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Van Diemen's Land

  • 2009
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
3.5K
YOUR RATING
Oscar Redding and Mark Leonard Winter in Van Diemen's Land (2009)
Folk HorrorAdventureBiographyDramaHistoryHorrorThrillerWestern

Alexander Pearce, Australia's notorious convict, escaped Macquarie Harbour in 1822, finding the harsh Australian wilderness and abandoning hope in the harsh Australian wilderness.Alexander Pearce, Australia's notorious convict, escaped Macquarie Harbour in 1822, finding the harsh Australian wilderness and abandoning hope in the harsh Australian wilderness.Alexander Pearce, Australia's notorious convict, escaped Macquarie Harbour in 1822, finding the harsh Australian wilderness and abandoning hope in the harsh Australian wilderness.

  • Director
    • Jonathan auf der Heide
  • Writers
    • Jonathan auf der Heide
    • Oscar Redding
  • Stars
    • Oscar Redding
    • Arthur Angel
    • Paul Ashcroft
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    3.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jonathan auf der Heide
    • Writers
      • Jonathan auf der Heide
      • Oscar Redding
    • Stars
      • Oscar Redding
      • Arthur Angel
      • Paul Ashcroft
    • 27User reviews
    • 52Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination total

    Photos73

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    Top cast14

    Edit
    Oscar Redding
    Oscar Redding
    • Alexander Pearce
    Arthur Angel
    Arthur Angel
    • Robert Greenhill
    Paul Ashcroft
    • Matthew Travers
    Thomas M. Wright
    Thomas M. Wright
    • Thomas Bodenham
    • (as Thomas Wright)
    Mark Leonard Winter
    Mark Leonard Winter
    • Alexander Dalton
    Greg Stone
    Greg Stone
    • William Kennerly
    John Francis Howard
    • Little Brown
    Torquil Neilson
    • John Mathers
    Matt Wilson
    • Duty Soldier
    Adrian Mulraney
    Adrian Mulraney
    • Logan
    Ben Plazzer
    • Soldier in boat
    Jonathan auf der Heide
    Jonathan auf der Heide
    • Soldier in boat
    Jason Glover
    Jason Glover
    • Lieutenant Cuthbertson
    Zane Pinner
    • Convict
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Jonathan auf der Heide
    • Writers
      • Jonathan auf der Heide
      • Oscar Redding
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    5.93.5K
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    Featured reviews

    10baka_land

    i don't know why people need everything shiny and optimistic?

    It's based on a true story. The music, cinematography and the acting was superb. I love this movie, the bleakness, the nature..it's really interesting to see something darker about human nature.if you want something fun then this movie isn't for you. The music when the credits roll...outstanding! I never written a review before nor will it probably help you in anyway but it justifies that how much i love this movie.

    sorry for my bad English
    9angryangus

    Assault on the senses...but worthwhile.

    Grim. Relentless. Unsettling. Frightening even. This film leaves nobody sitting comfortably whilst they watch it.

    This is 'us' when the thin veneer of being 'civilized' is stripped away. When all that Life has left you is no future, a few rags and a brutalized nature then the consequences can reach unfathomable depths.

    I've read some of the negative reviews for this film and can understand it when viewers who watch 'sanitized' Technicolor visions of what are classed as the 'norm'…that is their benchmark and they don't like concepts that stray beyond that. But when one has watched unglamourous brutality and emotions in such good, raw films like Saving Private Ryan, Last of the Mohicans, Apocolypta, Fateless and the superb Kokoda, then one can appreciate what this true-life film was trying to achieve.

    There are no heroes in this film…and no villains, just survivalists. From the uniformed officers and men posted to what seemed a god-forsaken land, to the convicts they had control of, they all had one thing in common…the desire not to be there!

    I'll not watch this film again for a couple of months as I'd like my senses to be on an even keel next time, but already I'm looking forward to it.
    4PeterM27

    A dour hour or so

    The film is probably realistic, but would have been better as a shorter documentary.

    The Tasmanian bush in winter looks dark and foreboding, and the convicts are a pretty uninspiring lot, divided between the Irish and English. The pace is slow, the killings brutal and none of the convicts are very likeable.

    While it successfully recreates the awful experience these men went through, it is too dour to be good cinema.
    8r-54008

    Get to know the history

    It definitely worth watching! It is a film that reveals the evil side of the humanity, but because it is not an action film or a romantic film, so i give it 8/10. Also, the reflection on humanity disgusted me and which define the film as a thriller. It is a good opportunity to know the history by watching this film, and to think about what action we would take if we were in that position, deeply review ourselves.
    7Fruit-Flix

    Van Diemen's Land - "Hungry for more"

    This feels like a 'Tourism Tasmania' commercial with a touch of cannibalism, truly a great combination.

    The movie is based on the true account of Alexander Pearce, Australia's most notorious convict, and the events that took place in 1822, as Pearce and a group of convicts escape into the Tasmanian wilderness. The group is then left at the mercy of nature, themselves, and notably the human desire to eat.

    This is truly a beautiful movie, the cinematography of sweeping landscapes and rugged bushland is worth watching the rental/ticket price alone. It strikes me as the type of DVD they play in appliance stores to show off the new HD-TVs (although they would have to skip the numerous bludgeoning scenes).

    The story itself is a simple and tight narrative of the human condition pushed to its limits. While there is some grizzly violence and confronting concepts, the movie never descends into gratuitous visuals based purely on shock value.

    While the story is compelling and rolls along nicely, I found myself just wanting a little more depth to all of the supporting characters. This is also one of the main strengths of this film, it makes you want more; I was always wondering what was going to happen next, what's that guy going to do, where are they going, what's around that corner, what does that taste like etc… Ultimately this factor leaves the viewer a tad unsatisfied yet appreciative of the movie as a whole.

    On the Fruit-Meter, Van Demons Lands gets the "KIWI-FRUIT" - A bit grizzled and rough on the outside, but once you peel off the skin it's fresh and tasty, but it was a small fruit and I want some more.

    MART-FLIX PUN-FUN – It's compelling to watch convicts battle their inner "demons"…..that sucked

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      One of three Australian feature films made during the late 2000s about Irish convict Alexander Pearce. The three movies are: 'Dying Breed' (2008), 'Van Diemen's Land' (2009) and 'The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce' (2008) (TV).
    • Quotes

      Alexander Pearce: A man with no blood on his hands is no man.

    • Connections
      Featured in A Journey Up River: Making 'Van Diemen's Land' (2009)

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    FAQ18

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 24, 2009 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Languages
      • English
      • Irish Gaelic
    • Also known as
      • Savage Island
    • Filming locations
      • Great Otway National Park, Victoria, Australia
    • Production companies
      • Noise & Light
      • Savage Films
      • Inspiration Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $34,648
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 44m(104 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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