Australia [M]

British aristocrat, Sarah Ashley, travels to Australia on the brink of WWII to check in on her husband in a cattle station in the north called Far Away Downs. She arrives however, to discover that her husband has been killed and the precious cattle are in the midst of being smuggled from her property onto that of competing cattle tycoon, Carney. Determined to prove herself, she joins forces with a sun-hardened drover and the irresistibly charming half-caste child Nullah to drive the remaining herd across the most unforgiving terrain to Darwin. Along the way loves form and they become a family, but when their world is torn apart by powerful forces will their love and songs be strong enough to help them find each other again amidst the bombing of Darwin? 

From memory, this movie got mixed reviews when it was released and to this day there are a hefty number of people who roll their eyes and whine about how boring, long, and uninspired this movie is. Me? I take quite the opposite view. I greatly enjoyed this movie the first time I saw it. I loved the performances, the story, the characters, and all the allusions to The Wizard of Oz. I thought this movie was something really special and don’t you want to know why? 

British aristocrat, Sarah Ashley, travels to Australia on the brink of WWII to check in on her husband in a cattle station in the north called Far Away Downs. She arrives however, to discover that her husband has been killed and the precious cattle are in the midst of being smuggled from her property onto that of competing cattle tycoon, Carney. Determined to prove herself, she joins forces with a sun-hardened drover and the irresistibly charming half-caste child Nullah to drive the remaining herd across the most unforgiving terrain to Darwin. Along the way loves form and they become a family, but when their world is torn apart by powerful forces will their love and songs be strong enough to help them find each other again amidst the bombing of Darwin? 

What Baz Luhrmann has so bravely attempted to resurrect is a love for Australian cinema. What defines ‘Australian cinema’? It’s depictions of Australian culture. Right from the very first movie, Australian cinema has always been culture-oriented, the problem them becomes (why so many people roll their eyes when you mention Australia) that the time of Aussie-appreciation is over, even Aussies don’t want to see their culture on screen anymore and that’s the tragedy. Our cinema’s heyday was back in the 70s and 80s when the world was going through a stage of Ozploitation. People couldn’t get enough of the Aussies. But, like any fashion, it passed out of style. I stand up and claim proudly that Baz Luhrmann’s Australia is a beautiful depiction of culture and life as well as a brave and I think relatively successful resurrection of Australian cinema. 

Luhrmann knows who to make a good film. He knows all the right places to put romance, drama, death, and comedy and all this shines through just as much in Australia as in Moulin Rouge! or Strictly Ballroom. Your emotions are given a good ride in this movie, beginning with the funnily contrasting chemistry between Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. 

Nicole as Sarah Ashley is a very good fit and begins the movie providing much of the comic relief before going on this really rather intriguing journey of self-discovery and change. 

Contrasted with Hugh who is just the walking depiction of true-blue Aussie. As the Drover, Hugh really conveys that romanticism and beauty that underlies the Aussie character of the rough-edged outback rogue. And, I’m just being honest and putting it out there, I don’t think I’ve ever found him as sexy as when I watch this movie. Animal mag-ni-tism! Every time he’s on screen, the blood gets hotter and the breath faster and heavier. Sexy man. 

But the real star of the show is little Brandon Walters who stars as the half-caste boy Nullah. Brandon delivered a performance that was instantly enchanting, so much so that you really do believe he’s a ‘magic man’. He holds this movie together and instils it with a tremendous sense of innocence, unity, and love. He’s beautiful. 

I wish to also give a special mention to David Wenham who plays the villain, the real villain. I have a real love of David and he’s really good in this movie because he’s so rough and evil, yet I still couldn’t bring myself to hate him. I still wanted him to feature more on screen. 

The soundtrack’s a wonder to behold too, with the Wizard of Oz theme coming into strong play as many of the tracks are based on ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, adding another layer of romance, love, and nostalgia to the movie. 

Starring Bruce Spence, Jack Thompson, Tony Barry, Bryan Brown, Lillian Crombie, Essie Davis, Bill Hunter, Jacek Koman, Ben Mendelsohn, David Ngoombujarra, Ursula Yovich, and David Gulpilil, Australia is a fantastic movie filled with comedy, drama, beautiful Australian scenery, hardship, and romance. It’s an enchanting and staggering piece of Australian cinema that I think we should be proud to have in our repertoire.