The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

C.J. Koch (novel)
C.J. Koch (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 January 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

A Love Caught In The Fire Of Revolution

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Bible Quote | Golpe | Political Repression | Political | Poverty

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

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

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Tagalog | Filipino

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

McElroy & McElroy

Trivia:

Much of the non-English dialogue in the film is in Filipino, not Javanese. For example, when Billy visits the home of a dead child in a slum area, the prayer spoken by the old man is in fact "Our Father" in Tagalog.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Guy drops Jill at the British Embassy, a member of the crew is reflected in the car window.

Quotes:

Billy Kwan: I would have given up the world for her. You wouldn't even give up one story.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in This Revolution (2005)

Soundtrack:

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On

Political Drama Deals With Timeless Issues

Moody, very interesting political thriller, which succeeds in capturing the heated social/political atmosphere of Indonesia during the 1960s. Mel Gibson is an Australian reporter more concerned with his career than with the world falling apart right in front of his eyes. His relationship with a British woman (Sigourney Weaver) complicate his life. Linda Hunt (playing a man) is Gibson's friend, guide, and conscience. Unlike most political films, this one does not try to preach to the audience (at least not in an abrasive manner), allowing the images to speak for themselves. It is a curiously subdued drama, which gets most of its energy from a handful of marvelous characterizations. Gibson is good, very good. Weaver is not very convincing as a British woman but the camera is in love with her. Hunt steals the movie with her remarkable performance. She not only convincing as a man (that's a hard task in itself), but she also nails down a very complex and difficult character; Hunt's Billy Kwan is the film's most intriguing character. I did not care for Maurice Jarre's strange score (I usually like his work), but Russell Boyd's cinematography is strong. Not as good as other political dramas from the same era (I think "Under Fire", "Missing", and "Salvador" are more effective films), but it is well directed by Weir. At the very least, it is a movie that brings attention to a situation that should be discussed more often.