Appearance
The Year of Living Dangerously
Directed by Peter Weir and adapted from C.J. Koch's 1978 novel, The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) is a political thriller and romance set against the turbulent backdrop of Indonesia in 1965, the year of Sukarno's coup. Mel Gibson stars as Guy Hamilton, a rookie Australian radio correspondent arriving in Jakarta, who is taken under the wing of the brilliant and morally complex Chinese-Australian photographer Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt). As political violence escalates, Guy falls for Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver), a British embassy aide, and must choose between professional ambition and the safety of those he loves.
Linda Hunt's extraordinary, Oscar-winning performance as Billy Kwan — a man, played entirely convincingly by a woman — became one of cinema's most celebrated pieces of gender-crossing casting. The title derives from Sukarno's own phrase for 1965: "living dangerously."
Location(s)
Though set in Indonesia, the film's location shooting was disrupted by death threats from Muslim extremist groups while filming in Manila, and the production relocated to Australia for the bulk of its shoot.
Manila, Philippines
Initial location filming took place in Manila, Philippines, which stood in for Jakarta in certain exterior sequences. Shooting was cut short when the production received credible death threats from extremist groups and was forced to relocate. Map Location
Sydney, Australia
The majority of the film was completed at studios and locations in Sydney, Australia, using Artransa Park Film Studios in Epping and Mort Bay Studios in Balmain, along with Sydney-area locations dressed to resemble 1965 Jakarta. Despite not being filmed on location in Indonesia, the film's evocation of place and period was widely praised. Map Location
Director
Peter Weir
Cast
Mel Gibson
Sigourney Weaver
Linda Hunt
Michael Murphy
IMDB
Contact Us
For any errors contact us at filmsetseeker@proton.me