The Wizard of Oz

A review of Australia.

Australia, story by Baz Luhrmann, written by Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie (Collateral, Derailed), Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and Richard Flanagan and directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet) is not a great movie, but I loved seeing it anyway. If you’re in the mood for a predictable, sweeping, romantic epic, Gone With the Wind, Australia-style (and seventy years later with the attendant advances in special effects, visual effects and sound editing), if you will, then spending an afternoon watching Australia is exactly what this movie reviewer prescribes for you. It is exactly what you would expect from this genre of movie and from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and there is something wonderfully comforting and satisfying about that.

Australia traces the history of the nation of Australia prior to, during and directly after World War II, through the eyes of one Aboriginal boy, Nullah (Brandon Walters). Particular attention is directed at the horrific and racist policies of the Australian government, which forcibly separated Aboriginal children and children of mixed race from their parents and placed them into what in essence amounted to internment camps in an effort to “assimilate” them. (This policy remained in effect until 1970 and it was not until 2008 that the Australian government offered an official apology for its implementation. Rabbit-Proof Fence, a 2002 film directed by Phillip Noyce is an excellent film that also addresses this subject matter.) Australia is narrated by Nullah, the child of an Aboriginal mother and white father, as his relationship with Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), aka “Mrs. Boss,” evolves and strengthens. Lady Ashley arrives in Australia to find her husband murdered and thus must literally take the reins of his cattle drive in order to save her ranch, Faraway Downs. She convinces Drover (Hugh Jackman) to join forces with her, and thus begins a will-they-or-won’t-they romance worthy of Scarlett O’Hara/Rhett Butler comparisons.

The choice to frame the movie around Australia’s racist Aboriginal policies was an excellent one as it simultaneously educated, raised the stakes by creating an immediate urgency and made for a compelling drama between the push-pull of Nullah’s dueling heritages throughout the film (whether or not he will go on a “walkabout” with his grandfather King George, a rite of passage for Aboriginal boys, becomes a pivotal moment for both Nullah and Lady Ashley and Drover’s relationship). However, the use of Nullah as a narrator felt a bit forced and unnecessary. The film was not one that required a narrator. That being said, I understood the choice to clearly establish Nullah’s story as that which would provide Australia’s structure. The way that narration was utilized at the beginning, though, felt quite cumbersome. It was a strange device to have Nullah begin narrating, then go backwards to follow Lady Ashley’s story, then quickly return to the same moment after not very much time. It just felt awkward.

Far from awkward was the chemistry between Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. They quite literally smoldered on screen (although it’s entirely possible I could’ve been distracted by all the shirtless shots of Hugh Jackman as the ruggedly scruffy Drover). Both gave strong performances, Jackman contending with his lack of wardrobe while Kidman adeptly handled her overabundance (in addition to costumers, Kidman had a credited milliner and milliner/belt maker; calling the Oscar for Best Costumes right here, right now, folks). Brandon Walters, a novice actor of Aboriginal descent, was authentic and sweetly moving as Nullah. A special shout-out to David Wenham, who played the dastardly Neil Fletcher as such a convincingly evil bastard, he prevented me from being able to place him as the man behind the noble Faramir from the Lord of the Rings movies until I referenced his name in the credits at the end of the movie. Fletcher could easily have come across as a cliché, but thanks to Wenham’s performance, he was a three-dimensional jackass.

What was cliché, however, were the numerous “just at the last minute” moments. If one keeps in mind that this is the type of movie one is signing up for when one chooses to go see Australia, then it won’t irritate or frustrate (as much as it might otherwise) (also, be prepared for some overusage of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”). What may still frustrate is the feeling of “haven’t these people suffered enough?” There was a moment where I thought to myself, “Seriously, why does everyone have to die?” And then, predictably, someone else died. I didn’t offer a comparison to Gone With the Wind at the top of this review for nothing.

Despite its flaws and predictability, Australia is worth seeing, and particularly merits viewing on the big screen. The visuals are absolutely stunning. Australia is a beautiful country and the film Australia is exquisitely shot. Even when one consciously knows you must be watching CGI (Computer Generated Image) shots, it still looked real enough that the knowledge didn’t remove you from the moment. So seize this moment and go see Australia. Just refrain from drinking any large beverages beforehand, as the 165 minute running time can challenge even the strongest of bladders.