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Dead Calm (1989)

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clip Two men, two boats, one woman education content clip 3

Original classification rating: M. This clip chosen to be M

Clip description

Australian naval officer John Ingram (Sam Neill) leaves his wife Rae (Nicole Kidman) in charge on their yacht Saracen, while he investigates the stricken schooner Orpheus. To his horror, the ship is full of body parts. As he rushes back, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane) escapes from a locked cabin and takes control of the Saracen.

Curator’s notes

by Paul Byrnes

The scene has great tension, built on great editing, and powered by Graeme Revell’s brilliant score – the pounding rhythm provides a kind of industrial menace. Note the graphic power of some shots – such as Billy Zane’s rise up into the binoculars’ field of view – and the superb timing of the shot just before Sam Neill jumps, where we see what he sees of his wife’s struggle.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

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  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

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ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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