Director
Ray Lawrencce
Leading Actors/Actresses
Anthony LaPaglia, Rachael Blake, Kerry Armstrong, Geoffrey Rush, Barbara Hershey
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Vince Colosimo, Peter Phelps, Daniela Farinacci
Genre
Drama, Mystery, Romane
Language
English
Awards
n/a
Date of Release
2001
Producer
Jan Champman
Setting and Context
Lantana Bush and Suburban Sydney
Narrator and Point of View
Point of View is that of Leon, Valerie and Jane
Tone and Mood
Dramatic, Mysterious
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonists are Valerie and Leon. Antagonist is Jane.
Major Conflict
Leon is having an affair with Jane. He is a police officer and a woman goes missing which leads to him having to come face to face with Jane as she is a key witness.
Climax
Valerie's body is found in the Lantana bush after she jumped out of Nick's car who was trying to get her home safely. Leon confesses to his affair with Jane to his wife, Sonja.
Foreshadowing
The body in the bush in the opening scene foreshadows that there is something horrible ahead for these characters.
Understatement
John's knowledge of Valerie calling is understated until the very end of the film.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
n/a
Allusions
Leon smashing into another man while running and having blood all over him is an allusion to the deep emotional wound he carries, as he later tells his wife Sonja that he is numb.
Paradox
Leon is having an affair with Jane but gets irritated when Sonja leaves their kids alone to go out dancing.
Parallelism
The body in the opening scene in the Lantana bush parallels Valerie being discovered dead in the bush at the end of the film.
