Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Picnic at Hanging Rock 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 17, 2024

Peter Weir's "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (1975) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include video introduction by film scholar David Thomson; Patricia Lovell's documentary "A Recollection... Hanging Rock 1900"; archival interview with director Peter Weir; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

On February 14th, 1900, a group of schoolgirls from Appleyard College, in the state of Victoria, Australia, head to Hanging Rock, near Mt. Macedon, for their annual picnic. After eating and resting, a few of them decide to climb the rock. They are accompanied by one of their teachers. Later on, one of the girls comes back screaming -- the teacher and her friends have disappeared without trace.

Based on Joan Lindsay’s famous novel, Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock is a fascinating film that is rightfully regarded by many as one of the finest made in the land Down Under. It is beautiful to look at and terrifically acted, but also somewhat frustrating because the story it tells does not offer a satisfying resolution.

The film is structured in a manner that allows for multiple, notably intriguing interpretations of the event it chronicles. In one such interpretation, Hanging Rock becomes a supernatural entity related to the dark side of Aboriginal culture. When the girls come in contact with it, Hanging Rock simply consumes them.

Another, more traditional interpretation points to an unsolved crime -- perhaps a rape case. Indeed, there are traces of guilt throughout the entire film, suggesting that the girls that disappeared at Hanging Rock might have been repeatedly abused prior to their trip.

There is also the possibility of a group suicide which could have been inspired by an unspeakable event, a tragedy that has been covered, or ignored, by the leaders of Appleyard College. There are numerous sequences in Picnic at Hanging Rock which seem to confirm that at least some of the girls were aware of an event which they were not allowed to discuss.

This strange atmosphere of uncertainty together with the mesmerizing visuals from the Australian Outback, however, is what makes Picnic at Hanging Rock so fascinating to behold. Indeed, the entire film feels like a giant dream -- a beautiful, sad, and impossible to fully comprehend dream.

The acting in Picnic at Hanging Rock is outstanding, but oddly enough, none of the actors stand out -- or so it seems. To be perfectly clear, Picnic at Hanging Rock is shot like a mosaic whose individual pieces must be properly aligned before one can fully appreciate the brilliant performances, and yet one is never given a chance to do so because the end credits roll before everything in the film begins to make perfect sense.

The use of light and color is very effective, reflecting emotions and feelings that words could not possibly describe. The sequence where the girls disappear, for instance, is both subdued and remarkably intense -- like a pure dream which Weir somehow captured with his camera.

The film's fantastic soundtrack is legendary. The main theme is performed by the great Romanian pan-flute master Gheorghe Zamfir -- Zamfir also performed the famous pan-flute theme in award-winning director Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America -- who truly pours his soul into it.

Picnic at Hanging Rock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

The 4K Blu-ray introduces a new 4K restoration of Picnic at Hanging Rock, which is graded with HDR. The final product was approved by director Peter Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd.

Please note that all screencaptures that are included with this release are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the content on the 4K Blu-ray, including the actual color values of this content.

Picnic at Hanging Rock entered the Criterion Collection with this Blu-ray release in 2014. However, I also have in my library this Region-B release from British label Second Sight, which was produced in 2010. After I viewed the new 4K makeover, I did some comparisons with Criterion's original Blu-ray release.

I found the new 4K makeover quite frustrating. It is immediately obvious that it brings a fresher presentation of the film that boasts all-around superior density levels. However, it is also immediately obvious that someone has done plenty of degraining corrections on it that create various anomalies. For example, it is often easy to see unnaturally softer visuals, some of which reveal an odd dynamic range as well. (You can see an example in screencapture #5). Also, in select areas, when the camera moves, it is rather easy to see mild smearing as well. The good news is that grain is not completely removed, and in select close-ups it is rather easy to spot. (See screencapture #3). However, the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to conclude that with the grain untouched all visuals would have had a vastly superior organic appearance. Color balance is very good. It rebalances all primaries and supporting nuances without altering the native appearance of the film. It expands some of the supporting nuances as well, which is to be expected given that 4K has a wider color gamut. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks immaculate as well. All in all, I think that because of the degraining corrections, the 4K makeover offers a downgrade in quality. However, keep in mind that the Blu-ray that is included with this release offers the older, superior presentation of the film. My score is 3.25/5.00.

Picnic at Hanging Rock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

If there is anything on this 5.1 track that makes it different from the one that was included on Criterion's original Blu-ray release of Picnic at Hanging Rock, I missed it. I thought that it sounded as good as the previous track, boasting the same outstanding clarity, sharpness, and dynamic nuances. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Picnic at Hanging Rock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Bonus Features - there are no bonus features on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Trailer - original trailer for Picnic at Hanging Rock. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• David Thomson Introduction - in this archival video piece, film scholar David Thomson introduces Picnic at Hanging Rock and discusses the film's unique themes and construction. The introduction was filmed exclusively for Criterion in 2014. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Everything Begins and Ends - in this archival documentary, coproducer Hal McElroy, director of photography Russell Boyd, actress Helen Morse (Mademoiselle de Poitiers), coproducer Jim McElroy, actress Anne Lambert (Miranda), and executive producer Patricia Lovell discuss the production history of Picnic at Hanging Rock and the unique story it tells. The interviews included in the documentary were conducted in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• A Recollection... Hanging Rock 1900 - a documentary exploring the fascinating subject of the film, its production history and success. The documentary, which was produced by Patricia Lovell, features interviews with different cast and crew members. It also appears on the Region-B release of Picnic at Hanging Rock. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).

• Peter Weir - in this archival video interview, director Peter Weir recalls his initial impression of Joan Lindsay's beautiful novel and how Picnic at Hanging Rock came to exist, and discusses the Australian film industry during the early '70s, the film's production history, the casting process, the shooting of specific sequences, etc. The interview was conducted in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Homesdale - Peter Weir's 1971 film Homesdale inspired executive producer Patricia Lovell to approach him about directing Picnic at Hanging Rock. The film, which was shot at the director's home in Sydney, won the Grand Prix at the 1971 Australian Film Industry Awards. In black and white. In English, not subtitled. (50 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - a booklet featuring an essay by author Megan Abbott and an excerpt from film critic Marek Haltof's 1996 book Peter Weir: When Cultures Collide.

Picnic at Hanging Rock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Criterion's upcoming 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack introduces a new 4K restoration of Picnic at Hanging Rock that was approved by director Peter Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd. Unfortunately, I do not think that the makeover is as good as it could have been. Fortunately, the previous presentation of the film is very, very good, and is included on the Blu-ray, so if you are yet to discover the film, you can still pick up the combo pack. I personally am very happy with the original Blu-ray release that Criterion produced a decade ago, which also included a paperback edition of Joan Lindsay's beautiful novel. RECOMMENDED, but only to folks that do not own a copy of this terrific film.