Wissenswertes

Peter Weir based the movie on two real-life incidents. The first involved two of Weir's friends, who suffered through a number of house-calls made by an incessantly talkative yet incompetent plumber. The second involved Weir himself riding in a cab in the late 1960s with a driver who appeared to be a hippie. When the pair began discussing the Vietnam war, the driver espoused numerous fascist and pro-war sentiments, concluding his diatribe by expressing a desire to see the entire nation of Vietnam destroyed with an atomic bomb.

The jungle drum record that plays throughout the film is perhaps more well known as the backing track to Joni Mitchell's song "The Jungle Line."

Apparently director Peter Weir once had a plumber over to his house to do some work and the plumber said: "I rented that film of yours the other night. So that's what you think of us eh?"

The disease, Kuru, that Brian Cowper is investigating is a real disease. It is a form of spongiform encephalopathy, like 'mad cow disease". It is only found in Papua New Guinea and is caused by the habit of eating the remains of deceased ancestors, particularly the brains. The disease is incurable and affects the nervous system, leading the sufferers to lose control of their voluntary muscles. It is believed to have died out, with the last known sufferer dying in 2005.

The song that Max sings in the bathroom, "I'm Me, Babe", bears a strong resemblance to "It Ain't Me, Babe" by Bob Dylan, both in tune and lyrics.

Scott Hicks: The film's second assistant director (and a director himself) as a man entering an elevator.