Australian director Peter Weir has proven himself to be a brilliant filmmaker. Covering a variety of genres including some great horrors, complex psychological dramas, interesting and informative documentaries, and television work to great success, he is considered to be one of the greatest directors to come out of Australia.

With his work spanning over 40 years, he has provided viewers with a number of visually striking and ambitious story lines, some of which have earned him an abundance of award nominations and wins, including the Academy Honorary Award in 2022 for his lifetime achievement career. In honor of his successes, let’s take a look at some of his best.

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8 Witness

     Paramount Pictures

Witness is a dramatic crime thriller starring Harrison Ford, playing the role of detective John Book. The story follows a young Amish Boy, Samuel (Lukas Haas) who becomes witness to a brutal murder carried out in a bus station toilet. He and his mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis) seek protection from Book whilst he begins his investigation into the murder. However, when his evidence leads him to discover police corruption in his own department, his life becomes in danger.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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Leaving him no alternative, he flees with Rachel and Samuel to seek refuge in their Amish community. Despite not being greeted with open arms, Book does begin to adapt to their way of life. Amongst the tragedy, eventually the relationship with Brook and Rachel deepens, leading to them falling in love.

7 Gallipoli

Gallipoli is a 1981 Australian war drama film starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee. This anti-war film follows Archy (Mark Lee) and Frank (Mel Gibson), two young Australian sprinters who are desperate to join the army; they’re too young, however, and are turned away. Deciding to escape on a freight train, they land in Perth where they are able to join up.

After training in Cairo, the two boys are finally sent to the front line in Gallipoli and because of their speed, become messengers. Although, they soon discover the brutal, grim realities of war, witnessing some of the most deadly and horrifying battles.

6 The Way Back

     Newmarket Films

The Way Back is a 2010 American survival film set in 1939, where a group of imprisoned men attempt to flee communist Russia and escape a Siberian gulag. Starring Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, and Ed Harris, the story follows the group escaping under cover of a snowstorm, facing freezing temperatures at night, lack of food and water, mosquitoes, the Himalayas, and the endless desert. They face many moral and ethical dilemmas but have to draw on each other’s skills and strengths throughout the journey in order to reach freedom.

5 Fearless

     Warner Bros

Fearless is an emotional and gripping film that looks at the nature of fear as well as overcoming it. Jeff Bridges plays Max Klein, one of a few survivors of a horrifying plan crash. Immediately following the crash, Max is hailed a hero for his actions, but is unable to go on with normal life and finds himself dealing with profound grief which leads to some radical behavior.

He believes he is now immune to harm and embarks on a trip where he goes in search of an old girlfriend, eats food he was once allergic to, and is not afraid of flying despite his traumatic experience. A psychologist (John Turturro) and fellow guilt-ridden survivor (Rosie Perez) may be the only ones who can help Max deal with his mental, emotional, and physical trauma, bringing him back down to earth.

4 Picnic at Hanging Rock

     B.E.F. Film Distributors

1975’s Picnic at Hanging Rock is based on a supposedly true story of a group of school girls and their teacher, who vanish without a trace whilst on an excursion to Hanging Rock in Victoria. This eerily and haunting story follows those that disappeared and makes you wonder why the girls seemed to pack their picnic with such finality, as if they knew they were never to return.

However, with one girl surviving and found several days later with no memory of the incident, the story does ask more questions than it answers. Leaving us on edge, this movie is not only interesting and puzzling, but incredibly captivating as a dreamy, haunting masterpiece.

3 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

     20th Century Fox

Adapted from three novels, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is an American epic period war-drama film staring Russell Crowe as Aubrey, a Captain in the Royal Navy and Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin, the ship’s surgeon. The story is set in April 1805 during the Napoleonic War and follows HMS Surprise, a British frigate captained by Captain Jack Aubrey as it is ordered to track and destroy a French ship named Acheron.

However, Jack soon learns that it will not be an easy battle as the Acheron is a bigger and faster ship, leaving Surprise at a disadvantage. But Jack will not be deterred, and he pushes his ship and the crew to their limits in the impossible pursuit, which causes tension between him and his trusted advisor Stephen Maturin, the ship’s doctor. After suffering a string of bad luck, Aubrey and Maturin work together to figure out a way to achieve the impossible goal.

2 The Truman Show

The Truman Show is an incredibly well-known and acclaimed American dramedy starring Jim Carrey, who plays Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman who is completely unaware that his entire existence is actually a reality TV show. We follow Truman, who lives in a perfect neighborhood, with perfect residents, with perfect manicured lawns and his seemingly all round perfect life, which is broadcast as a 24/7 reality TV show exposing his most private aspects of his daily life to complete strangers.

However, one day Truman becomes suspicious after accidently coming across a catering area backstage, and slowly it dawns on him that his life is not his own, and he heads on a path of self discovery. The film was a prescient look at American reality television before its widespread appeal, and analyzes culture’s obsession with fiction and fame.

1 Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society is a gripping and moving American drama starring the hilarious Robin Williams as John Keating, a teacher of a boys private high school Welton Academy. Although he possesses an unorthodox teaching style, Keating is passionate about reaching out and inspiring his students through poetry, encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest.

With Keating’s help, a group of students resurrects the Dead Poets Society — a secret club where the students can let their passions run wild as they discover their love of poetry. Away from the restrictions of the school and the enormous expectations of their parents, the students discover the importance of making each moment count. However, pressure from authorities seem determined to destroy the dreams of the boys, and they realize that in order for them to survive, it may bring tragic consequences.

Dead Poets Society was nominated for four Oscars, including a Best Actor nomination for Williams’ outstanding performance, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay for Tom Shulman.