In 1982, both Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver were at the top of their game. Gibson was in the midst of his Mad Max period, while Weaver was kicking intergalactic ass as Ripley in the Alien franchise. It was a stroke of genius getting them together to headline in this adaptation of C.J. Koch's novel about the political turmoil of Indonesia during the decline of President Sukarno. Gibson plays Australian journalist Guy Hamilton, while Weaver is British attache (and spy) Jill Bryant. They become romantically involved, of course, but that's not the story here ... not by a long shot.

In fact, it is Linda Hunt, appearing in just her second feature film (after Popeye), who steals the show entirely.…

Peter Weir reunites with his Gallipoli star Mel Gibson for this adaptation of C.J. Koch's novel concerning the political unrest in 1960s Sukarno ruled Indonesia.

But forget Gibson as eager Aussie war correspondent Guy Hamilton, and forget Sigourney Weaver, beautiful as ever but unconvincing as the British attache Hamilton falls for, as neither performance truly ranks amongst either actors best. No, the real star turn here is that of the diminutive New York actress Linda Hunt who immersed herself so fully into the role of the MALE dwarf photographer and Mr Fix It Billy Kwan that I defy anyone with no knowledge of the film or its casting to go into this picture and not believe they're watching a male…

One thing you can always rely on Peter Weir for is atmosphere—The Year of Living Dangerously is transportive cinema, wonderfully evoking the tense political fervour and tropical climate of 1960s Indonesia whilst simultaneously weaving romance, drama and thriller elements into a novellistically told story that does justice to its source material.

Mel Gibson re-teams with Weir after Gallipoli and is officially a movie star by now but it's Linda Hunt who absolutely deserved the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of a Chinese-Australian dwarf, the performance is not only transformative, it's also deeply humane, layered and ambiguous, with the Billy Kwan character becoming a sort of guide and narrator through the story—the fact that today she's being criticised for…

I'm officially calling it quits on delving any deeper into Peter Weir's filmography at this point - 12 films is enough. His era of filmmaking, predominantly the late 70s to mid 90s, is definitely hit-or-miss for me, but while Weir did manage to craft a couple of standout films of that period, I've found the remainder of his output extremely meh.

The Year of Living Dangerously takes place during the same Indonesian revolution, the horrors of which are reflected upon in the terrific documentaries, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. But little of the emotion, strife or even interest of that overarching story really resonates through this A-plot, a romantic drama between Mel Gibson's hotshot reporter and…

100 Films by 18 Directors: Peter Weir
Ranked: Peter Weir

As a filmmaker, Peter Weir is known for making slow and contemplative films that one could categorize as a sort of mood/tone piece, while being wholly aesthetic-driven. Capturing the gorgeous surroundings of his characters and always dropping his protagonists into deeply traumatic situations that force them to assess who they are, what they are, and how they will respond to this unique experience, it is no surprise that Weir's films many times wind up focusing on a character outside of their comfort zone. In Picnic at Hanging Rock, everybody is thrust into discomfort when girls go missing in the beautiful Australian brush. In Witness, Harrison Ford plays a big city…

I really love Peter Weir. He has made a number of classics, despite the infrequency of his work. His best films, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli, Witness and Master & Commander, are superb and were highlights of the years they were released. He is an understated filmmaker, with a lyrical edge, but intent on telling a story and not showing off. The Year of Living Dangerously is exactly what you hope for from a Peter Weir film. You get an serious story, dramatic heft and well-drawn characters. What cinema should be about, but rarely is.

The Year of Living Dangerously is about a love affair set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno. It follows an Australian foreign correspondent (Mel…

In some ways, “The Year of Living Dangerously” has aged horrendously. Perhaps no more so than Mel Gibson playing an Australian foreign correspondent, who arrives in Indonesia on assignment in 1965 and befriends a local cameraman with his lack of a condescending Imperialist attitude. Let that one sink in. Mel Gibson as a guy who makes a good impression by being the least racist person in a room. This might not have been evident back in 1982, but I think it’s fair to argue that casting a woman to play a guy, Linda Hunt’s Oscar-winning performance the film is primarily known for, is only the second most peculiar casting choice here.

Peter Weir’s contribution to the back then extremely popular…

Racist claptrap that can't focus on anything long enough to make much of an impression. Moody white people having a pretty romance in the "exotic" setting of a poverty-stricken, politically unstable Asian country is already kind of a hard sell for me, but somehow even more so when that romance takes up maybe fifteen minutes of the actual film. Sigourney Weaver gets no screen time or character development outside of the romance, and most of the film is Mel Gibson observing and expounding on the cultural upheaval he witnesses, with minimal input from actual Indonesian characters. The biggest issue here isn't the cultural imperialism somehow, though--it's the blatant yellowface. Linda Hunt is undeniably a great actor, but she's also white,…

2.5/5.0 = Noteworthy

My brother threw this on because it was on David Fincher's all-time favorites list. Honestly can't wrap my head around why. It's an adequate film, but THE KILLING FIELDS (released only two years later) surely usurped it as the most iconic film about western journalists documenting civil war in south-east Asia. The Sigourney Weaver love story doesn't ever really click with me, and the film only begins to hint at conflict between characters 70 minutes into the film, only to rather unceremoniously sideline Weaver's character (we don't see her until the very final shot). It feels very messy, which is a shame because the filmmaking craft, locations, and casting are all really on point.

Having said all…

The Year of Living Dangerously seems like it would be the worst kind of Oscar-baity movie from 80s or 90s. The kind where the white hero falls in love or learns some profound lesson about themselves set in the backdrop of some exotic, war-torn country. Which it sort of is, the film just does it really well and with a level of self-awareness and cultural sensitivity you might not expect from a movie starring Mel Gibson.

It’s a movie about journalism and the absolute toll being seeing a rough part of the world that can take, whether it’s through physical violence, becoming consumed by all the tragedy you see, or through having to become so emotionally numb that you’re barely…