Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her fam... Read allSet in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also... Read allSet in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.
- Awards
- 25 wins & 37 nominations
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Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia"I've always had a fascination with Tasmania," writer-director Jennifer Kent said. It was considered the most brutal of the Australian colonies, known as 'hell on earth' through the western world at the time. Repeat offenders were sent there; the rapists, murderers, hardened criminals. And severe punishments were devised for them to strike fear in the hearts of those back in Britain, to deter them from crime. Women on the other hand, who'd often committed minor crimes, were sent to Tasmania to even the gender balance. They were outnumbered eight to one. You can imagine what kind of an environment that would set up for women. It was not a good place or time for them. And in terms of the Aboriginal invasion, what happened in Tasmania is often considered the worst attempted annihilation by the British of the Aboriginal people and everything they hold dear."
- GoofsWhen Billy finds Uncle Charlie shot dead, he is still breathing.
- Quotes
Clare: You can tell me to shut up. You can threaten me. But it won't do nothing. That girl you raped, whose husband and baby you murdered - that girl died. And you can't kill what's already dead.
Hawkins: This woman's a lying thief. She's just upset because I caught her trying to steal my horse. I'll have you arrested, you drunken whore.
Clare: I'm not your whore. I'm not your nightingale, your little bird, your dove. I'm not your anything. I belong to me and no one else!
- Crazy credits" Tasmanian Aboriginal culture is a living culture. The Aboriginal language used in this film is called 'Palawa kani'. It was created by current day Tasmanian Aboriginal people using records of their original languages. Aboriginal actors cast in this film are from mainland Australia. They and we pay our respects to the aboriginal people of Lutruwita (Tasmania) past and present."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Chris Stuckmann Movie Reviews: The Nightingale (2019)
- SoundtracksThe Nightingale
Performed by Aisling Franciosi
Violin by Charles McCarthy
Written by Ciáran Bourke, Barney McKenna, Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly
Published by Logo Songs Ltd
Administered by Universal Music Publishing MGB Australia Pty Ltd
What sets this film apart from the disturbing movies labeled under "horror", is that the excessive violence (sexual, racial, gender-based, vengeful and genocidal) pretty much all throughout this film is based on real life - The Black War in 1820s Van Dieman's Land, now known as Tasmania.
Clare and Billy, the two protagonists are hated minorities in this land (An Irish female convict and a black man) who seek vengeance for the terrible crimes committed against their families and themselves. The film begs the question - how does empathy survive in such a brutal world? How do you move on after you've lost so much? And finally, does vengeance bring satisfaction?
The answers are No to the last two and Yes to the first one.
I don't know if I can recommend this. It felt like the director was subjecting her audience to a horrific punishment with this. It essentially left me traumatised. Even in the moments when a character says a funny line, it's always followed with a horrific act of violence straight afterwards.
Other than that, the acting, especially Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambar, are extraordinary. I believed every second of their performances. The way it's shot, the landscape and the cinematography, is gorgeous.
Watching this was a hell of a challenge. But I'm glad I got through it.
- Avwillfan89
- Nov 23, 2019
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Details
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- Also known as
- Chim Sơn Ca Trả Thù
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Box office
- Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $400,209
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $35,882
- Aug 4, 2019
- Gross worldwide
- $988,687
- Runtime2 hours 16 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1