It's 1825 present-day Tasmania. Clare is a young Irish convict forced to follow colonial British soldier Lieutenant Hawkins despite his brutality. She and her husband have a baby daughter. As convicts, they need to be released from service but Hawkins refuses to release the beauty. Hawkins has been stuck leading an outpost for the last three years and is desperate to get a promotion to Captain in a town a few days north. When he does not get the expected recommendation, the situation spirals into darkness.
This is an absolutely brutal film. It's not for the faint of heart. There are some very compelling characters. The place and the time is all over this movie. It's brutality is unflinching. Aisling Franciosi is amazing. The ending goes one place too many but I'm willing to accept it despite being over two hours long. Clare falling down in the street is a great climatic ending. The movie only needs to quickly wrap it up after that. It's the perfect ending but it does one more thing. I understand the wish for that one more thing. The tone fits better without that one more thing.
This is an absolutely brutal film. It's not for the faint of heart. There are some very compelling characters. The place and the time is all over this movie. It's brutality is unflinching. Aisling Franciosi is amazing. The ending goes one place too many but I'm willing to accept it despite being over two hours long. Clare falling down in the street is a great climatic ending. The movie only needs to quickly wrap it up after that. It's the perfect ending but it does one more thing. I understand the wish for that one more thing. The tone fits better without that one more thing.