The Nightingale is yet another film by Jennifer Kent. The Babadook, her debut film, is counted as one of the best horror films. Her compassion and imagination were the driving force behind that movie, and it can be safely said that the public was quite impressed by her debut. When the topic is switched to The Nightingale, the movie is different from her debut film.
It consists of murder, rape, violence, and colonialism. The film appears to be quite long, and it is also full of cruelty. The movie also caused some controversies in mani festivals owing to the rape scenes.
Is the Nightingale Worth Watching?
The main issue with the movie is neither the portrayal nor the violence. It can be said that the film is difficult to watch. A sameness is observed in the movie, and sometimes it also feels right because the main character is suffering from PTSD. She is very much disturbed, but when the same things which are going on in her head are depicted on screen, the effects on the audience are deadening. The movie has some wonderful performances by Baykali Ganambarr and Aisling Franciosi.
Aisling Franciosi plays the role of Claire. She is an Irish convict in Australia. When the British troops get ready to subdue the rebellion. Claire is sent to prison by Lieutenant Hawkins (played by Sam Claflin). He is not ready to free her despite the punishment being three years overdue. Hawkins demands her to sing in front of the soldiers, and then she becomes popular by the name of the Nightingale and thus the title of the story.
Within the first few minutes of the movie, Hawkins is seen raping Claire, and Kent has been sensitive enough to portray the brutalization faced by Claire clearly. After this horrible incident, Claire wants revenge, and for the same, she hires Billy (played by Ganabarr). Billy is a person who hates white people and is also in need of money. Both Billy and Claire have one thing in common, and that is they both hate white people.
Then, it comes to our knowledge that Billy is also known by the name of the blackbird. The movie isn’t exactly a revenge film and becomes very interesting by the end. In our view, you should definitely WATCH it.
Where can You Watch The Nightingale?
The Nightingale can be viewed on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Store, and the BFI Player app. The movie was released in the US by IFC Films on August 2, 2019, and later on in Australia by Transmission Films on August 29, 2019.
Is there a Sequel to The Nightingale?
No, there is no sequel to the movie. The exact reason behind this is unknown, but if we have to guess then, it could be because of the controversy. When the movie was screened at the Sydney Film Festival, 30 people walked out of the hall because of the murder and rape scenes.
Kent defended the idea of showing such violence onscreen by saying that those depictions are historically correct and that Australian people faced the same.
