In 1975, Joan Lindsey's novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock, was adapted into a film of the same name. Directed by Australian filmmaker Peter Weir, the film follows the same events as the novel: the disappearance of several teenage boarding school girls one afternoon at Hanging Rock on Valentine's Day in 1900. The screenplay was written by Cliff Green and the film starred Rachel Roberts, Dominic Guard, Helen Morse, Vivean Gray, and Jacki Weaver.
The film was first conceived of by Australian actress and producer Patricia Lovell. Lovell purchased the film rights in 1970, at the suggestion of radio host Philip Adams. She then asked Weir to direct it. Green was subsequently brought on as screenwriter. Green's first draft of the script was heartily approved by both Lovell and Lindsay. The film was given a budget of A$440,000 and shooting was scheduled to begin in February 1975. Weir wanted the look of the film to be dreamy and nostalgic, reflecting the sensibility of impressionist painters like Frederick McCubbin. Working with cinematographer Russell Boyd, Weir managed to develop a diffuse, soft-focus look for the film. Weir and Boyd borrowed several techniques from photographer and director David Hamilton. The film's score consisted of some Romanian classical pieces, original songs by composer Bruce Smeaton, and selections from Bach, Handel, and Mozart.
The film premiered on August 8, 1975 and was praised by both audiences and critics. Weir was initially pressured to change the ending, as American test audiences were unsettled by the unresolved ending. However, the film's ambiguous ending was later celebrated by critics as a bold subversion of expectation. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that the film is a "haunting mystery" that "employs two of the hallmarks of modern Australian films: beautiful cinematography and stories about the chasm between settlers from Europe and the mysteries of their ancient new home." The film was similarly praised by other critics for its visual style, nuanced portrayal of adolescent girls, and depiction of natural mysteries. It is widely regarded as one of the best Australian films of all time. It was voted the best Australian film of all time in a 1996 poll conducted by the National Film and Sound Archive. It has also served as a major inspiration for numerous filmmakers. Director Sofia Coppola has remarked in various interviews that her films The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette, and The Beguiled are heavily influenced by Picnic at Hanging Rock.
