BLACK RAIN, also released as THE LAST WAVE (1977) – This was Aussie director Peter Weir’s eerie follow-up to Picnic at Hanging Rock from 1975. If you found the excellent 1975 movie perplexing, Black Rain will redefine that word for you.
It’s pure Peter Weir but if you want outside comparisons think of an X-Files episode crossed with Prince of Darkness and directed by David Lynch. Australia is suddenly struck by bizarre weather phenomena like weapons-grade torrential downpours and huge hailstones that break windows and leave occupants bloodied.
A plague of frogs, oddly dark skies and then a multi-day rain event follow, providing an otherworldly background to the story in the foreground.
Richard Chamberlain stars as tax lawyer David Burton in that story. He and his wife Annie (Olivia Hamnett) live in a small outback town. As a result of Australia’s Legal Aid policy, David is assigned to defend four Aborigines in a murder case even though he hasn’t done criminal trial work in years.
He’s the nearest Legal Aid lawyer in the area, plus there are indications that the government doesn’t really care if the Aborigines get proper representation. Draftee David dives into his law books to refresh his familiarity with criminal law. Continue reading
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