ART FILMS - PETER WIER'S THE LAST WAVE

In the late 1970s I saw Peter Wier's The Last Wave, set in Australia. The only thing I remember is the scene of a man standing on the beach and a huge tsunami-like wave curls upward behind him. I also recall there were aborigines in this film.

Well since we have just visited Australia, I had a hankering to rent this film. It wasn't available at Blockbuster, but I did find it in Vidiot on Pico, Santa Monica. I have it in VHS and can't wait to see it.

I love films - good films, I mean. I generally do not like plot-driven films; I find them predictable, formulaic. Quite a lot of American films are plot-driven and I'll watch them and enjoy watching them because the conflict is strong and it's like eating cotton candy, just easy and pleasurable. But the next day I can barely remember the film. The bad guys, good guys, and plot lines merge and I have to work hard to differentiate one film from another.

I prefer films that are character-driven. I can still delight in remembering Raise the Red Lantern for instance, or the early Ingmar Bergman films - Wild Strawberries especially. The Story of the Weeping Camel was also quite good. I've discovered that there are some good Chinese and Indian films. Sometimes, even if the movie isn't well done, if the setting is different and interesting to look at, I'll be entertained.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see The Last Wave again, especially since I've seen some of Australia. I've found that if I've been to a place, like China or India, I have a better appreciation of their movies.