At the time of its release in **1975**, *Picnic at Hanging Rock* was a transformative event for the Australian film industry. It was both a massive commercial success and a critical triumph that helped launch the **Australian New Wave** (or the "Australian Film Renaissance") onto the world stage.
### **Initial Australian Reception (1975)**
The film premiered in Adelaide on **August 8, 1975**, and was met with immediate acclaim.
* **Critical Acclaim:** Leading Australian critics hailed it as a landmark. **Scott Murray**, writing for *Cinema Papers*, called it "one of the most intelligent and best ever films made in Australia." **P.P. McGuinness** in the *National Times* noted that the film proved Australian cinema could finally compete on equal international terms.
* **Box Office Success:** It was a rare "crossover" hit that appealed to both high-brow critics and the general public. By 1978, it had earned over **$3 million** in Australia (eventually grossing over **$5 million**), a record-breaking figure for a local production at the time.
* **Cultural Impact:** The film’s "based on a true story" marketing—inherited from Joan Lindsay’s novel—was so effective that many Australians in 1975 believed the disappearances were real. This led to a "cottage industry" of people searching old newspapers for records of the missing girls.
### **International and UK Reception (1976–1977)**
The film’s international profile grew after it was screened at the **Cannes Film Festival** in 1976.
* **European Praise:** European critics were struck by its sophistication. **Alexander Walker** of the *London Evening Standard* compared director Peter Weir to European masters like Michelangelo Antonioni, stating he hadn’t seen a new talent make such a mark since *L’Avventura*.
* **Awards:** In the UK, the film won the **BAFTA for Best Cinematography** in 1977 for Russell Boyd’s work. It was also nominated for Best Costume Design and Best Soundtrack.
* **Stylistic Recognition:** Critics frequently noted the film’s "Australian Impressionism," comparing its visuals to the paintings of **Frederick McCubbin** and **Tom Roberts**, which contrasted refined European sensibilities with the "unyielding" and "ancient" Australian landscape.
### **U.S. Release and Polarizing Reactions (1976–1979)**
The film had a slower rollout in the United States, premiering at festivals in 1976 but not receiving a wide release until **February 1979**.
* **Vincent Canby (The New York Times):** In 1979, Canby described it as "both spooky and sexy" and a "horror romance" that avoided conventional clichés. He praised its ability to create a "trance-like" state.
* **Roger Ebert:** Ebert later became one of the film’s most vocal supporters, highlighting its "buried sexual hysteria" and the "chasm between settlers and the ancient new home."
* **The "Impenetrable" Ending:** The film’s refusal to solve the mystery was its most controversial feature. Peter Weir famously recounted an industry screening where an American distributor **threw his coffee cup at the screen** in fury when the credits rolled, yelling about wasting two hours on a mystery with "no goddamn solution."
### **Specific Details Praised by Critics**
* **The Cinematography:** Russell Boyd famously used **bridal veils** draped over the camera lens to achieve the hazy, soft, "golden hour" light that gave the film its ethereal, dreamlike quality.
* **The Music:** The haunting pan flute theme by **Gheorghe Zamfir** was a major talking point. Critics noted how the "ancient" sound of the pipes complemented the geological age of the rock itself.
* **Themes of Repression:** Many 1970s reviewers focused on the **Victorian repression** vs. **nature** theme. The corset-lacing scenes and the girls removing their shoes and stockings were seen as powerful metaphors for burgeoning sexuality clashing with strict colonial discipline.
* **The Rock as a Character:** Critics noted that Weir treated the rock not just as a location, but as a sentient, watchful antagonist, using low-angle shots and insect sounds to make it feel alive.
### **The Minority Critique**
While the majority of reviews were glowing, some critics (such as **Richard Combs** in the *Monthly Film Bulletin*) found the film "clumsy" or "disjointed" in its second half. These critics felt that while the first act (the picnic) was a masterpiece of atmosphere, the subsequent sub-plots involving the search and the school's decline were less compelling and "over-stressed" the psychosexual themes.