Australia (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
According to Baz Luhrmann, the title of his sweeping epic, 'Australia', refers to the place where his lead character's life goes through a transformation. And boy, does she ever. The film opens in 1939 with a gorgeous prologue. It is told from the point-of-view of Nullah (adorable Brandon Walters), who is at the epicenter of everything that unfolds. He is our narrator. Thinking her husband is unfaithful, the stuck-up, prim & proper Lady Sarah (Nicole Kidman) flies from England to Australia to confront him. She finds that he's been murdered; & contemplates owning his cattle ranch, Faraway Downs. Wanting everything settled, she faces opposition from a pair of cattle-stealing foes: King Carney (a stellar Bryan Brown), a beef exporter with a monopoly on cattle ranches; and Neil Fletcher (David Wenham, of The Lord of the Rings), a loathsome, backstabbing man whom she dismisses from 'her' ranch.
Circumstances arise where Sarah (a non-maternal type) must act as Nullah's guardian; or else he'd be shipped off by the government for racial cleansing - horrifying. All the while, Sarah receives aid at her ranch from The Drover (Hugh Jackman); who helps her drive a herd of 1,500 cattle across vast stretches of terrain where they can be sold to Australia's army. He is an independent, no-nonsense type of guy who faces adversity for sticking up for the 'blacks' (Luhrmann brings light to the dehumanization of Aboriginal history). The Drover clashes with Sarah; figuring her to be a cold, selfish woman. But after witnessing her acts of kindness & her volunteering to help drive the cattle, he realizes that there's more to her that meets the eye. Can we say romance, anyone?
They embark north with a crew, including their alcoholic accountant (a funny Jack Thompson) & Nullah, whom (along with The Drover) Sarah has grown an acute attachment for. Overseeing the action is Nullah's mystical grandfather, King George (David Gulpill). It is he who is accused of murdering Sarah's husband; and his presence is felt throughout the movie. Nullah has had to endure a lot in his young life; dreaming is all has to hold on to. Hoping to further win-over his affection (and with The Wizard of Oz having been recently released), Sarah relays the story to Nullah; even endearingly singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' to him. The title of that film, the magic it represents, the story it tells, the song, their trek, the climactic bombing of Darwin by the Japanese & the harsh brutalities of their own "Oz" proves very meaningful to Nullah, Sarah, & The Drover as events of the film play out.
'Australia' offers a mix of motifs, genres & styles. It has elements of a cheesy romantic comedy (with intentionally cliched dialogue), but it's also a serious love story. There are moments of spectacle & exhilaration. But there are also moments of despair. There's fairy tale symbolism, action, mysticism, political melodrama, & history lessons ... all wrapped up in 165 jam-packed minutes (sure to test the patience of many who are not swept away by it all). The 1st hour & a half is breezy, adventurous, & fun (think Moulin Rouge, but less manic). But by the last hour, the tone is tragic & somber (think Titanic). The film may catch criticism for its excesses. But I, for one, was enthralled by nearly all of it.
The secondary characters are archetypical, but Kidman, Jackman & Walters impress. I liked their chemistry. And they also light up the screen. If we don't believe in their strife, hopes, fears, strengths & weaknesses, then the film would fail. But in this case, their talents (though, not completely stretched) shine bright. As far as the cinematography, sets, costumes, music, wartime pyrotechnics & special effects go: breathtaking. The integration of those special effects into the photorealistic landscapes makes for an interesting & dazzling mix (a la Moulin Rouge). i.e., a magnificent stampede where Nullah attempts to thwart the cattle from falling into a ravine; also a covert ocean rescue near the end. Tears streamed down my face in both instances.
