Out of the Blue (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Out of the Blue is a 2006 New Zealand film directed by Robert Sarkies
and starring Karl Urban
. The film premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival in Canada and was released in New Zealand on 12 October 2006 to minor controversy. The film has since grossed well over $1 million at the New Zealand
box-office taking it into the top ten highest grossing local films.
that occurred over a period of two days on 13 November and 14 November 1990 in New Zealand
. In the southern part of the South Island of New Zealand, just 17 miles north of Dunedin, the small coastal community of Aramoana
stretches along a narrow sandy spit that pokes out into the mouth of New Zealand's Otago Harbour. The name Aramoana is Maori
for "pathway to the sea". Aramoana is an idyllic and peaceful place to live; a beautiful coastal part of the Pacific rim, near where albarosses come to roost (opposite the harbour channel, on Taiaroa Heads) after their long global journey. But on 13 November 1990, Aramoana turns into hell on earth. Resident David Gray, an unemployed gun fanatic and collector, goes on a rampage in which he fatally shoots 13 people before being killed by police.
, a settlement six kilometres from Aramoana.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification
has classified the film Out of the Blue as R15 (restricted to viewers under 15 years of age) with the descriptive note "violence and content that may disturb". The film was restricted because the murders it depicts are likely to cause younger viewers distress and threaten their sense of personal safety. "Out of the Blue deals with recent events involving real people. For that reason we consulted with the families of victims and the Aramoana community. We were impressed by the articulate and heartfelt comments they made at our meetings" said Chief Censor Bill Hastings
.
The film deals with violence in a realistic but restrained way. The effect the film has on its audience is likely to depend on the circumstances of the viewer. Mr Hastings said "for some of those closely involved in the events it portrays the film may be upsetting and traumatic. Other people may view it as a sensitive portrayal of the responses of ordinary people to horrific events."
Robert Sarkies
Robert Sarkies is a New Zealand film director and scriptwriter.Sarkies grew up in the South Island city of Dunedin, and his two feature films released to date have been set in Dunedin, or close by. He began making short films as a teenager with fellow filmmaker Simon Perkins...
and starring Karl Urban
Karl Urban
Karl-Heinz Urban is a New Zealand actor.He is known for playing Éomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the 2009 film Star Trek and Julius Caesar on Xena: Warrior Princess...
. The film premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival in Canada and was released in New Zealand on 12 October 2006 to minor controversy. The film has since grossed well over $1 million at the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
box-office taking it into the top ten highest grossing local films.
Plot
The film is based on the Aramoana MassacreAramoana massacre
The Aramoana massacre was a mass murder that occurred on 13 November 1990 in the small seaside township of Aramoana, New Zealand. Resident David Gray, a 33-year-old unemployed man, began indiscriminately shooting people in the township with a scoped semi-automatic rifle, after a verbal dispute with...
that occurred over a period of two days on 13 November and 14 November 1990 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In the southern part of the South Island of New Zealand, just 17 miles north of Dunedin, the small coastal community of Aramoana
Aramoana
Aramoana, also known as "The Spit" to locals, is a small coastal settlement, 27 kilometres north of Dunedin city, in the South Island of New Zealand. The settlement's permanent population in 2001 Census was 261. Supplementing this are seasonal visitors from the city who occupy cribs...
stretches along a narrow sandy spit that pokes out into the mouth of New Zealand's Otago Harbour. The name Aramoana is Maori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
for "pathway to the sea". Aramoana is an idyllic and peaceful place to live; a beautiful coastal part of the Pacific rim, near where albarosses come to roost (opposite the harbour channel, on Taiaroa Heads) after their long global journey. But on 13 November 1990, Aramoana turns into hell on earth. Resident David Gray, an unemployed gun fanatic and collector, goes on a rampage in which he fatally shoots 13 people before being killed by police.
Cast
- Karl UrbanKarl UrbanKarl-Heinz Urban is a New Zealand actor.He is known for playing Éomer in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the 2009 film Star Trek and Julius Caesar on Xena: Warrior Princess...
as Nick Harvey - Matthew SunderlandMatthew SunderlandMatthew "Matt" Sunderland is a New Zealand actor. He performed the lead role of David Gray in the feature film Out of the Blue, based on the events of the Aramoana Massacre...
as David Gray - Lois Lawn as Helen Dickson
- Simon Ferry as Garry Holden
- Tandi WrightTandi WrightTandi Wright is a South Africa-born, New Zealand-raised television and film actress. From 1996-1999 she appeared as Nurse Caroline Buxton in Shortland Street...
as Julie-Anne Bryson - Paul Glover as Paul Knox
- William KircherWilliam KircherWilliam Kircher is a New Zealand actor who is scheduled to appear in the film adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.William Kircher first came to prominence in New Zealand television in the police drama series Shark in the Park....
as Sergeant Stu GuthrieStewart Graeme GuthrieStewart Graeme Guthrie, GC of New Zealand is the most recent civilian recipient of the George Cross, the highest award for conspicuous gallantry not in the face of an enemy awarded in certain Commonwealth countries... - Georgia Fabish as Chiquita Holden
- Fayth Rasmussen as Stacey Percy
Reaction
The production faced some opposition from the town, and as a result, little filming was done in Aramoana itself, though the community did allow some scenes to be shot in the settlement. Some members of the community were against the movie being filmed, but they agreed when it was settled that they would see the movie first, and it would not be called 'Aramoana.' Most of the filming was shot in Long BeachLong Beach, New Zealand
Long Beach is a small coastal settlement in Otago, New Zealand comprising approximately 100 homes. Many of the sections were initially auctioned in October 1922 for a pound deposit. It is located within the city limits of Dunedin, and lies 15 kilometres northeast of the city centre, between...
, a settlement six kilometres from Aramoana.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification
Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)
The Office of Film and Literature Classification is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand...
has classified the film Out of the Blue as R15 (restricted to viewers under 15 years of age) with the descriptive note "violence and content that may disturb". The film was restricted because the murders it depicts are likely to cause younger viewers distress and threaten their sense of personal safety. "Out of the Blue deals with recent events involving real people. For that reason we consulted with the families of victims and the Aramoana community. We were impressed by the articulate and heartfelt comments they made at our meetings" said Chief Censor Bill Hastings
Bill Hastings
His Honour Judge William Kenneth Hastings was New Zealand's tenth Chief Censor, from October 1999 to July 2010. He is currently a District Court Judge and Chair of the Immigration and Protection Tribunal.-Biography:...
.
The film deals with violence in a realistic but restrained way. The effect the film has on its audience is likely to depend on the circumstances of the viewer. Mr Hastings said "for some of those closely involved in the events it portrays the film may be upsetting and traumatic. Other people may view it as a sensitive portrayal of the responses of ordinary people to horrific events."
External links
- Out of the Blue: The Aramoana Tragedy An interview with Robert Sarkies
- "How We May Still Be Redeemed: Nostalgia and the Sublimation of Realism in 'Out of the Blue,'" an essay by Alexander Greenhough, published in Metro 163 (December 2009) pp 108–11
- NZFC profile