We begin at the dawn of WWII. Germany has invaded Poland and war is breaking out in Europe. With the horrors that war brings, beef will be needed to feed the troops and a good portion of that is scheduled to come from Australia, which has large cattle ranches that provide a good portion of the initial conflict, but before we get there we need to meet the primary players.
Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) is an aristocratic Englishwoman who hears that her husband is philandering on their sprawling ranch, Faraway Downs, so she packs up and heads down to see for herself. Her world changes as soon as she arrives, finding her husband dead and herself the sole owner of Faraway Downs. She also meets Drover (Hugh Jackman with a serious touch of Clint Eastwood), named for his profession as a cattle drover. She looks to him to run the station, while he prefers being his own boss. They may have only just met, but is there any doubt that the sparks will fly for the couple from opposite sides of the track?
As she moves into Faraway Downs, she meets the Aboriginal folks who work there with Drover. Sarah also meets a young boy named Nullah (Brandon Walters), whose grandfather is known as King George and has fled to the hills after being accused of murdering Sarah's husband. He also shows up from time to time as the magic man to help Sarah, Nullah, and their ragtag team. I guess I should mention that this film deals with the racism that was present in Australian national policy with regards to the Aboriginal people and the mixed race children, like Nullah, who were taken from their families and placed in missions where they were to be taught to be white and how to serve. It was a despicable practice that was only officially outlawed in 1973.
All right, all right, let's move on.
Sarah and Drover team with a few others to drive their cattle across their gigantic swatch of land in an attempt to beat rival cattle rancher and all around bad guy King Carney. During the drive the flames of passion begin to rise between the uppity Sarah, who is finding herself in this new land, and Drover, who sees something in her. In addition to this relationship, Sarah emotionally adopts Nullah and the two become very close.
Article comments
1 - DCICaroline
Whether you hated it or loved it â€" all you’ve been hearing about is Australia.
However, you may not know that this movie is merely a rip off of the classic, Tasmania: The Movie. We encourage you to skip Baz Luhrmann’s saturated interpretation of the arid Outback for the more colorful and scenic landscapes of Tasmania. Baz can’t come close to capturing the heart and soul of my favorite island.
2 - STM
I agree, and Hobart - the capital of Tassie - must rank among the world's most beautiful cities. There's bright blue expanses of water everywhere you look, and the myriad surrounding bays and hills, especially Mount Wellington, form an amazing backdrop.
Thankfully, not that many people outside Australia know about it, which has at least kept real-estate prices down.
3 - Dr Dreadful
My two enduring memories of Hobart are (of course) the Cadbury chocolate factory, and me and my mate Dan getting so bored while the girls shopped in Target that we started dressing up in Christmas tinsel and taking photos of ourselves.
But you're right, Stan - it is a pretty city; and Tasmania is a beautiful island. The flat bit reminds me of Ireland, only emptier, and the mountainous bit reminds me of Wales.
As for the movie: it was pure kitschy Baz Luhrmann for the first 20 minutes, then it just turned into a generic Hollywood epic. Brandon Walters was terrific though. But I must say that David Gulpilil, who played King George, hasn't aged well! (Perhaps it was the makeup...)
4 - STM
Doc: Places like Richmond, not far from Hobart, with its convict-built stone bridge, are like living pictures from an English chocolate box ... transplanted to the other side of the world, which is what makes it so amazing. You'd swear at first glance you were in Britain, but there are subtle differences in the natural landscape. It's truly a beautiful place.
I remember one summer in Tassie going through an old stile in a hedge row near Richmond for a picnic with my wife, where we sat in the shade on a warm summer afternoon under an oak tree in a sloping paddock that looked down over a river valley. It was the kind where you have to step up and over, to stop sheep or cows from busting through ... the first one of those I've seen outside the UK.
And of course, it was the perfect spot, because it looked just like England. They wanted it to be that way I guess.
5 - STM
But I won't be going to see the movie. I don't like Aussie movies anyway, and too many people have panned this for me to risk three-plus hours of precious time snoozing in a cinema seat.
I'm sure it's an epic, but I don't want to see it. I don't need to see the landscapes ... I've seen 'em first hand.
And what else is there in this movie that we haven't seen or heard before, apart from the young actor, who by all acounts does a sterling job?