‘Australia’ - directed by
Rating: ****.5
‘Australia’ is like a film never before… Australia has always been very different from the rest of the world, from it’s geographical origins to the origins of its people. An unseeming blend of convicts carted over from faraway Britain and her colonies thrown to make something out of their lives with the native Aboriginal people. Few films from Hollywood have ever featured the rich and complex culture of down under except this film.
The film features Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who’s a stiff upper lip British aristocrat who comes to Faraway Downs (this ranch on Australia) only to find her husband murdered and decides to take up his unfinished wish of driving all this 1500 cattle to Darwin to sell to the army there. During this arduous journey of surviving in a very harsh land, and discovering an entire new culture, she meets ‘Drover’, (Hugh Jackman) who helps her fulfill her wish. The entire narrative is done by ‘Nullah’, a child of the ‘mixed cast’. Through the eyes of an innocent child, the beauty of simple things are enhanced, while ugly truths are presented in an almost ‘comical’ manner.
Together, the unseeming pair forms their one ‘great love’ and an interesting nuclear family with Nullah. All their happiness is disrupted with the approach of WWII and the cunning manipulations of the Carney people…
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
Sarah Ashley or so fondly also called ‘Lady Boss’, succeeds in driving all her cattle to Darwin, though having lost her accountant along the way due to a stampede; and also braving ‘the Never Never Land’ under the lead of ‘King George’ one of the Aborigines… In doing so, she’s overnight established herself as a sort of ‘heroine’ and on top of that, the undisputed wealthy owner of Faraway Downs. Happily she settles down with Drover and Nullah, but their peace is threatened by the war, and laws which threaten to separate the child from them.
Eventually Nullah is captured and removed to the Christian settlement off Pearl Harbour in an effort to blackmail Sarah into giving up Faraway Downs, but as luck (or the lack of) would have it, the Japanese strike in a horrific air raid. Miraculously and far too fortunately, Drover (who braves enemy lines to rescue the children from the settlement), Sarah (who survives a bombing which smashes her workplace to smithereens) and Nullah (who manages to avoid the shot fired by that evil guy whose name I forgot) ALL survive and live happily ever after.
Seriously, I would have killed the Drover. It’s what SHOULD happen in all such epic love stories!!! You cannot have happily ever after, it should be bittersweetly-ever-after. Haha… Ok, guess it was Christmas, so people shouldn’t be soooo morbid like moi. :P
Ok people, all of you out there who’re in a holiday mood but don’t want to put on weight from guzzlig too much alcohol, might as well spend just 10 bux to watch an almost 3 hour long movie. :D Enjoy!!!
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