MovieChat Forums > Picnic at Hanging Rock (1979) Discussion > Other eerie, haunting, patient, atmosphe...

Other eerie, haunting, patient, atmospheric films like this one?

posted 18 years ago by StrawDogBreeder
183 replies | jump to latest

The music, landscapes, and pacing of this film all contribute to its itching mystery at least as much as the plot itself. There's also something about the film (stock) itself that acts as a better medium for this kind of meditative piece. It's a work of art made on a higher quality canvas. Knowhattamean? In descibing its qualities and effects, though, I have to fight a tendency of drifting into abstract, snobbish descriptions. What are some other films that have some of these haunting, patient(?) qualities?

A few I have seen:

1. Solaris (Tarkovsky, not Soderbergh)
2. Stalker (also Tarkovsky)
3. (At least the first half of) The Black Stallion
4. Ring of Bright Water
5. Dead Man (sort of)

[–] iftmikeb 18 years ago

How Aboot:

L'Avventura (http://imdb.com/title/tt0053619/)
Hour Of The Wolf (http://imdb.com/title/tt0063759/)

To a lesser extent but powerful:
Jacob's Ladder (http://imdb.com/title/tt0099871/)
Mysterious Skin (http://imdb.com/title/tt0370986/)

[–] discotrashmassacre 18 years ago

I would add a couple of Japanese films to that list:

'Pitfall' 1962, Hiroshi Teshigahara - A hypnotic story about a town of lost souls with a strange dreamlike quality. Teshigahara's other films such as 'The Face of Another' and 'Woman of the Dunes' are also worth checking out for an uneasy feeling and beautiful images.

'Onibaba' 1964, Kaneto Shindo - A brooding character study of obsession and jealousy that has an almost supernatural intensity.

I'd also like to add my voice to the recommendation of 'Long Weekend'. I found it to be very haunting and some of the sounds in the film will stay with me forever. A great overlooked gem.

'You touched me! Oh God, my flesh is rotting! The touch of Scum!'

[–] JakeDamian 18 years ago

George Washington

Any Terrence Malick (Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, The New World)

And of course definitely Tarkovsky.

[–] Hal-83 17 years ago

Ther recommendations are made because of the potent combinations of the photography, the connection between people and their surrounding environment, the unusual or power relationships of the characters, the elements of the fantastic, and the music.

A Canterbury Tale - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036695/
The Go Between - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067144/
Letter From An Unknown Woman - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040536/
My Summer of Love - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382189/
The Portrait of a Lady - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117364/
Rain - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287645/
The Servant - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057490/
The Tenant - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074811/
The Well - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120493/

Well, why don't we call it "research" or something?

[–] eerwicker 17 years ago

As well as what's been mentioned...

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Persona
Wild Strawberries
The Exterminating Angel
Phantom Of Liberty
Paris Texas

[–] Kate-me 17 years ago

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
"I'm nobody's little weasel."

[–] neomanyon 17 years ago

I can't believe no one has mentioned "Till Human Voices Wake Us" it's a great movie and has a similar atmosphere. Be warned though, there are two versions and the Australian one is the one you are after.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240980/

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TheSharkThatAteHartCrane 17 years ago

Last Year at Marienbad - possibly the grand-daddy (though I'm open to correction) of the 'genre'.

We'll do it doggy-style so we can both watch X Files.

[–] FrameXFrame 17 years ago

"An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge"--the oldie, from 1962. Amazing. It's about a half hour long but feels leisurely and "patient."

[–] armandcbris 17 years ago

The Innocents, with Deborah Kerr. Great, atmospheric, creepy Victorian ghost story, right from the get-go.

[–] theredintheskyisours 17 years ago

Valerie and her week of wonders, Innocence