writers
    • Bill Bennett
    • Jennifer Cluff
  • Stars
    • Rufus Sewell
    • Martin Donovan
    • Maya Stange
Top credits
  • Director
    • Bill Bennett
  • Writers
    • Bill Bennett
    • Jennifer Cluff
  • Stars
    • Rufus Sewell
    • Martin Donovan
    • Maya Stange
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 7 nominations

    Photos

    In a Savage Land (1999)
    In a Savage Land (1999)
    In a Savage Land (1999)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Rufus Sewell
    Rufus Sewell
    • Mick Carpenteras Mick Carpenter
    Martin Donovan
    Martin Donovan
    • Dr. Phillip Spenceas Dr. Phillip Spence
    Maya Stange
    Maya Stange
    • Evelyn Spenceas Evelyn Spence
    Max Cullen
    Max Cullen
    • Douglas Stevensas Douglas Stevens
    John Howard
    John Howard
    • Rev Macgregoras Rev Macgregor
    Andrew S. Gilbert
    • Gerryas Gerry
    Marshall Napier
    Marshall Napier
    • Sir Geoffrey Hallertonas Sir Geoffrey Hallerton
    Susan Lyons
    • Helen Stevensas Helen Stevens
    Don Barker
    • Barmanas Barman
    Tom Moraya
    • Biuias Biui
    Rose Vaia
    • Inupias Inupi
    Chief Tokonou Tokwamula
    • Chief Tokunouas Chief Tokunou
    Ivan Fabian
    • Toyodolaas Toyodola
    Wesley Momen
    • Bartering Boyas Bartering Boy
    David Keleb
    • Bartering Boyas Bartering Boy
    David Kabeosi
    • Canoe Carveras Canoe Carver…
    George Bayagau
    • Headhunteras Headhunter
    Rose Silibuya
    • Roseas Rose
    • Director
      • Bill Bennett
    • Writers
      • Bill Bennett
      • Jennifer Cluff
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Ken Papai
    • anthropologist
    • papua new guinea
    • pearl
    • photograph
    • aboriginal culture
    • 33 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • In the tradition of Out of Africa.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film's genesis went back thirty-five years, when an eight year-old Bill Bennett found a rusty trunk belonging to his father, who served as a war photographer in Borneo and New Guinea. In the trunk were some photographs of the people of the Trobriand Islands which, the young Bennett was told, were called "The Islands of Love", because the women were rather liberal with their affections.
    • 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.

    • Connections
      Featured in In a Savage Land: Cast and Crew Interviews (2001)

    User reviews9

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    "A thinking person's film"
    *** for some weird reason every time I publish this review IMDb's edit program changes the lead actress' name to Maya Strange, despite her being present on IMDb as her real name, so I've had to spell out and space her name***

    The title of this review is drawn from an Urbancinefile interview with the director Bill Bennett: "I don't know if "In a Savage Land" is mainstream … it's a thinking person's film ... look at Dr Zhivago or Lawrence of Arabia, or The Piano – they're all thinking people's films." I think that quote sums this film up very well.

    I was surprised that this film did poorly during it's Australian release. As Michael Roche noted ("Exploiting The Exotic - A Cinematic Journey Into Darkness", Metro Magazine, 8-2-2000, No 121/122, pp 125 - 128): "it looks destined to be remembered as a critical and commercial flop ... attract(ing) poor reviews before vanishing from Australian cinemas only three weeks after its release".

    Some people have argued this was due to poor marketing and that could be the case, because it would have been a tricky film to market. "Thinking Person's films" often are. Others have targeted it's script (Greg King's review calling the film "plodding, lack(ing) any real sense of passion and emotional depth").

    For whatever reason, the film certainly seems to have vanished from public awareness. When checking IMDb today I was amazed to see how few reviews remain here to encourage others to seek the film out. I only write reviews here when I really have something to say. Time to add this film to my very short review list!

    I found "In a Savage Land" quite extraordinary.

    Let's take the location first.

    The director apparently found photos as a child, taken in the Trobriand Islands in New Guinea by relatives in the Australian Army during WW2. I understand his fascination, and desire to engage with the culture he saw in those images. I spent time there as a child when my mother studied local languages during a teaching contract in TPNG . So the film resonated on several levels.

    Life was on the cusp of change when I was there, just before Independence. I remember the missionaries had had more success by then (than the pre WW2 period depicted in the film) ... grass skirts had been replaced by Western garments, for example. So it was quite magical to see local tribal society depicted more traditionally. Cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann's work was just stunning.

    Having been there meant I knew how much hard work must have gone on behind the scenes (later confirmed by Michael Roche) to make the film in that remote and extremely isolated location.

    So back to what makes it a "thinking person's film". There has been some criticism of the script, and especially the love story. It's not perfect but I didn't find it plodding and I found it full of passion.

    I can certainly confirm European anthropologists and missionaries did swan in with the kind of stilted and pompous arrogance depicted - often studying sex as shown here - and that some came out the other end of their experience vastly changed. Perhaps not quite as changed as this story depicts, despite the fact the film is supposed to be a "true story". But my God, what a role for young actor Maya S t a n g e, who was deservedly nominated for the AFI's Best Actress award for this film.

    Greg King writes that "In her first major film appearance, S t a n g e delivers a solid performance in a quite complex and emotionally demanding role, and she carries the film". He's not exaggerating the "complex and emotionally demanding" bit. I remember S t a n g e saying in an interview on Urbancinefile: "I knew this would be confronting and testing. I expected I would lose the plot at some point and I was a bit disappointed when I didn't ... Playing a role that is emotionally demanding can put you into an irrational head space in yourself, making it difficult to operate with the technical demands of filmmaking while keeping emotionally on track ... As an actress, you live a thousand lives and you learn to experience things you wouldn't otherwise. It's always a life changing experience – and this is an extreme case".

    I was certainly convinced by her acting and the story being told. There has also been criticism that the director allowed a slightly happier ending to be tacked on after testing the film on an American audience. I hope some day to see the original ending but am glad I saw the "happy ending" version in the cinema, because I was involved enough by the end of the film to need it.

    I've kept an eye out for the team that made "In a Savage Land" including Maya S t a n g e and I regret that they've done so little since this film. The director has finally made another feature film (in 2010 ... again set on an island, the man must be a masochist) but his wife (who co-wrote "In a Savage Land" and of whom I have been a fan since 1973) and even Maya S t a n g e (since her AFI Best Supporting Actress nomination for "Garage Days" in 2002) have done little. I sincerely hope I'll hear about something they are each working on soon, because otherwise the waste of talent is criminal.

    Final word: if you are a "thinking person" and have the chance to see this film, do. I think you'll enjoy it. If you can't get hold of the film, there are some short videos on YouTube that will give you a feel for it.
    helpful•5
    4
    • jeniallenby
    • Jul 27, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 21, 1999 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Official site
      • Beyond Films (Australia)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • En una tierra salvaje
    • Filming locations
      • Kiriwina Island, Papua New Guinea
    • Production companies
      • Hollywood Partners
      • Savage Land Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 55 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital

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