'Australia' is a re-imagined throwback to an era of filmmaking which strived to entertain with visual majesty & oversized emotion. The film has no agendas (sorry, all you high-brow cynics). And it's mainly about storytelling; how being in a story means that you exist (something important to a depicted non-person like Nullah, who is of the Stolen Generation of Aborigines). The awesome cinematic beauty of 'Australia' & the emotional catharsis of its characters overrides a lengthy running time & modest screenplay. And for all its unabashed lack of subtleties, it takes A LOT more risks than most Oscar-type films. I commend it for trying to replicate (or pay homage) to those big, schmaltzy classics of old Hollywood. And to quote Oprah, "They don't make 'em like this anymore - they really don't".
Circumstances arise where Sarah (a non-maternal type) must act as Nullah's guardian; or else he'd be shipped off by the government for racial cleansing - horrifying. All the while, Sarah receives aid at her ranch from The Drover (Hugh Jackman); who helps her drive a herd of 1,500 cattle across vast stretches of terrain where they can be sold to Australia's army. He is an independent, no-nonsense type of guy who faces adversity for sticking up for the 'blacks' (Luhrmann brings light to the dehumanization of Aboriginal history). The Drover clashes with Sarah; figuring her to be a cold, selfish woman. But after witnessing her acts of kindness & her volunteering to help drive the cattle, he realizes that there's more to her that meets the eye. Can we say romance, anyone?
They embark north with a crew, including their alcoholic accountant (a funny Jack Thompson) & Nullah, whom (along with The Drover) Sarah has grown an acute attachment for. Overseeing the action is Nullah's mystical grandfather, King George (David Gulpill). It is he who is accused of murdering Sarah's husband; and his presence is felt throughout the movie. Nullah has had to endure a lot in his young life; dreaming is all has to hold on to. Hoping to further win-over his affection (and with The Wizard of Oz having been recently released), Sarah relays the story to Nullah; even endearingly singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' to him. The title of that film, the magic it represents, the story it tells, the song, their trek, the climactic bombing of Darwin by the Japanese & the harsh brutalities of their own "Oz" proves very meaningful to Nullah, Sarah, & The Drover as events of the film play out.
'Australia' offers a mix of motifs, genres & styles. It has elements of a cheesy romantic comedy (with intentionally cliched dialogue), but it's also a serious love story. There are moments of spectacle & exhilaration. But there are also moments of despair. There's fairy tale symbolism, action, mysticism, political melodrama, & history lessons ... all wrapped up in 165 jam-packed minutes (sure to test the patience of many who are not swept away by it all). The 1st hour & a half is breezy, adventurous, & fun (think Moulin Rouge, but less manic). But by the last hour, the tone is tragic & somber (think Titanic). The film may catch criticism for its excesses. But I, for one, was enthralled by nearly all of it.
The secondary characters are archetypical, but Kidman, Jackman & Walters impress. I liked their chemistry. And they also light up the screen. If we don't believe in their strife, hopes, fears, strengths & weaknesses, then the film would fail. But in this case, their talents (though, not completely stretched) shine bright. As far as the cinematography, sets, costumes, music, wartime pyrotechnics & special effects go: breathtaking. The integration of those special effects into the photorealistic landscapes makes for an interesting & dazzling mix (a la Moulin Rouge). i.e., a magnificent stampede where Nullah attempts to thwart the cattle from falling into a ravine; also a covert ocean rescue near the end. Tears streamed down my face in both instances.
'Australia' is a re-imagined throwback to an era of filmmaking which strived to entertain with visual majesty & oversized emotion. The film has no agendas (sorry, all you high-brow cynics). And it's mainly about storytelling; how being in a story means that you exist (something important to a depicted non-person like Nullah, who is of the Stolen Generation of Aborigines). The awesome cinematic beauty of 'Australia' & the emotional catharsis of its characters overrides a lengthy running time & modest screenplay. And for all its unabashed lack of subtleties, it takes A LOT more risks than most Oscar-type films. I commend it for trying to replicate (or pay homage) to those big, schmaltzy classics of old Hollywood. And to quote Oprah, "They don't make 'em like this anymore - they really don't".