In In The Winter Dark, Maurice and Ida Stubbs, Ray Barrett and Brenda Blethyn, have eked out a living on their dilapidated property for more than thirty years; but they`ve never recovered from the death, in tragic circumstances, of their baby son a long time ago. In other parts of the valley are a couple of lonely characters: Laurie, Richard Roxburgh, an outcast who spends his days wandering seemingly aimlessly and his nights listening to Jim Reeves records, and Ronnie, Miranda Otto, a pregnant, abandoned hippie. What draws this unlikely quartet together is the mystery of Something out there in the dark - something that attacks animals .
This handsome, impressive adaptation of Tim Winton`s book explores both the people and the landscape of a lonely, mysterious, threatening environment. Its characters are seriously disturbed, all of them haunted by inner demons, while nearby something unexplained and evil is lurking. A similar theme was explored in William Wellman`s powerful 1955 drama Track Of The Cat, but In The Winter Dark`s director James Bogle brings a fresh, modern approach to this psychological thriller. He also gets magnificent performances from his four players. Ray Barrett`s Maurice represents some of his best work on the screen; Miranda Otto and Richard Roxburgh convince in rather thinly-written roles; Brenda Blethyn, who has been prone to overplaying in the past, is controlled and touching as the grieving Ida. In The Winter Dark, stunningly shot by Martin McGrath, is an intense, intelligent movie.
