Director hits back after cinemagoers walk out and yell criticism during The Nightingale screening in Sydney

After punters walked out of the cinema and screamed out criticism, an Aussie director has issued a powerful defence of her movie.

The director of a brutal historical drama — containing numerous visceral rape scenes that prompted cinemagoers to walk out of a Sydney screening on Sunday — has defended her film, saying it’s “historically accurate”.

Aussie film The Nightingale, directed by Jennifer Kent, was screened as part of the Sydney Film Festival to a sold-out audience of more than 1000 people at the Ritz cinema in the city’s east.

Some audience members were so distressed by the on-screen violence, that they yelled out in protest and walked out.

However, Kent has now issued a powerful statement in response to the criticism — saying her film is not about violence.

She said the unflinching rape-revenge story, set in 1825, contains “historically accurate depictions of colonial violence and racism towards our indigenous people” — but it’s real message is one of optimism.

“It’s about the need for love, compassion and kindness in dark times,” she said.

“Both Aisling Franciosi (the film’s leading actor) and myself have been personally contacted by more than a few victims of sexual violence after screenings who are grateful for the film’s honesty and who have drawn comfort from its themes.”

Aisling Franciosi plays a young Irish convict who chases a British officer though the Tassie bush.

She said she didn’t believe this would be happening if the film was at all “gratuitous or exploitative” — as it has been labelled by some critics.

“We’ve made this film in collaboration with Tasmanian Aboriginal elders, and they feel it’s an honest and necessary depiction of their history and a story that needs to be told,” she said. “I remain enormously proud of the film.”

The Nightingale is centred on a young Irish convict woman who chases a British officer and his band of cronies through the rugged Tasmanian bush with the help of an indigenous guide.

Upon being shown at international festivals, it has been lauded by critics as a confronting and powerful piece of cinema that transcends the traditional boundaries of a revenge thriller.

However, it was clear some in Sydney on Sunday didn’t feel the level of sexual violence was warranted in telling the story of Clare, the film’s 21-year-old protagonist, played by Aisling Franciosi.

THE NIGHTINGALE made me do something I thought I would never do. I walked out. There was a point when I just needed to take myself away from that brutal space. But I recognised that this is an important film so I walked back in and watched the rest of the movie.

— Jesue V (@jesuevalle) June 9, 2019

I saw people walk out of #TheNightingale tonight @sydfilmfest. Yes, it’s confronting, but the violence is there for a reason. The barbarism of the colonial English is laid bare while the humanity of their enemies shines through. Essential viewing and an Australian classic. pic.twitter.com/AvP1h3KVJ6

— Michael Ouzas (@michael_ouzas) June 10, 2019

In setting up the tale of revenge, the first section of the film confronts the audience with long, drawn-out scenes of her being raped by several men over several scenes.

By the third rape scene in the first 20 minutes, some of those watching on in horror in the Ritz had enough.

Through the tortured on-screen screams, cinemagoers walked out, and some even yelled out criticism, as the director sat among the audience after introducing the film.

As there was a lull in the on-screen horror, one woman could be heard screaming: “She’s already been raped, we don’t need to see it again.”

Punters also walked out during later scenes in the film that showed horrific levels of violence towards babies, children and mainly indigenous people — with close-up shots of faces being mashed up, brutal stabbings and even more drawn-out rapes.

Baykali Ganambarr plays an indigenous guide named Billy.

Sydney cinemagoers aren’t the only ones who have taken issue with some of the film’s most provocative scenes, with critics asking whether the level of detail is necessary and noting audience members are walking out.

“Vacuum-packing a non-stop supply of rapes, deaths and beatings into more than two hours is needlessly punishing and comes at the expense of character and story,” New York Post critic Johnny Oleksinski wrote.

“Constantly having to shield your eyes from horrible imagery — as the Sundance audience was — would seem to defy the whole point of watching a movie.”

FilmEra critic Chris Shortt called The Nightingale a “gruelling and grossly offensive misfire”.

“(Director) Kent subjects us to a disturbing frequency of rape scenes to the extent that it soon stops feeling like a jolt of brutal honesty and quickly becomes indulgent,” he wrote.

“If we weren’t aware of the historical atrocities committed by British soldiers across the colonies already, we certainly are by the fourth rape scene. What, then, of the fifth or the sixth?”

Despite the criticism, The Nightingale received a sustained round of applause as the credits rolled at the Ritz last night.

Introducing her work, Kent told the audience putting together the film was the toughest thing she’d ever had to do, and the majority of critics had lauded the historical piece for its unflinching style — earning it the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival last year.

Director Jennifer Kent said making the film was the toughest thing she’d ever had to do. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

In a Q&A session with Kent after last night’s screening, she was asked what she would say to the audience members who walked out.

She said she “totally understands” why people would react in that way and they had “every right” — but added she felt like she “needed” to include scenes of such horror so as not to soften the brutality of that period in history.

She said filming the scenes was “heartbreaking”, and she cried throughout the process, all the way through to post-production.

Critics who rated The Nightingale positively admitted it was hard to watch — but that was the point, as it captured the horror of Australia’s colonial past.

“I don’t think that any review can mentally, physically, or emotionally prepare you for what Kent has brought to life with this film,” wrote Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment, giving the film 9.5 stars out of 10.

“The Nightingale is a very difficult watch but packs quite an emotional punch.”

Criticism of the film comes as the portrayal of rape and its use as a narrative tool in television and film is being debated.

As the final season of Game of Thrones aired last month, actor Jessica Chastain wrote on Twitter a woman shouldn’t have to survive the worst possible experiences in order to flourish.

“Rape is not a tool to make a character stronger,” she wrote in the post that has gone viral. “A woman doesn’t need to be victimised in order to become a butterfly.”

The Nightingale was shown as part of the Sydney Film Festival, which runs until June 15.