I love this movie so much

Admirable film.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Like another film based on a true story from Australia - Snowtown - this is a grim telling of a very unpleasant tale. The palette of the movie is gritty and washed out with a persevering lack of hope, and just in case you were in doubt the musical score reflects the vast and dark land. There is not one single female in this movie, as it's about a place where none were. Almost like a dream of life lost for the souls there the feminine warmth is a lost memory and song. Seen perhaps a cautionary tale of a hard and man made time it depicts shows how this may have transpired, how it may have come to pass with a stand out line for me being "six pairs of shoes". This is no movie for the faint hearted and the acting is absolutely top notch. Be warned however this is not a study of human spirit over coming anything but rather about the dark slide into the worst aspects of a hopeless humanity. As a horror genre fan no horror movie is anywhere near as horrific and haunting as I found this one, because it's a real story about a terrible thing. All I felt was sadness for the characters, every one. When I curled up in bed that night later I simply felt lucky to be there.

This feels like a 'Tourism Tasmania' commercial with a touch of cannibalism, truly a great combination.The movie is based on the true account of Alexander Pearce, Australia's most notorious convict, and the events that took place in 1822, as Pearce and a group of convicts escape into the Tasmanian wilderness. The group is then left at the mercy of nature, themselves, and notably the human desire to eat.This is truly a beautiful movie, the cinematography of sweeping landscapes and rugged bushland is worth watching the rental/ticket price alone. It strikes me as the type of DVD they play in appliance stores to show off the new HD-TVs (although they would have to skip the numerous bludgeoning scenes). The story itself is a simple and tight narrative of the human condition pushed to its limits. While there is some grizzly violence and confronting concepts, the movie never descends into gratuitous visuals based purely on shock value. While the story is compelling and rolls along nicely, I found myself just wanting a little more depth to all of the supporting characters. This is also one of the main strengths of this film, it makes you want more; I was always wondering what was going to happen next, what's that guy going to do, where are they going, what's around that corner, what does that taste like etc… Ultimately this factor leaves the viewer a tad unsatisfied yet appreciative of the movie as a whole.On the Fruit-Meter, Van Demons Lands gets the "KIWI-FRUIT" - A bit grizzled and rough on the outside, but once you peel off the skin it's fresh and tasty, but it was a small fruit and I want some more. MART-FLIX PUN-FUN – It's compelling to watch convicts battle their inner "demons"…..that sucked

In 1882, several convicts escaped custody to brave the harsh conditions of Van Diemen's Land in Tasmania. One of the escapees throughout the film is based on the real life convict Alexander Pearce (Oscar Redding). Journeying into the wilderness, Pearce and seven others were faced with the sheer ruggedness of the landscape and limited resources. As some of the men succumbed to injury, the others had no choice but to slaughter their fellow man and then devour them so they would be able to continue on and not starve to death. Much of the tension throughout the film is derived from each man knowing that he is at risk of being the next person to be killed.The first feature film from director Jonathan Auf Der Heide is a great technical achievement. The cinematography throughout Van Diemen's Land contains some of the most beautiful shots you are likely to see this year. Many of the films images have a painterly-like quality to them and the use of the saturated colour scheme ensures a highly unique and textured depiction of the outback. One of the most haunting images is also its ugliest though, as a close-up shot captures a British guard munching down on something. It is as though this is foreshadowing the evil we are bound to see throughout the film.Although one can admire the quality of these aesthetics, the films decision to be as objective as possible works to its detriment. Heide previously made the short film Hell's Gate, which shared the same story about Pearce and his escape, and also starred Oscar Redding. It would seem that Heide has not expanded the story from this short film. This is not a full length biopic about Alexander Pearce, nor is there any intention to detail the lives of the other convicts either. Their psychological wellbeing is rarely explored with any personal insights. It is disappointing that despite the verisimilitude and authenticity towards the look of the film, the characterisation and narrative remain utterly minimal. There is no time dedicated towards any of the characters, leaving the film as a passive experience rather than an emotional one. The performances throughout the film are solid with sporadic dialogue, but we needed to get to know these characters well so that we could care about their struggle more.Perhaps one of the most fascinating elements that can be taken indirectly from the cannibalism is the subversion of the Australian archetype of mateship. The mythology of the Aussie battler, looking after his mates, evaporates rapidly as men are slaughtered like cattle in their sleep, to ensure the survival of others. The murder scenes are intensely staged throughout the film and feel fitting with the films grittiness. Much of the violence is shown off-screen but the audible screams and slaps of the axe ensure that these moments are gruesomely, rather than emotionally, affecting. The film's most damning death occurs before a blow is landed, as a convict is bitten by a snake, inevitably suggesting that he will not be able to continue and will have to be slaughtered.Van Diemen's Land is a beautiful film to behold but a lot more work was needed on the screenplay. The lack of depth, development and characterisation certainly diminishes much of the films power and its emotion, while the lack of narrative drive will have many questioning the actual point of the film. Despite this, the intense moments of violence and the lack of morality may still provoke some to question what they would have done under the same strenuous conditions and circumstances.

This movie has a terrific, unsettling opening scene. Unfortunately... the rest of the film consists of 100 minutes of actors stumbling through the bush occasionally bludgeoning one another with axes. It's a simple story which makes it difficult to adapt to a feature length film, and this attempt fails dismally.It is an incredibly dull and flat movie. It has an intrusive and annoying soundtrack. The occasional use of pretentious poetic subtitles is awful and detracts from, rather than adding to the chilling atmosphere. The cinematography of the bush was OK at best. One or two scenes highlighted the spectacular scale or creepy, alien nature of the central west wilderness of Tasmania. The majority was uninspiring.Do yourself a favor and listen to the energetic Wedding Parties Anything song "A tale they won't believe" instead.