This movie seemed to slip under the radar in Australia when it was released, though it is a very fine production. The cast, headed by Miranda and Barry Otto, give good impressions of their characters, though Barry Otto might be accused of over-doing the grumpiness. That type of officious, hyper-critical person was common in the 1930s (and later).
The title suggests that the lighthouse is situated on South Solitary Island which lies off the northern NSW coast near Coffs Harbour, an idyllic spot. The setting of the movie is anything but idyllic, the locations being the windswept capes of Victoria, subject to the fierce Roaring Forties.
There is no obvious plot; nearly two hours is spent examining the relationships between Meredith and the other members of the lighthouse crew. The long shadow of World War 1 hangs over the characters, all of whom have major personality problems and psychological defects.
There is a hiatus between two major incidents which confused me for a time. Perhaps there is a pile of film on the cutting room floor that would have covered the time between Meredith being sprung by Netty and the scene with the launch heading out to sea. We are left to fill in a lot of gaps here and we can only guess at the turmoil that occurred.
Viewers will find it difficult to identify with any of the characters. There is no hero though we might have some sympathy for the hardship endured by all people who used to work in such isolated places.
