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Oscar Redding, Arthur Angel, Paul Ashcroft, Mark Leonard Winter, Torquil Neilson ... see more see more... , Greg Stone , John Francis Howard , Tom Wright

The true story of Alexander Pearce (Oscar Redding), the notorious Australian convict who, along with seven other prisoners, made a daring escape from the Macquarie Harbour penal colony in 1822, and em... read more read more...barked on a treacherous journey across Tasmania in a desperate bid for freedom. The further the group ventures into unknown territory with veteran navigator Robert Greenhill as their guide, the faster their resources dwindle until they begin turning on one another in order to survive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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46% liked it

797 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

10 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Jonathan Auf Der Heide

Release Date: September 24, 2009

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Stats: 127 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (127)

  • hypathio7
    March 26, 2010
    hypathio7
    I saw this at the Cleveland International Film Fest. This movie was fairly sickening to the stomach with its use of cannibalism. One time you see one of the escaped convicts try to hunt for some animal in the brush. During one other meal you see some leaves being boiled. Othe... read morerwise, after their bread rations are gone it is suggested that the only way they can survive is to resort to killing off each member of the group every couple days. COME ON!! So, they don't have guns to shoot down birds, but they wade across several rivers and streams and never try to eat a fish. It is unbelievable that there appears to be no animal life in all these forests. They could make more of an effort to hunt even small critters or figure out which plants are not poisonous.

    The poster I had seen, not the one attached here on Flixster, and the picture in the catalog for the Cleveland Film Fest led me to think the lead character was a different actor. It took a while to sort out and recognize all eight escaped men. So, I was surprised when I figured out who Alexander Pearce was. The narrator's first statement is, "I'm a quiet man." Out of the group he didn't stand out much. Because he is portrayed as being quiet and reluctant to give into the animal urges to kill to survive he is the one the audience wants to see make it to the end. I wonder how historically accurate Pearce's character is here, or if the filmmakers are trying to offer a different view on purpose. The Australian wilderness is harsh but still beautiful at times despite seeming endless. The eight men are of English and Irish descent and so are at each others throats, which adds an interesting dynamic. Even though the movie takes you on a hopeless descent it is hard to look away.
  • Ivan6655321
    February 6, 2010
    Ivan6655321
    The film's main theme that is explored throughout was cannibalism, and yet it does not contain exploitative blood and brutal mutilations, whether it was budget restraint or style, it is much more effective and proved once again that "less is more". The Tasmainian wilderness color... read mores was played between the hues of black, gray and brown, allegorically representing a never-ending limbo, a place where the convicts found their inner hell. "Van Diemen's Land" was built mainly in silence, the rest of the scenes was either sounded by the rush of the waters or the cries of anguish. Near the end, there were almost no dialogue uttered, and there were instead long shots of scenes of nothingness and despair, and a climax that leads to a hollow nowhere in the corners of humanity, as Alexander Pearce's sanity, after the contemplative chaos that they've waged against each other, snapped under terrible, and distorted reality. The director, Jonathan Auf Der Heide, played ironic wonders between the tranquility of the wild, and the inner screams of survival, which led to an exposition of the darkness of the human soul.
  • robfearon
    October 8, 2009
    robfearon
    Beautifully shot, but rather underwhelming. I'm surprised that the sense of paranoia wasn't played up more in the film.
  • mistachy
    November 29, 2010
    mistachy
    The full frontal male nudity was next to intolerable for me. In addition to that, this movie was very slow moving with some scenes seeming to drag on for forever and a day. The gore, if you can call it that was too far and in between. Even though it was somewhat convincing, mos... read moret of it was off camera and implied instead in your face.
  • greyhound109
    March 21, 2010
    greyhound109
    Think of a 'Defiance' negative. Think this sounds like a man vs nature thing? So did I. It turns out to be more like a man vs man-with-axe type thing. The beginning where they escape the Australian prison is good. Three characters are pretty well written: Kennerly, Dalton, &... read more Bodenham. Guess what...the first three to go. The rest of the film moves slowly with a lot of this one guy who spends most of his time running around chopping people up with a axe. Other than that, it's slow moving and often spends a lot of time on one camera shot. O yeah, and they eat each other. It could've spent a lot more time focusing on the personalities, the paranoia of a character thinking they are the next dinner, and other elements of being forced to survive the wilderness with vicious former inmates. The biggest disappointment is that this film COULD have been very good, but it wasn't ! 3.4/10

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Critic Reviews

Simon Foster
August 9, 2010
Simon Foster, sbs.com.au

The Tasmanian landscape (and its stand-in Victorian equivalent) is a sight to behold in the 2:35 ratio. As the backdrop for acts of pure barbarism, it is a grey, horribly-beautiful vision of Hell. Full Review

Matthew Pejkovic
August 4, 2010
Matthew Pejkovic, Matt's Movie Reviews

Survival of the fittest in action. Welcome to the dark side of human nature. Full Review

David Cairns
May 6, 2010
David Cairns, Electric Sheep

In its evocation of a bleak, hostile environment in which even the meanest cannot eke out an existence, it packs a bloody punch. Full Review

Jake Wilson
September 24, 2009
Jake Wilson, The Age (Australia)

A bold attempt at a full-throttle Australian art movie, Van Diemen's Land disappoints mainly when it falls back on convention... the film is at its strongest when it shifts into an elemental realm and... Full Review

Jason Di Rosso
September 24, 2009
Jason Di Rosso, MovieTime, ABC Radio National

There's no doubting the premise held great high-concept horror possibilities, but the end result is surprisingly bloodless despite some close-range gore. Full Review

Giles Hardie
September 23, 2009
Giles Hardie, Unknown2

A great film to see with your mates to inspire talk of who would eat who, how you'd eat human and the fine line between serial killer and survival. Full Review

Colin Newton
September 22, 2009
Colin Newton, Courier Mail (Australia)

The film is at times tasteless and unpalatable but the screenplay, based on four confessions Pearce gave after his capture, has a certain level of interest to it. Full Review

Ben McEachen
September 21, 2009
Ben McEachen, Empire Magazine Australasia

Two chewed thumbs up. Full Review

David Stratton
September 21, 2009
David Stratton, The Australian

Van Diemen's Land poses a formidable challenge for audiences, but it's a challenge well worth meeting and a film you're unlikely ever to forget. Full Review

Andrew L. Urban
September 19, 2009
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile

The film is a consummate piece of movie making, with Ellery Ryan's cinematography a powerful contributor to the film's tone and effect Full Review

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