Wake in Fright is a 1971 Australian film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence and Chips Rafferty. The screenplay was written by Evan Jones, based on Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel of the same name. Made on a budget of A$800,000, the movie was an Australian/American co-production by NLT Productions and Group W. Wake in Fright tells the story of a young school teacher who descends into personal moral degradation after finding himself stranded in a brutal, menacing town in outback Australia. For many years, Wake In Fright enjoyed a reputation as Australia’s... great "lost film" because of its unavailability on VHS or DVD, as well as its absence from television broadcasts. In mid-2009, however, a thoroughly restored digital re-release was shown in Australian theatres to considerable acclaim. Later that same year it was issued commercially on DVD and Blu-ray. John Grant is a middle-class teacher from the big city. He feels disgruntled because of the onerous terms of a financial bond which he signed with the government in return for receiving a tertiary education.
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| Release date: | May 1971 |
| Directed by: | Ted Kotcheff |
| Runtime: | 109 Minutes |
| Producer: | George Willoughby |
| Editor: | Anthony Buckley |
| Music by: | John Scott |
| Cinematography: | Brian West |
| Screenplay by: | Evan Jones |
| Adapted from: | Wake in Fright |
| Genre: | Thriller |