The Last Wave

Peter Weir | Australia 1977 | 106 min

The Last Wave tells the story of young tax lawyer David Burton takes on the defense of five city Aboriginal people who seem to have killed one of their own under tribal law - but as the government doesn’t acknowledge that there are tribes in the city, defending the men appears to be impossible.

David efforts are frustrated by the defendants, who refuse to cooperate with his defense efforts. But he experiences recurring dream images of defendant Chris Lee, and a mysterious older native named Charlie turns out to be a shaman who identifies David as being from an ancient Tribe from the West.

David begins an odyssey involving strange natural occurrences - all centering on water - in downtown Sydney. His obsessive research eventually leads him to surmise that some kind of cyclical cleansing of the earth is in the offing, an apocalypse predicted - or created - by the magic of the Aborigines, a massive, apocalyptic tidal wave.

Chris: We're nothing but the law learned from our forefathers.
David: But surely men are more important than laws?
Chris: No. The law is more important than just man.—dialogue in The Last Wave

Cast	Richard Chamberlain - David Burton Olivia Hamnett - Annie Burton David Gulpilil - Chris Lee Frederick Parslow - Rev. Burton Nadjiwarra Amagula - Charlie Walter Amagula - Gerry Lee Roy Bara - Larry Peter Carroll - Michael Zeadler Athol Compton - Billy Corman Hedley Cullen - Judge Michael Duffield - Andrew Potter Wallas Eaton - Morgue Doctor Jo England - Babysitter Vivean Gray - Dr. Whitburn Cedric Lalara - Lindsey Morris Lalara - Jacko Tony Llewellyn-Jones Malcolm Robertson Greg Rowe - Carl John Meagher - Morgue Clerk John Frawley - Policeman Jennifer De Greenlaw - Zeadler's Secretary Richard Henderson - Prosecutor Penny Leach - Schoolteacher Merv Lillie - Publican Guido Rametta - Guido Malcolm Robertson - Don Fishburn Katrina Sedgwick - Sophie Burton Ingrid Weir - Grace Burton
Release dates	15 December 1977 - Australia
Video/DVD Release Date	27 November 2001
Awards	1978 AFI Award: Best Achievement in Cinematography (Russell Boyd) and Best Achievement in Sound (Don Connolly, Greg Bell, Phil Judd) 1978 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival: Special Jury Award 1982 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival: Clavell de Plata - Best Actor (Richard Chamberlain)
Rating	PG - Parental guidance
Language level
Distributor
Soundtrack	Charles Wain
Genre	Suspense
Notes	In the USA The Last Wave is known as Black Rain.
Find this movie	Indigenous film suppliers and distributors Find The Last Wave with Google

Thanks to Jacinto Aganza for pointing me to this movie.