Yeah, so I bought The Nightingale (2019) recently, second hand. I paid £6 for it which was probably too much. But it was the only way I could get a copy. I suspected that this was a great film and was willing to pay over the odds for it.
I saw the film, and I wasn't disappointed. Spoilers from this point on - anyone of a sensitive disposition shouldn't really watch this film. To anyone else, please watch this film now if you don't want it spoiled for you.
The film was very powerful, but very brutal to watch. Some scenes were excruciating to sit through. But, that's exactly what writer/director Jennifer Kent intended, I think.
The film is about a young Irish convict in Tasmania - Clare - who has everything taken away from her by a trio of British soldiers. She teams up with an Aboriginal tracker, Billy, to find the soldiers and get revenge. That's the story, in a nutshell.
There are multiple rape scenes and several scenes of people (including a baby) being killed. However, the scenes aren't shot gratuitously. They're important to the plot.
The scene that really got under my skin didn't even show violence, but the violence was implied. It forced my mind to go to a very dark place. I'm speaking of the moment where a white settler, having just shot his Aboriginal slave, pulls out a knife and says he wants a trophy. You don't actually see the beheading but it nearly freaked me out.
This movie is fantastic. The violence and language are off the charts and it was difficult to sit through but it was also very well made, with great acting - particularly from Aisling Franciosi, the actor who plays Clare. Her performance was Oscar-worthy.
Remember this name: Jennifer Kent. She will go down in history as one of the greatest film makers of all time.