Australia DVD

I had one of those 'love-hate' relationships with Australia before I'd even watched it. I had wanted to see it since it was released in theatres but it received quite horrible reviews and some people had told me it was too long and boring to be worth watching, so naturally I avoided it.

When it was released on DVD I put it on my 'queue' list on fatso (if you don't 'do' fatso, try it out, it's awesome) and was recently sent it as one of my 4 DVD’s for September. When I was visiting my family for a week I thought it would be a good opportunity to watch it as I was sure at least one of my parents would be interested, even if I didn't enjoy it.

Australia opens with an Aboriginal 'half-caste' child learning lessons from his grandfather where we see a 'white man' shot with a bow, and dying in the billabong. This is where the story starts. Sarah (Nicole Kidman) is a prissy English aristocrat who inherits the only ranch in Australia not owned/run by King Carney. When Carney attempts to take her land, she fights back in desperation to protect the Aboriginal people living on the ranch, particularly the young boy Nullah who opened the film.

In short it is a film about love, loss and finding yourself. I loved it. I can understand how some may find the film a bit long, as there were parts which dragged on a little but it is a beautiful film, amazing imagery and some brilliant acting. I especially loved the reference of the Wizard of Oz which was a theme right throughout the movie and the importance of music in binding the three central characters together.

I especially commend Brandon Walters, who played young Nullah. Australia was his first film and he rose to the challenge of acting between Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. These three complimented each other well, making the climatic point of the film, the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese during WWII, heart wrenching.
I enjoyed the film, my family enjoyed the film and now that I think about it most people i’ve talked to have enjoyed it, just not the critics who reviewed it in the first place! If you’re put off by the length of Australia, wait until you’re in the mood and wait until you’ve got the time to truly appreciate it but don’t miss out! This movie deserves way more recognition than it received, although I should have known that from the start, Baz Luhrmann always seems to produce masterpieces.