The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

C.J. Koch (novel)
C.J. Koch (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

21 January 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

A Love Caught In The Fire Of Revolution

Plot:

A young Australian reporter tries to navigate the political turmoil of Indonesia during the rule of President Sukarno with the help of a diminutive photographer.

Plot Keywords:

President | Photographer | Diplomat | Political | Foreign Correspondent

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Mel Gibson	...	Guy Hamilton
Sigourney Weaver	...	Jill Bryant
Linda Hunt	...	Billy Kwan
Michael Murphy	...	Pete Curtis
Bill Kerr	...	Colonel Henderson
Noel Ferrier	...	Wally O'Sullivan
Bembol Roco	...	Kumar
Paul Sonkkila	...	Kevin Condon
Ali Nur	...	Ali
Dominador Robridillo	...	Betjak Man
Joel Agona	...	Palace Guard
Mike Emperio	...	Sukarno
Bernardo Nacilla	...	Dwarf
Domingo Landicho	...	Hortono
Hermino De Guzman	...	Immigration Officer
Coco Marantha	...	Pool Waiter
Kuh Ledesma	...	Tiger Lily
Norma Uatuhan	...	Ibu
Lito Tolentino	...	Udin
Cecily Polson	...	Moira
David Oyang	...	Hadji
Mark Egerton	...	Embassy Aide
Joonee Gamboa	...	Naval Officer
Pudji Waseso	...	Officer in Cafe
Joel Lamangan	...	Security Man No. 1
Mario Layco	...	Security Man No. 2
Jabo Djohansjan	...	Doctor
Agoes Widjaya Soedjarwo	...	Roadblock Soldier (as Agus Widjaja)
Chris Quivak	...	Airport Official

Directed by
Peter Weir

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
C.J. Koch		novel
C.J. Koch		screenplay
Peter Weir		writer
David Williamson		written by

Produced by
Jim McElroy	....	producer (as James McElroy)

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Russell Boyd		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William M. Anderson		(as William Anderson)

Art Direction by
Herbert Pinter

Costume Design by
Terry Ryan

Makeup Department
Judy Lovell	....	makeup artist: Australia
Judy Lovell	....	special effects makeup artist: Australia
Bob McCarron	....	special effects makeup artist: Australia
Cheryl Williams	....	hair stylist: Australia

Production Management
Joe Constantino	....	assistant production manager: Philippines
Mark Egerton	....	production supervisor: Australia
Murray Francis	....	unit manager: Australia
Tim Sanders	....	production manager: Australia
John Hollands	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jose Angeles	....	assistant director: Philippines
Wayne Barry	....	first assistant director: Philippines
Michael Bourchier	....	third assistant director: Australia
Mark Egerton	....	first assistant director: Australia
Ulysses Formanez	....	assistant director: Philippines
Ken Richardson	....	assistant director: Philippines
Chris Webb	....	second assistant director: Australia
Robert Woolcott	....	assistant director: Philippines

Art Department
Francisco Balangue	....	construction foreman: Philippines
Anni Browning	....	assistant art director: Australia
Sally Campbell	....	prop buyer: Australia
Sally Campbell	....	set dresser: Australia
Michael Chorney	....	scenic artist: Australia
Dominador Dela Cruz	....	head carpenter: Philippines
Alan Dunstan	....	art department assistant: Australia
Hugh Hamilton	....	carpenter: Australia
Billy Malcolm	....	scenic artist: Australia
Jenny Miles	....	assistant stand-by props: Australia
Clark Munro	....	stand-by props: Australia
Ramon Nicdao	....	assistant art director: Philippines
Gambino Payawal	....	assistant construction foreman: Philippines (as Gavino Payawal)
Paddy Reardon	....	prop buyer: Australia
Paddy Reardon	....	set dresser: Australia
Geoffrey Spence	....	carpenter: Australia
Marta Statescu	....	prop buyer: Australia
Marta Statescu	....	set dresser: Australia
Wendy Stites	....	design coordinator (as Wendy Weir)
Ron Sutherland	....	carpenter: Australia
Peter Templeton	....	construction manager: Australia
Paul Vosilianis	....	carpenter: Australia
Stewart Way	....	prop buyer: Australia
Stewart Way	....	set dresser: Australia
Derek Wyness	....	carpenter: Australia (as Derek Wynness)

Sound Department
Peter Fenton	....	dialogue mixer: Australia
Phil Heywood	....	sound effects mixer: Australia
Louise Innes	....	assistant sound editor: Australia
Robin Judge	....	assistant sound editor: Australia
Spencer Lee	....	sound engineer: Australia
Ron Purvis	....	recording supervisor: Australia
Andrew Steuart	....	sound editor: Australia
Mark J. Wasiutak	....	boom operator: Australia (as Mark Wasiutak)
Gary Wilkins	....	sound recordist: Australia

Special Effects by
Danny Dominguez	....	special effects: Philippines

Stunts
Peter West	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bansgrove	....	gaffer: Australia
Nixon Binney	....	camera operator: Australia
Ray Brown	....	key grip: Australia
Colin Chase	....	electrician: Australia
Geordie Dryden	....	assistant grip: Australia
Paul Gantner	....	best boy: Australia
Stuart Green	....	assistant grip: Australia
Peter Menzies Jr.	....	focus puller: Australia
Paul Moyes	....	electrician: Australia
John Seale	....	photographer: second unit
Jim Townley	....	still photographer: Australia
Geoffrey Wharton	....	clapper loader: Australia (as Geoff Wharton)

