Wake in Fright Alternative Poster Art

An excerpt from a bi-fold press sheet for Wake in Fright (AKA Outback). It features an image of a film poster with alternative art to that used finally to advertise the film.

This dramatic poster is roughly sketched in black-and-white with two of the film's main characters, 'Doc’ Tydon and John Grant, forming a kind of tunnel through which another image of Grant walks with a rifle and suitcase.

The image of Grant walking is framed by the sun but could also suggest we're looking down the barrel of a gun or though a dust storm. It also hints at the implied sexual encounter between the men in the film and the fighting and brawling that occurs between the townsfolk on a regular basis.

The artist has cleverly drawn the faces as if they are part of the landscape itself – storm clouds or rocky outcrops. This effectively reflects the feeling throughout the film that the arid Australian outback transforms and consumes those who live in it.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen and Adam Blackshaw