In The Wake Of Horrific Brutality, Revenge Served White-Hot: 'The Nightingale'

Jennifer Kent's historical revenge drama The Nightingale is a film we're not accustomed to, and one we'll not soon forget. Set in early 19th-century colonial Australia, it depicts acts of horrific brutality. Yet it's not a brutal movie. Scenes of murder, rape, and enslavement unfold in front of the camera not just to shock you, but to confound you; to make you think about the fates of nations forged in violence and cruelty, and of the humans at the receiving end who must endure all of it.

Aisling Franciosi gives a performance), has his way with her behind closed doors. And this casual violation extends to Clare's very freedom, too: She's already served out her seven-year sentence, yet Hawkins refuses to release her. That standoff culminates in 's call-to-action event, which may be one of the most disturbing sequences ever committed to film. It's an outburst of evil that leaves Clare barely alive, sets off her insatiable urge for revenge, and stakes a new benchmark for acceptability in cinematic depictions of historical atrocity.