Australia: Review By ms89

Majestic. Thrilling. Breathtaking. Moving. Funny. Sweeping. Big-scale and absolutely epic. All these words describe one film, and that’s Baz Luhrmann’s Australia. I don’t know what critics say and for what reason but I know that I am determined not to take them seriously ever again, because what they called “a folly” turned out to be, at least for me, one of the greatest movies of all time.

The plot and characters are pretty much known to everyone so I’m not going to waste time on introducing them. Instead I will point out all these elements that made me fall in love with Australia. Firstly, it’s the way the story begins. I found these first 20 minutes of the film, for which Australia received some bad criticism, rather enjoyable and hilarious. The absolute trademark of Luhrmann’s direction that gives the film its unquestionable originality. No, Australia is not a Down Under Gone With The Wind or The African Queen or Out of Africa. Luhrmann was inspired by their grand, epic scale and romanticism but his Australia is not a puzzle made of pieces taken from these classics. Australia is an original film, a tribute to the art of film-making, a unique creation that can’t be compared with any other movie.

Then comes the famous stampede scene, a true highlight. It was majestic with all the meaning of the word. The way the camera was rolling, the music, the sound that made you feel like 2000 cattle were breaking into the theater… And after breathtaking action that seriously keeps you at the edge of your seat, the scene reaches an end that combines magic with drama. I really have to say that while I was watching this I felt like “Yeah… That’s a great film”.

Australia is partly described as romantic and, as promised by the director, it is. This part of the film is mostly expressed in the ball scene, when The Drover appears on the big party and evokes underrated comments from the high society of Darwin. The gala is over when the rain begins. Everyone is happy, the citizens overwhelm the streets and our two leading characters forget whatever suspension they had for each other and become one. The whole scene is genially directed by Luhrmann with poetry and pure lyricism that leaves nostalgic feelings.

Finally we come to the bombing of Darwin, where Baz Luhrmann proves what a genius and visionary director his is. He creates, as expected, the essential big bombing scene with the help of visual effects but he doesn’t deliver just spectacle but also tragedy and emotion and thrill, all expressed through the eyes of an elder Aboriginal man, who stands in the middle of a chaos while bombs explode not far from him and watches the disaster with a shocking apathy. A thrilling symbolism of the effect that the politics of the western world caused to the country and of an innocent indigenous population that first saw their land being taken from them and then became witnesses of its destruction without being able to do anything to save it. In this point, I should also mention the story of the “lost generations”, which plays a big part in the film and proves the efforts by the Australian government to eliminate the aboriginal culture.

Technically, Australia is a masterwork. It’s more than obvious that everything is worked in detail that reaches perfection: the breathtaking cinematography, the costume designing, the art direction, the sound, everything. The soundtrack of David Hirschfelder is wonderful and fully utilized in key-scenes, whether they are romantic, humorous, dramatic or even magical.

Before concluding my review I have to write some words for the acting. Despite the fact that she received some hard criticism, Nicole Kidman shines in Australia. She is beautifully transformed in the story from a snob, cartoonish and in times silly upperclass English lady to a woman full of passion and strength. I think the highlight of her performance is when she tries to comfort Nullah by singing to him the famous “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, another wonderful symbolism by Luhrmann –Oz is another way to call Australia- which also serves as the music theme that connects the little boy with Sarah, and reminds them that the dreams come true when you are with the people you love. Then we have the Wizard, the little magical boy played by the unbelievable Brandon Walters. Without this kid and its beautiful, expressive eyes Australia wouldn’t work the way it works. He brings magic every time he is on-screen and I would dare to say he absolutely steals the show, but there is one more included in the leading trio and that’s Hugh Jackman. These who still believe that the guy can’t act (and haven’t seen him in The Fountain) should go and see Australia. He eventually proves he really is the ultimate matinee idol. He brings enormous charm to his role and is so engaging that you can’t get enough of him, even during three hours. As The Drover, he is your archetypal macho hero that delivers manly lines, often sarcastic towards Lady Ashley, that make you laugh, but while the story evolves and he falls in love, he becomes vulnerable and emotional. For me, his performance in that bar in Darwin after the bombing can only be described as great. Finally, thumbs up should be given to David Gulpilil who plays Nullah’s grandfather, the spiritual King George, Jack Thompson who is very funny as the always drunk accountant of the Lady and Bryan Brown who is imposing as the cattle baron King Carney.

To sum up, Australia is a fantastic film, a masterpiece that deserved to be seen only on the silver screen. It has been accused of cliches and no-realism but I find these comments rather silly. After all it is a MOVIE, and movies should contain an amount of cliches and magic. We are aware of the real world, we experience it everyday, we don’t need its adaptation on celluloid to know. What we need is a fictional door to another world, a world that can sweep us off our feet, a world that can entertain us, move us, thrill us and in the end leave us with a smile on our face. Ultimately, a world in which somewhere over the rainbow the dreams come true. Even if the journey in this world lasts for only 165 minutes…