The Nightingale stars Aisling Franciosi as Clare, an Irish convict in the 1800’s who works as a servant for a British Army unit, led under Lieutenant Hawkins, played by Sam Claflin. When Hawkins and soldiers in his unit commit a horrible tragedy against Clare’s family, she sets out for revenge against them. Needing to chase down the soldiers, she enlists the help of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, played by Baykali Ganambarr, and the two set out on a dangerous journey.
This movie stirred up a lot of controversy when it premiered in the festival circuit for its extremely graphic material. And I can safely say that this is a movie that won’t be for everyone, as there are not one, but multiple scenes that contain material that will make viewers extremely comfortable. Director Jennifer Kent has defended the film’s more controversial elements, stating it contains historically accurate depictions of violence committed during that time, and saying this film is a reminder to audiences about the need for kindness in dark times.
In that respect, I can see where she’s coming from. It is without a doubt not easy to sit through quite a few scenes in this movie, but Kent’s inclusion of some truly uncomfortable material is important in a way. This addresses themes such as abuse of power and the way in which those who are in a lower class status are treated as if they’re not even people, and those are topics that are still major issues to this day, making this film’s story elements and themes feel timely, and allows the film to resonate with audiences.
The film never does anything for the sake of shock value, and despite some characters being put through a lot, the film still ultimately respects them, and they feel extremely fleshed out, which is what still makes this an engaging watch. Nearly all the major players in this film have a strong backstory behind them, each of which is expanded upon for just the right amount of time. Normally, revenge movies such as this only flesh out its main character’s backstory, and everyone else feels put in place to just service them.
But Billy has just as much at stake as Clare does, as the history of his family is uncovered over the course of the film, and in ways that still advance the plot. Even the villains are written really well. Hawkins is an extremely evil man, but he’s never written as a cartoon character. He has his own desires that are explored at the beginning of the film, and while that no means justifies his actions, it does allow the audience to easily hate this guy - not because he’s poorly written, but because he feels so real, audiences can see a person like him existing in today’s world and just hate the mere thought of him.
The strong performances are also a driving force behind this movie. Sam Claflin is absolutely sinister as Hawkins, really leaning into just how much hate a person can have in their heart, and seeing it personified to the fullest extent. Newcomer Baykali Ganambarr also crushes it as Billy, playing the role with such nuance, as he always comes off as the voice of reason in nearly every scene, though trying as hard as he can to keep his composure, as he clearly feels scared as he gets further invested in the journey. He’s someone who trues pushing through even though he knows it can mean certain death for him, and those are always the type of characters that are the most interesting, as audiences can really root for them.
Though the major driving force behind this is Aisling Franciosi, who gives one of the year’s finest overall performances. She’s put in many uncomfortable situations, but she never lets those situations discourage her. She’s someone with a lot going on in her head, as she’s set for revenge on these people who wronged her, though struggling with the fact she’s not an inherently violent person herself, and there are multiple instances where she’s still very much intending to follow through with what she plans on doing, but still having a difficult time coping with what that entails, and that’s sometimes through simple facial expressions, and that just makes this performance brilliant to watch.
Besides the graphic violence, the only other major issue that some may have with this movie - and the only one I really had - is its length. For the most part, this is actually paced really well, and through the first hour-and-a-half or so, it moves really quickly. The only issue is there are a series of dream sequences that occur in the middle portion of the film that seem like they were meant to enhance the trauma the characters were enduring, but unfortunately go on for a bit too long and didn’t ultimately feel necessary, especially as the characters were fleshed out enough as it is.
Plus, there are are certain instances where characters get separated that also didn't feel necessary. This is a plot element that reoccurs throughout the movie, and sometimes it feels like it was done just to drag things out, rather than really add anything compelling to the story. Overall, the film manages to keep audiences invested straight to the end, but it could have used at least 10-15 minutes or so being cut.
The Nightingale is not going to be for everyone, as its graphic material will understandably be a turnoff for many viewers. However, it is a film with something important to say, as it contains themes that are still extremely relevant to this day. And it always does what it does and manages to still respect its characters, with nearly everyone being fleshed out and feeling like real people. It’s a long and sometimes uncomfortable journey, but its strong performances and its engaging story make this film well worth the watch for those with the stomach for it.
Recommendation: Watch It
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