Watch Picnic at Hanging Rock For Free

Redundant and unnecessary.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Brilliant and touching

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

What the hell was this, I didn't like it then, and don't like it now... The best part was seeing those girl shred off their stockings, but after that, the film evaporated into a most unsatisfying second half that is totally forgettable... Didn't like it then, don't like it now, and I won't like it tomorrow.

This film is certain to yield many varied interpretations, primarily because it doesn't give any answers. A class of Victorian-era school girls take a day trip to Hanging Rock - a large rock formation shaped by volcanic activity in the Australian countryside. They idle about in the forestry before a group of four wander off alone and climb to the peak, but only one comes back, and what's more, one of the staff members, who ran off on her own, also disappears. The search for the missing is taken up by the police, along with two men who were present at the time of the disappearance - one English upper class, one Aussie working class, with their vernacular completely at odds with each other. The girls can not be found, and while the search continues, we spend time learning the backstories of various other characters inside the school - from the headmistress, to the pupils, to the gardeners and the maid. The unsolved disappearance shrouds each male character a suspect, and every single character a great mystery that might reveal an important piece of the puzzle, despite seemingly being caught up in their own unrelated troubles, such as money to pay the school fees, and poetry recitals. The first half of the film is youths romantic allure, a teenage girls optimism. The second half is a discovery of the pain residing underneath the perfectly manicured surface, with the journey into the rock a symbolic representation of passing from one to the other - a child to adult. The great anticlimax however, is that the case remains unsolved.As it is not based on a true story, this irresolution is not an unfortunate by-product of real life events, rather a purposeful artistic decision, and it becomes clear we are watching not a detective story, but an art film using the story telling techniques of one, in order to maintain suspense. We are hoodwinked. The clues given to follow the crime - clocks stopping at 12, scratch marks on hands yet not body - are simply red herrings. Sherlock Holmes could not unwind it, because there is nothing to unwind. The clues were never intended to lead answers, as opposed to narrative tools taking us from A to B, and if you're anything like me, to be purposefully mislead under false pretences does not leave a good aftertaste.If we are to take a figurative rather than literal interpretation of this film, we can find meaning in the symbolism used. Based on a novel, the author Joan Lindsay was an artist before she was a writer, and from the framing of shots to the constant symbolism, this film is reminisce of an old oil painting in motion. The three girls who are lost to the rock are seen removing their shoes and stockings moments before their disappearance, while the missing teacher was last seen in her underwear - shoeless. Meanwhile, the only girl to come back from the rock did not remove her shoes or stockings. In artwork, the removal of shoes was commonly symbolic for sexuality - the undressing - which is as sure a sign as any that their disappearance is metaphoric for the loss of virginity. The somewhat phallic looking rock becomes the representation of man, and set on Valentines Day, the film depicts the dangers women face when wandering into this wild new territory, and leaving their protected innocence behind. For the older staff member, who had previously described volcanic eruption as though male ejaculation, it may represent a lifetime of repressed sexuality, as others have commented.It is beautiful to look at, from the casting to the costumes, and the juxtaposition of those characters and costumes against the bright Australian bushland. The old masterwork paintings are some of the most terrific images created, and not enough films share their influence. It also sounds terrific, with the constant and varied bird chatter, to the foreboding ticking of clocks, classical music, and a haunting otherworldly pan flute. The camera movement is at times languid, ebbing and flowing between characters and their surroundings, soaking up the atmosphere. It is the epitome of the 70's. All hazy images, dreamy vibes, mythic, nature based philosophy, that was just as likely (or more) to have stemmed from the herb than the library. It is a very complex and indirect way for one to express themselves, and likely to appeal those more concerned with feeling than logic.If Picnic at Hanging Rock proves anything, it is the power of mystery. It may frustrate the heck out of our rational minds, yet leaves an enchanting impression. Finding it better to watch than to think about afterwards, to me it is a picnic that probes the tastebuds, but does not fill the stomach.

On Saint Valentine's day 1900 in the state of Victoria, Australia, schoolgirls from Appleyard College go picnicking at Hanging Rock led by teachers Miss Greta McCraw and young de Poitiers. Below them, Michael Fitzhubert is having lunch with his Colonel uncle, aunt, and valet Albert. Back at school, headmistress Mrs. Appleyard has kept Sara from going. At the picnic, buggy driver Ben Hussey notices his watch has stopped and Miss McCraw's watch has also stopped at noon. Miranda St. Clare, Marion Quade, Irma, and Edith go off to explore spied by Michael and Albert. After a nap, three girls walk off and Edith runs back in hysteria. Miss McCraw go in search for them as the rest return home with Edith. The locals set off to find the missing four. Appleyard fears losing students. She tells Sara that her benefactor has stopped sending money. Irma is found but she won't talk about the disappearances.There is a light dreamy sense of foreboding for the first part. It's a little slow at the beginning as one wonders what the story is going to be about. It has repressed sexuality. It's a moody, haunted mystery. It's a lot of things. The most daring of all is that it gives no obvious answers. That can very infuriating. It also leaves the audience with a haunted feeling. The scenes at the Rock are almost hypnotic. I would have liked more time at the Rock in the later parts. The Sara story hints at an even darker world at the school. Most of the actors are relative amateurs. For instance, Sara mumbles a lot of her lines but that fits her character. This is kinda floaty haunting mystery.

Dreamy, Ethereal, and Hypnotic Art Film from Australia's Premier Auteurs Peter Weir, only His second Feature Film and one that Endures. A Mystery Movie with Supernatural Elements that is Haunting and Beautifully Photographed. The Pan Flute Score also Adds to the Intrigue.Surreal in its Imagery and Grounded in the Victorian Age of 1900 and all its Sexual Repression and closely kept Secrets it is a Film that Reveals Little of its own. Everything Known is on the Surface and if there are any Answers to the Mystery they are Buried Deep within the Bosoms of the Virginal School Girls or in the Crevices and Protrusions of Hanging Rock. Penetrating the Veneer seems Futile and most of the Truth Remains Elusive.Sexual Symbolism abounds and the Movie deals with the Giddy Girls as Innocence Interrupted. This is not a Film for All Tastes and will Leave some with Desires and Expectations Unfulfilled. But if You can be Enchanted by its Charm, it can be Chilling. There are Scenes that are Mesmerizing and Poetic and others that are Creepy and Unsettling. It is a Different Kind of Film for sure and a Stunning Excursion and Quite a Diversion into the Unknown.