After scaring the beejezus out of everybody who saw her debut feature, The Babadook, director Jennifer Kent returns this week with a sophomore film that also terrifies – but in a wholly different way.
Image supplied by Vertigo Releasing
Set in 19th century Tasmania, The Nightingale is a gothic story of revenge – a woman in perilous pursuit of a brutal British officer who has all but destroyed her – against a backdrop of genocide, racism and a relentlessly grim way of life. It’s a compelling watch and one that doesn’t hold back in its portrayal of brutality towards both women and the Aboriginals.
It made for a challenging shoot for the film’s two leads, Sam Claflin who plays the British officer, Hawkins, and Aisling Franciosi in the role of Clare, the woman at the centre of the story. Claflin describes to THN’s Freda Cooper his approach to playing a character with seemingly no redeeming attributes, one which involved creating a backstory to help with his understanding, while Franciosi talks about her extensive preparation and research for her role, which included working with a clinical psychologist and meeting real victims of sexual violence and their social workers.
Both recall the demands of shooting in what felt like being on the edge of the world, which results in a tough but rewarding watch.
Watch the interview in full below.
The Nightingale is released in cinemas on Friday, 29 November.
