Cirrus@Austlit

'On its release in 1971, Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff) was unkindly received by Australian critics and public alike, the bone of contention being its representation of an outback male society whose interests are limited to drinking hard, gambling hard and fighting hard, with a shameless enthusiasm for blood sports thrown in for good measure. It is a criticism that still holds sway even though the film has now reached cult status in this country. Such a criticism, however, largely draws attention away from the psychological make-up of its central character, John Grant (Gary Bond), from whose point-of-view we experience this seemingly barbaric society.' (Introduction)

''An essential and long overdue companion for anyone interested in Australian cinema. In years to come Second Take will be valuable documentation of one of the most exciting periods in world cinema. I wish someone had done a book like this when I was first starting out as a film-maker.' Bill Bennett 'Film-making is like building a mosaic. The thoughts behind how those myriad of pieces are put together---the choices, accidents and inspirations-can often be as absorbing as the finished film.' Gillian Armstrong Australian cinema has been in resurgence over the past two decades, hitting the front pages and winning awards worldwide. Not surprisingly, there has been a substantial amount of writing about this increase in the popularity of Australian film, and about the development of an Australian aesthetic. However, there have been no forums for informed alternative voices, especially those which sustain the film industry's existence---the 'voice' of the film-maker. '  (Publication summary)