Wild Man

Bruno Lawrence isn’t the only good thing in Wild Man – the choice of locale is excellent and the basic idea behind the plot is a boomer

Wild Man, New Zealand, 1977

Director: Geoff Murphy
Production co: Acme Sausage Company
Producers: Bruno Lawrence, Roy Murphy
Executive producer: John Barnett
Photography: Alun Bollinger
Written by: Bruno Lawrence, Geoff Murphy, Martyn Sanderson, Ian Watkin

With: Bruno Lawrence (Wild Man), Martyn Sanderson (Snake), Bill Stalker (Willie Masters), Tony Barry (Dombey Morgan), Ian Watkin (The Colonel), Patrick Bleakley (Village Idiot), Val Murphy (Bar Room Singer)

35mm, 75 minutes, GA

Watch the trailer for Wild Man and Dagg Day Afternoon (816KB; 000.31 minutes)

A highly entertaining tale of confidence men operating on New Zealand’s West Coast goldfield during the nineteenth century. Set against the rugged beauty of the West Coast and a recreated mining village, knee deep in mud and steeped in the atmosphere of the heady days of the ‘Rush’, Wild Man was the first feature film from New Zealand for several years. The film is a combined production from two groups with the highly unlikely names of the ‘Acme Sausage Company’ and ‘Blerta’ who have many close links. Their fusion has created this feature as well as an award winning television series, stage shows and several other film ventures.

“Wild Man is a humorous, well paced story with plenty of action. The rugged beauty of the West Coast scenery contrasts dramatically with the recreated mining town knee-deep in mud and steeped in the atmosphere of the heady days of the ‘Rush’.” — The Hawkes Bay Herald-Tribune, 5 July 1977

“... this year, with the perpetually embryonic New Zealand film industry showing stronger signs that ever of quickening, it would be most unfortunate if the New Zealand public decided not to play midwife anymore merely because the first products are a bit defective. Which, of course, is my roundabout way of saying that Wild Man isn’t really very good but that had better not put anybody off because the country can’t afford to lose its finger-hold on feature filmmaking at this early stage... I wouldn’t give much for its chances overseas, but perhaps that isn’t important, since it is very much a New Zealand film made for New Zealanders... Though most of the people on screen look properly atmospheric, which here means muddy, there are some folk who are obviously completely chuffed to at last have a chance to swan around in front of the camera. This does not apply to the leads and particularly not to Bruno Lawrence who, for all I know, may be the best natural screen actor in the country. And Lawrence isn’t the only good thing in Wild Man – the choice of locale is excellent and the basic idea behind the plot is a boomer...” Stephen Ballantyne, NZ Listener, 25 June 1977

Screenings: Wild Man screened on 22 June 2005 as part of a selection honouring the work of actor Bruno Lawrence; and with Dagg Day Afternoon on 3 October 2007 as part of the Sleepers Awake programme - celebrating the 30th anniversary of Sleeping Dogs.