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Actors: Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hunt
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Year of Living Dangerously |
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Guy Hamilton (Gibson) is an ambitious Australian journalist on his first posting abroad. His routine assignment in Jakarta is turned upside down as locals become enamored of Sukarno. His guide in this land and on this journey of personal discovery is Billy Kwan, his dwarf photographer who introduces him to the mysterious British diplomat Jillian Bryant. Hamilton is curious about Bryant, who may or may not be a spy, and guardedly suspicious of Kwan, who also may or may not be a spy manipulating him. He could just be eccentric. The political crisis around Hamilton reaches its zenith at the same time as does the point at which he must make critical personal decisions.
Linda Hunt won the Oscar for best supporting actress Oscar for, ironically, a role in which she played a man.
One of Gibson's best.
--ldpaulson, Resident Scholar
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Journalist Guy Hamilton (Gibson) is afraid he's landed a boring assignment in Indonesia in 1965, but President Sukarno is cracking down on democratic elements there. With the help of Eurasian photographer Billy Kwan, who is also a dwarf (Hunt), Hamilton tracks the story as violence and anti-American sentiment mount. He also pursues a passionate affair with British foreign service employee and possible spy Jill Bryant (Weaver). The story
in this 1982 thriller directed by Australian Peter Weir is hard to follow and not entirely plausible, but Gibson and Weaver act with verve and look terrific doing it. Hunt won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Year of Living Dangerously |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Polit/Social/Race/Gender activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- liberal/lefty activism
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Culture of surrounding area:
- General East Asian
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- journalist
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) muscular
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Australian
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- red
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn curly
Body type
- (woman) average
How much in movie?
- 40%
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- dictator
- journalist
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- deluded
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Other Asian
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
- hard edged
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- missing body parts/abilities
Setting
Asia/Pacific/Middle East
Yes
Asian country:
- Southeast Asia
City?
Yes
City:
- dirty, grimy (like New York)
- dangerous
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- sex under blankets
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Subtitles?
- No
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a
- book
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TOP SCHOLAR:
 ldpaulson
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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