Viewers who enjoy cinematic violence will find a feast of rape and murder served up for their entertainment in Jennifer Kent's 'The Nightingale'. After an opening which establishes the depravity of the principal villain and his two cowardly henchmen, Aisling Franciosi's wronged heroine Clare embarks on a dogged quest for revenge through the damp forest wilderness of 1800s Tasmania.
Life was doubtless brutal on this colonial frontier, but the unrelenting coarseness of every character stretches credulity and results in bad drama. Despite numerous bloodthirsty episodes scattered throughout the proceedings, the plot tramps onward with the vitality of a death march. The actors are constantly fighting a losing battle against the one-note script and direction - and even Clare loses sympathy due to vile racist behavior towards her aboriginal guide Billy. As the nastiness drags on, the story becomes a miserable farce long before its predictable conclusion.
Life was doubtless brutal on this colonial frontier, but the unrelenting coarseness of every character stretches credulity and results in bad drama. Despite numerous bloodthirsty episodes scattered throughout the proceedings, the plot tramps onward with the vitality of a death march. The actors are constantly fighting a losing battle against the one-note script and direction - and even Clare loses sympathy due to vile racist behavior towards her aboriginal guide Billy. As the nastiness drags on, the story becomes a miserable farce long before its predictable conclusion.