One Night the Moon

The movie was boring and the musical aspect felt out of place. I had to watch this for my HSC and the only thing that kept me watching was the sexual tension between Albert and Rose.

WOW!! What a powerful film! With extraordinary use of music and song, and not being a fan of musicals in general, this film is a true example of modern art. I could not help but be completely and utterly moved. Reduced to tears I felt their pain and heartache. Camera shots comprising of Extreme Close ups amongst long shots of vast Australian Outback forced the viewer to connect with the actors and their anguish amongst an almost uninhabited world. The fathers scene of self destruction was different and very well used to represent his loss. I was surprised how well this little trick worked! This Director got it right. No, she got it better than right - it was amazing!

Thank you Rachel Perkins!! You are truly an inspiration to other filmmakers (like me) and I look forward to seeing more of your work! In fact, I cant wait!!!!

"Once I knew what I was living for But I don't know anything any more"

Here is a haunting requiem full of anguish about a man who through his own stubborn nature brought about the destruction of his family. The harsh landscape of the Australian outback emphasises the forbidding situation as the searchers trek aimlessly across a dry and stony land.

It comes as a surprise to hear the father break into song but one becomes accustomed to this format as each of the characters in turn play their singing role. It is a clever and different approach to dialogue and seems to fit the sad mood.

The musical background is interesting, though somewhat mixed. At one stage I am sure I heard Afghani music during the hopeless search. I would like to think that it was the ghosts of the Afghan camel drivers who once trekked across this arid land. The film has an unmistakeable mystical quality.

The film is based on an actual event of 1932. It is an incident that could happen to any family living in such a deserted place. The film asks a question about what makes a person wander off from familiar surroundings. Could it be the moon? It is well known that over the centuries the moon has been thought to have magical powers!

This film with its mystical quality recalls an earlier Australian film "Picnic at Hanging Rock" Both are imbued with an eerie stillness as the search goes on without success.

The vastness of this ancient land is well portrayed as cruel yet beautiful and there is an enduring feeling of loneliness.

The mother's sorrow and flashbacks of little Emily Ryan is touching.

Of the many songs in the film the title song "One Night the Moon" will probably be the favourite nicely rendered by the whole family on the night of Emily's disappearance. The full moon plays a large part in the unfolding of the simple yet moving story. What a large and beautiful moon it is!

This is a mood poem of great quality put together in an expert and convincing manner. It is a thought-provoking piece which has a lesson for all of us.

This is a poetic song of a film, as mythic as Picnic at Hanging Rock or Walkabout, about the disappearance of a child bewitched by the moon, and the anguished searching of his parents.

It's also about racism and the different attitudes to belonging in the beautiful but harsh outback. With haunting music and songs by Australian musical legends Paul Kelly (who also plays the father, singing as he searches) and Kev Carmody as well as Mairead Hannan, this is an unusual and satisfying experience.

At under 60 minutes, it does really not qualify as a feature film, but it did play at cinemas in Australia.

Wonderfully put together. I didn't realize what it was going to be like when I walked into the screening last month at the Sundance Film Festival... but I wasn't disappointed. A diverse creative team created this one hour musical drama... but its such a melancholy story... its really unexpected to see the characters break out in song... Some of the songs are very moving. "One Night the Moon" is my favorite... the family singing together while putting the little girl to bed is a great scene. Am going to look for a soundtrack!