''In the Winter Dark'' is a 1998 Australian feature film adaptation of the 1988 novel by

Tim Winton Timothy John Winton (born 4 August 1960) is an Australian writer. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the Miles Fr ...

, which was released by

Goalpost Pictures Goalpost Pictures is an Australian film production company founded and run by Rosemary Blight, Ben Grant, Kylie du Fresne, and Cass O’Connor. History The 2007 suburban comedy '' Clubland'', directed by Cherie Nowlan, debuted at the 2009 Sun ...

on 10 September 1998. It starred Brenda Blethyn,

Ray Barrett Raymond Charles Barrett (2 May 19278 September 2009) was an Australian actor. During the 1960s, he was a leading actor on British television, where he was best known for his appearances in ''The Troubleshooters'' (1965–1971). From the 1970s, ...

Richard Roxburgh Richard Roxburgh (born 23 January 1962) is an Australian actor, writer, producer, and director. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including three AACTA Awards (including AFI), three Logie Awards, ...

and

Miranda Otto Miranda Otto (born 16 December 1967) is an Australian actress. She is the daughter of actors Barry and Lindsay Otto and the paternal half-sister of actress Gracie Otto. Otto began her acting career in 1986 at age 18 and appeared in a variety of ...

and was directed by

James Bogle James Bogle (born 1959) is an Australian director and writer of films and TV.

."Interview with James Bogle", ''Signet'', 7 October 1998
accessed 17 November 2012 ''In The Winter Dark'' was nominated for three Australian Film Institute Awards, for Best Actor (Ray Barrett) and Best Supporting Actress (Miranda Otto), and Best Cinematography.

Cast

* Brenda Blethyn as Ida Stubbs *

as Maurice Stubbs *

as Murray Jacob *

as Ronnie *

Steve Le Marquand Steve Le Marquand (born 26 December 1967) is an Australian-born actor, known both locally and internationally for his film and stage work. Personal life Born in Perth, Western Australia in 1967, his family moved to Sydney when he was quite yo ...

as Nick * Justin Monjo as Circus Man *Les Dayman as Minister *Marjorie Child as Cat Woman

Reviews

Andrew L. Urban wrote: "Superbly made in every respect, In the Winter Dark is as tough as the Australian bush on one hand, yet as sensitive as a pregnant girl on the other; a rich if puzzling film that introduces Bogle as a fascinating new filmmaking talent." David Stratton wrote: "Bogle’s handsomely produced film is completely successful in exploring a mysterious, threatening environment peopled by a quartet of seriously disturbed characters. Comparisons can be made to Samantha Lang’s 1997 “The Well,” a similarly bleak tale of psychological frissons, and those who were unable to tune into the Lang film will probably have similar problems with Bogle’s chiller." ''Cinephilia'' wrote that "given that this was shot in under 6 weeks and helmed by a director on his first major feature this is an impressive effort even if its potential is not fully realized." Paula Nechak wrote: "In the Winter Dark is too internalized and segregated to rate as a successful film. Because we see from Maurice's eye and through his mental state of being it's near impossible to find the perspective (or the compassion and empathy) that would allow us access to the other characters." ''Film Threat'' wrote: "The story is unstructured at times and leaves numerous plot elements unexplained. Martin McGrath’s cinematography of rural Australia is phenomenal and complements Bogle’s directing to create this harrowing portrayal of the dark side of human madness."

References

External links

Australian Screen
''In the Winter Dark''
''If the Winter Dark''
at Oz Movies {{Tim Winton , state=collapsed 1998 films Australian drama films Films based on Australian novels Films set in Australia Films shot in Australia 1998 drama films 1990s English-language films

Cast

Reviews

See also

References

External links