Australia (2008)

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Shea Adams

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.

Upon its release – and today still – the film received mixed reviews, but this sweeping epic remains one of my favorite films. I’m a big Baz Luhrmann fan. I’ve seen all his films, love all of them, and own all of them on DVD or Blu Ray (so I can watch them again and again!).

‘Australia’ can easily be divided into two segments. The first half is about the droving of the cattle, while the second half is a war movie. This is an extraordinary film that blends so many genres – as with all of Luhrmann’s films. It starts off comedic – almost slapstick – but soon turns very serious, eventually becoming a heartfelt emotional film of survival, and unity.

The visual effects are incredible. This is one of Hugh Jackman’s finest performances, and I loved the chemistry between him and Nicole Kidman. The film unfortunately touches quite a bit on racial elements, which might offend a lot of viewers. Having said that, one must keep in mind the film is set in a time when racism was the order of the day, and this is an accurate depiction of life in 1939. The film also teaches us a bit about Aboriginal culture. Brandon Walters was good as Nullah, and it is unfortunate that he did not pursue acting. (He won the Leading Young Performer Award for ‘Australia’).

‘Australia’ received an Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design. It won awards for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Film Soundtrack of the Year, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, among others, and also received several other award nominations.