Peter Weir

Catching up on The Wittertainment film review podcast I couldn’t help stopping blank, open mouthed in the middle of the street with ipod buds in my ears when Mark Kermode said that Peter Weir as a director its not easy to see a common “through line” to his movies. Really? Ya kidding? Is it just me????

I cannot disagree more heartily and usually I find myself listening to Kermot and nodding vehemently so I was a bit thrown, my brow furrowed and stopping dead whilst crossing the road (not recommended).



I’m no film expert but yes, everyone can summon the director names of Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, Robert Altman, etc and you know what flavour the film will have; you can instantly know something of the look and feel each would use.

On a sliding scale of a "Director's trademark feel" Weir slides the scale back a bit but not much. Peter Weir makes buddy films. That’s it. Yes, of course every film concerns a relationship, but Weirs films are about the relationship, not about the story they then embark upon. The story usually being very strong supports and perhaps hides this and gives his films their typical complexity.

One can sum up all his films with this line. He’s interested in specific relationships and the change of those relationships in extreme or certain circumstances. If you come to a film knowing nothing other than Peter Weir directed it you won’t know the “look and feel” of it. You do know, however, it will be great, detailed and about a relationship. You won’t know if it’s a fast or slow burn, action, drama, comedy, (usually not), historical, contemporary or fantasy.

The landscape or situation is always a strong character and influence (ie: Mad Max, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli, The Last Wave, Master and Commander, The Way back, Witness… shall I go on?) The setting is usually the 3rd main supporting role and that's why going in totally blind to a Weir film my note to self is : "See it at the cinema Claudia, Its Peter Weir. Whatever it is, it will look great."

Weirs films are complex, mulit-themed and bridge commercial and art-house lands. Of course simply calling them “buddy” films would not do his work justice at all. But at the heart of all of them is a story between about two people (or a group) and the VERY DETAILED set up and development of their interactions; the light and shade of the relationship, the subtle changes and the points of connection as well as the points of contrast, beliefs and change of perspective of each other… What happens in the end is never really important though it might feed the story line and be misinterpreted as important.

Mark Kermode made the analogy between The Way Back and a hand made piece of furniture to illustrate that the point of the film is the how not the what. ie its not about discovering what it is, you know that; but appreciate it for the detail, joins, hue and craftsmanship. again the workmanship , the detail, the joins, the design. Spot on. I was again nodding enthusiastically. [Ah good.. back on track.]

Looking forward very much to another great year of reviews, boys.

Don't know the Witterainment fellas? Check them out:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lvdrj
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2009/09/thats_wittertainment.html