One of only four films directed by Arch Nicholson before his early death from motor neurone disease, Dark Age follows the attempts by wildlife ranger Steve Harris, his girlfriend Cathy Pope, and trackers Oonadabund and Adjaral to capture a seven-metre salt-water crocodile (already responsible for two deaths) and relocate it to a breeding sanctuary. Their attempts are thwarted by hunter John Besser, determined on revenge after surviving an attack by the crocodile. In the course of the hunt, one of the trackers realises that he has a psychic connection to the crocodile.
According to Gary Couzens's online review for The Digital Fix,
'Dark Age is not a kill-the-monster story but a save-the-monster
one. In fact, the real monster is a human - as played by Max Phipps,
scary enough and just the right side of overplaying the part. The
seven-metre croc may kill people (including a young child in a scene
many will find upsetting) but it at least is obeying its nature. We do
get moderately gory attack scenes (adroitly directed by Nicholson), a
not always convincing but well disguised mechanical giant crocodile and a
sex scene, but it's as if Nicholson and Borg are "smugglers" (in the
Scorsese filmmaking sense), slipping in eco themes into what could have
been a more straightforward exploitation horror movie. In addition, the
two principal Aboriginals [sic] in the cast are treated with considerable
dignity and sensitivity and, thanks to David Gulpilil's input, the
Aboriginal rituals seen here are accurate. Also, the female lead has
more to do than be decorative and to help demonstrate the hero's
heterosexuality - maybe due to a female scriptwriter? - and the
relationship between Steve and Cathy does ring true.'
Made as part of a two-picture deal with RKO Pictures (the other half of which was The Lighthorsemen), Dark Age was never released in Australia, thanks to negotiations with an Australian distributor falling through shortly after completion.
Source: The Digital Fix (http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/75041/dark-age.html). (Sighted: 7/6/2012)
