Directed by Shirley Barrett
Meredith Appleton (Miranda Otto) vows to remain cheerful as the small boat approaches her new home – a baron, bleak island in the middle of nowhere. She is accompanying her uncle, George Wadsworth (Barry Otto) who is replacing the previous head lighthouse keeper who committed suicide. It is 1927 and communication is by semaphore to passing ships or via carrier pigeons that, more often than not, won’t leave the island. Clutching her pet lamb, Meredith struggles up the steep, rocky edge of the island from the boat, and it is obvious that she will need a lot more than white stockings and a smile to remain upbeat.
The elderly Wadsworth is big on order and discipline but the inhabitants of the island have their own survival mechanisms. The second in charge, Harry Stanley (Rohan Nichol) lives with his wife Alma (a beautifully terse Essie Davis) and three children – with nine year-old Nettie (Anne Martin) threatening to upstage the adults with her tragically hilarious antics. While the assistant keeper, troubled former soldier Jack Fleet (Marton Csokas), would rather keep to himself, Harry wastes no time in making tacky advances towards Meredith. With a troubled past concerning men and mistaking sex for affection, it is not long before Meredith finds herself at the centre of a series of dramas.
The great cinematography captures the changing moods of the Australian island, and of course the landscape creates layers of metaphors for the troubled individuals struggling to survive. While the 120 minute film takes a while to establish rapport with the audience, it does quietly draw you in. Eventually you find that the only two people on the island are the ones who have had to live with the most blame, and you’re left with more things to reflect on than most Hollywood blockbusters.
Lezly Herbert