Casting Department
Alison Barrett	....	casting: Australia
Jo Hardie	....	extras casting: Australia
Precy Iniego	....	casting: Philippines
Penseroso Libre	....	casting: Philippines
Susan Parker	....	extras casting: Australia (as Sue Parker)
Monica Swann	....	casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ramon Alonzo	....	wardrobe: Philippines
Jenni Bolton	....	wardrobe mistress: Australia
Vicente Cabrera	....	wardrobe: Philippines (as Vic Cabrera)
Phil Eagles	....	stand-by wardrobe: Australia
Gina Garcia	....	wardrobe: Philippines
Anthony Jones	....	costume supervisor: Australia
Roger Monk	....	stand-by wardrobe: Australia

Editorial Department
Margaret Cardin	....	negative matcher: Australia (as Maggie Cardin)
Jeanine Chiavlo	....	associate editor: Australia (as Jeanine Chialvo)
Peter Erskine	....	assistant editor: Australia
Karen Foster	....	assistant editor: Australia
Toto Natividad	....	assistant editor: Philippines (as Federico Natividad)
Lee Smith	....	associate editor: Australia

Music Department
Gethin Creagh	....	music mixer: Australia
Sven Libaek	....	music coordinator: Australia

Transportation Department
Pablo Mercado Sr.	....	transportation manager: Philippines

Other crew
Sandra Alexander	....	production assistant: Australia
Joe Alonsabe	....	accountant: Philippines
Sally Blaxland	....	production secretary: Philippines
Fran Burke	....	title designer: Australia
Celso Al Carunungan	....	production consultant: Philippines (as Celso Al. Carunungan)
Elaine Crowther	....	production accountant: Australia
Jessie Cuneta	....	location manager: Philippines (as Jesse Cuneta)
Carolynne Cunningham	....	production coordinator: Australia
Jaime de la Rosa	....	production liaison: Philippines (as Jaime Dela Rosa)
John Faithful	....	caterer: Australia
Sue Faithful	....	caterer: Australia
Bill Gooley	....	laboratory liaison: Australia
John Hargreaves	....	MGM representitive: Australia
Lynda House	....	production secretary: Australia
Moya Iceton	....	assistant to director: Australia
Moya Iceton	....	continuity: Australia
Lope V. Juban Jr.	....	production coordinator: Philippines
Agnes Marajas	....	production secretary: Philippines
Monica Pellizzari	....	production assistant: Australia
Wilma Schinella	....	assistant to producer: Australia
Babette Smith	....	unit publicist: Australia
Pudji Waseso	....	technical advisor: Australia
John Wiggins	....	location manager: Australia
Mike Wilcox	....	business manager: Australia
Andrew Thomas Wilson	....	synthesizer programmer: Australia

Thanks
Richard Woolcott	....	acknowledgment

Production Companies

• McElroy & McElroy
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print - Panavision also 16mm)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1983) (USA)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Video (198?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Royal Australian Air Force  acknowledgement
• UAA Films Limited, Australia  production services
• United Sound  music mixed at

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Tagalog | Filipino | Indonesian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:16 | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Artransa Park Film Studios, Mobbs Lane, Epping, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

McElroy & McElroy

Trivia:

Much of the non-English dialogue in the film is in Filipino, not Javanese. For example, when Billy visits the home of a dead child in a slum area, the prayer spoken by the old man is in fact "Our Father" in Tagalog.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Guy drops Jill at the British Embassy, a member of the crew is reflected in the car window.

Quotes:

Billy Kwan: Starvation is a great aphrodisiac.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Between Two Worlds: The Making of 'Witness' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

White Cliffs of Dover

Politics, Mysticism and Romance

In "The Year of Living Dangerously" director Peter Weir attempts much and accomplishes most of his goals. It's a socio-political essay on the dangers of Western meddling in Third World countries. It's a fascinating view into the challenges of journalism in a volatile foreign country. It's a steamy romance involving two beautiful, intelligent characters. It's a distinctly Far Eastern morality play that seems to delight in yin/yang paradoxes. Plus it's one of the best films at evoking the mood, texture, and sensuality of life in Southeast Asia. Don't be too harsh on Weir for the lapses in historic accuracy and plotting, because it's a complicated, busy landscape he is painting here. The best things about the film are:

-Linda Hunt's amazing performance. Unlike other gender-bending performances (Julie Andrews in "Victor/Victoria", Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie") you never once give any thought to the fact that this is a woman playing a man. It's a seamless transition and a performance of immense heart and honesty. The image of a distraught Billy pounding at his typewriter, pleading "What then must we do?" while an aria swells around him and the eyes of Jakarta's poor stare at him from his own photographs, is an incredibly moving scene.

-The atmosphere created by the combination of Russell Boyd's cinematography and Maurice Jarre's score. Take a look at the scene with Weaver walking through the streets of Jakarta in a tropical downpour. The effect is breathtaking.

-The chemistry between Gibson and Weaver. You can feel the heat between them. Unlike other posters here, I believe their romance is one of the film's strong points.

I agree that the ending is a bit of a letdown, but it doesn't diminish Weir's accomplishments. "The Year of Living Dangerously" is a startling unique film, and certainly one his best.