Australia (2008).

I loved Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo+Juliet and Moulin Rouge, thus was quite excited to watch this. The film opens in a comedial mood, I am suddenly wondering if this is really the “epic” that it has set out to be. In 1939, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), an English aristocrat, travels to north Australia to force her husband to sell the cattle station – Faraway Downs. Drover (Hugh Jackman) meets her at the town of Darwin to transport her to the station. Upon arrival, Lady Ashley discovers that her husband has died. The station’s manager Fletcher (David Wenham) claims that he was killed by a magical Aboriginal elder called “King George”. Nullah (Brandon Walters), a mixed race (half aboriginal half white) boy resides at the station with his mother, and is beaten by Fletcher when Nullah reveals that Fletcher has been cheating on Ashley’s business. Upon seeing this act, Lady Ashley proceeds to fire him and decides to take charge of the station by herself. It is later revealed that Fletcher is the father of Nullah, who claims to have magical Aboriginal powers, like his grandfather, King George. Along with the help of Drover and other residents on the cattle station, Lady Ashley manages to get the cattle herd to the Australian troops at Darwin. We see her start to appreciate Australia a lot more, and become accepting and respectful for the men that disgusted her so much at the beginning of the film. The almost-3-hour film then continues to tell the story of how she copes on the cattle station; the romance that blooms between her and Drover, the relationship between her and Nullah; the escalation of WW2 and its effect on Darwin; more of Fletcher’s evil plot to take over the Carney cattle station empire; and overcoming the upper class stereotype amongst a hell of a lot of other things. Needless to say, this film is not short on genres, it goes from a comedy, to a western romance, to a war epic.

Luhrmann’s eye for breathtaking scenery and Kidman’s fantastic wardrobe made this the most enjoyable for me. Versions of “Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz return throughout the film, as Lady Ashley sings it to Nullah when comforting him following his mother’s death. Being such a universal song, it gives this film a wider appeal as well as linking in with the themes of family and home. The narration by the “creamy” half-cast, Nullah in his distinct accent made this a lot more authentic. The Aborigines have always been seen as a magical race, and the inclusion of their language and culture has made this film into a deeper story. Aside from the aboriginal parts, I think the script is a bit poor, not really contributing a lot to the depth of the film. Though not as good as Moulin Rouge or Romeo+Juliet, this was an entertaining watch. Probably worth it for the amazingly epic camera shots, but other than that, not so much. I still can’t get over how blue Kidman’s eyes are. Or how hairy Hugh Jackman is. (Out of Wolverine role).