This picnic will rock you
WHEN it comes to remaking a much-loved film or retelling an often-told story, there are certainly times to ask, “why”.
Every once in a while, though, perhaps we should ask, “why not”.
At first glance, there’s no reason to bring Picnic at Hanging Rock to the screen once again.
After all, Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel about the mysterious disappearance of three young women during a Valentine’s Day outing was already the source material for one of Australia’s finest films.
Peter Weir’s 1975 adaptation of Lindsay’s book is widely seen as one of the classics of this country’s cinematic new wave, and even now casts a spell over viewers.
(Put it this way: wail “Mirandaaaaa!” — the name of one of the vanished schoolgirls — and I’ll wager at least one person in three will know what you’re talking about. The other two people will probably back away slowly, then break into a run.)
So why did Foxtel decide to take another crack at Picnic at Hanging Rock, adapting into a six-episode drama that premieres on pay-TV station Showcase tomorrow night?
According to screenwriter Beatrix Christian, one of the writers tasked with reinterpreting Lindsay’s book, a new version in a different format offered the opportunity to focus on the characters rather than the mystery.
“When you looked at the book, and the differences between the film and the book, it became apparent that the book was a much bigger story,” said Christian, whose credits include the acclaimed 2006 Australian film Jindabyne.
“The film’s screenplay was perfect for a 100-minute piece of cinema; it was like a poem.
“Now with long-form television — character-based, not so plot-driven — we’re able to really delve into these people, which is such a gift.”
Indeed, while the Valentine’s Day 1900 disappearance of Miranda and her friends from Hanging Rock is the pivotal event of the miniseries, the six episodes provide a rich and detailed insight into the characters, from charismatic, headstrong Miranda to enigmatic boarding school headmistress Hester Appleyard, played by Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer.
And in doing so, this new Picnic at Hanging Rock also offers a glimpse into how women and girls were seen by society at the turn of the 20th century, and if much has changed at all in the subsequent 100 or so years.
“Here you are in this house full of young adolescent women with all their growing pains,” said rising star Lily Sullivan, who plays Miranda.
“Then you have the disappearance and the mystery around it, and the ripple effect throughout the town. And then it explores friendship, identity, liberation, repressed sexuality . . . ”
The predominance of women on both sides of the camera — the screenwriters, three producers, two of the three directors and most of the core cast are female — also gives this version of Picnic at Hanging Rock a new perspective.
“I think there were more women — writers, directors, executives — employed by this production than any other last year,” said screenwriter Christian.
“The show is a total force for women, and so many different kinds of women in so many different roles,” said Sullivan.
“And I think it’s time to retell Picnic at Hanging Rock. The Brits do that so well, retelling and reimagining and reinterpreting their well-loved stories, everything from Shakespeare to Sherlock, because they respect it and revere it.
“Don’t have any illusions because of the time and the horses and the petticoats, though — this is very much a modern thriller.
“Prepare yourself for a dark, powerful, twisted adaptation with these incredibly forceful women.”