The Last Wave (1977)

Australia 106m, Colour
Director: Peter Weir; Cast: Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, David Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow, Vivean Gray, Nandjiwarra Amagula, Walter Amagula

The Last Wave is a psychological drama about David Burton, a prosperous tax lawyer from Sydney, who defends a group of strangely secretive Aboriginal men accused of murder. Becoming increasingly obsessed by the case, and suffering from nightmares involving the deceased individual, David’s visions lead him to believe that Australia is about to be destroyed by a massive tidal wave. Though a potentially interesting plot, the film is lost in clichéd and stereotypical depictions of Aboriginal “mysteries” that are finally uncovered by a white guy who inexplicably shares a connection with the land and its people (Klaus Ming March 2015).