Break of Day *** (1976, Andrew McFarlane, Sara Kestelman, Ingrid Mason) – Classic Movie Review 13,742

The 1976 Australian romantic drama film Break of Day, starring Andrew McFarlane, Sara Kestelman and Ingrid Mason, is a pleasurable minor gem from the New Australian Cinema era.

Director Ken Hannam’s 1976 Australian romantic drama film Break of Day is written as an original script by Cliff Green, and stars Andrew McFarlane, Sara Kestelman and Ingrid Mason. It is a pleasurable minor gem from the New Australian Cinema era.

Sara Kestelman plays an Aussie townie artist called Alice Hughes, who comes to the country to paint and falls for World War One war veteran and paper editor Tom Cooper (Andrew McFarlane), married to pregnant Beth (Ingrid Mason).

Tom begins to see that Alice views the world differently when her city friends turn up, in Hannam’s gentle, sensitive and quite moving portrait of adultery in the Australian countryside.

Break of Day is lovingly and carefully made, subtly written and beautifully performed.

The production designer is Wendy Dickson, Hannam’s wife.

Shooting began in April 1976 for five weeks in and near the old gold-mining town of Maldon in central Victoria. The Gallipoli flashback scenes were shot at Portsea in Victoria.

Release: 31 December 1976.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,742

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com