Australia DVD review
by Peter Dimako, Editor
A remarkably touching epic and one of the most undeservedly underrated films of 2008. Baz Luhrmann’s epic drama “Australia” is a gargantuan feat, capturing elements of romance, oppression, war and drama and leaving one ultimately emotionally satisfied.
Vibrant and adventurous, the film quickly gets off the mark with a prestigious cattle farmer being murdered. This is told by the very talented Brandon Walters as Nullah, an Aborigine youth who states that his grandfather King George (David Gulpilil) is thought to have committed said act.
Still, with murder in the picture, the film manages to get off to a cheery and lighthearted start. We meet English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who journeys to Australia finding her loved one slain at their Faraway Downs cattle station.
At the station, she quickly realizes that her husband’s first in command, a sinister Neil Fletcher (David Wenham) is abusing the locals and driving unbranded cattle over to competitor King Carney (Bryan Brown). Ashley fires Fletcher after witnessing him beating Nullah, however Fletcher takes all of his drovers with, leaving Ashley desperately in need of a knight in shining armor.
Taking over the reins of Faraway Downs, she has a massive task at hand with needing to move cattle to the port of Darwin. Now we meet Drover (Hugh Jackman), a hard-drinking, literally punch-drunk man who despises authority and works on his own terms.
Romance develops between Drover and Lady Ashley through their trying, long journey and unspooling visually when the duo makes their grand entrance at Darwin. Carney is none-too-happy to see Ashley succeed in getting her cattle to Darwin but is even more upset after learning that Fletcher, who is engaged to marry his daughter, has in fact set up King George.
Convincing Drover to join her at a ball, she leaves the rest of the female onlookers in disgust as she openly flirts with her employee. Reliving the magic of bygone films, Luhrmann colorfully captures the couple who are falling in love, elegantly dressed and cheerfully flying through the steamy streets.
As their romance blossoms as does Faraway Downs, Fletcher rises to the top of the opposition, doing all he can to gain Lady Ashley’s land, and the shadow of war descends on Darwin. Bombed to smithereens, Darwin provides an extremely effective end point of the film, one emotionally charged and extremely hard to represent.
Shot so beautifully, well written and filled with top notch performances. I was also most impressed with “Ten Canoes” actor David Gulpilil. Truly, this is one of the best films of 2008 and one to be revered by both fan and filmmaker alike. How something this wonderful went unnoticed at Golden Globe Awards is bewildering.