The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
February 7, 2025 7:29 AM - Subscribe
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.
Available in full or free here.
Available in full or free here.
Premise: If people had made more movies like this, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now.
Regardless, great film. 10/10.
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 11:29 AM on February 7 [2 favorites]
Regardless, great film. 10/10.
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 11:29 AM on February 7 [2 favorites]
I should probably rewatch this. I think it was one of those films you pick up on late at night and stay up for against your better judgement. It had a certain engaging quality. Iirc, Hunt steals it
posted by biffa at 11:49 AM on February 7 [2 favorites]
posted by biffa at 11:49 AM on February 7 [2 favorites]
One of my favorite movies for a long time now - I just watched it again a couple months ago. One of a long line of gems from Peter Weir, with stellar performances all around, and a great soundtrack featuring Vangelis. Not Linda Hunt's first movie (according to IMDB she'd done a couple of TV roles, but her first movie was Altman's Popeye, if you can believe it!), but it's the one that put her on the map.
posted by Pedantzilla at 11:52 AM on February 7 [3 favorites]
posted by Pedantzilla at 11:52 AM on February 7 [3 favorites]
Mel Gibson was, once upon a time, an enormously appealing leading man. Some grow young, some grow cold.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 1:08 PM on February 7 [7 favorites]
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 1:08 PM on February 7 [7 favorites]
If nothing else, TYoLD is a masterpiece of atmosphere. The opening credits with the shadow puppets immediately sets the tone. Which is immediately followed by Billie's creepy VO. And it doesn't let up.
Sigourney and Mel were in their primes; two of the most attractive humans to ever grace the screen.
This is a personal favorite. I love a good 'journalist in SE Asia' film.
posted by Stuka at 6:13 PM on February 8 [1 favorite]
Sigourney and Mel were in their primes; two of the most attractive humans to ever grace the screen.
This is a personal favorite. I love a good 'journalist in SE Asia' film.
posted by Stuka at 6:13 PM on February 8 [1 favorite]
I saw this in the theater when it was released, it was stunning. Going into the Reagan era it felt subversive to watch a film about another country that wasn't about "us/U.S." , rather about that country and it's people (yes, it is through the eyes of two foreigners, but). Linda Hunt was just terrific, this is one of the first roles where people got all flustered that an actor/ress would portray a different gender and not for laughs.
There is a scene where a woman clears away a small space of floating leaves from a murky swimming pool, and dives in, and we don't see her get out (I think, it's been a long time). I remember being all kinds of feelings, it felt very much like a metaphor for letting go into the unknown waters engulfing the country. Very haunting, beautiful. Need to watch again, obviously.
posted by winesong at 3:45 PM on February 9 [2 favorites]
There is a scene where a woman clears away a small space of floating leaves from a murky swimming pool, and dives in, and we don't see her get out (I think, it's been a long time). I remember being all kinds of feelings, it felt very much like a metaphor for letting go into the unknown waters engulfing the country. Very haunting, beautiful. Need to watch again, obviously.
posted by winesong at 3:45 PM on February 9 [2 favorites]
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posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 7:50 AM on February 7 [3 favorites]