Australia (2008)

November 18, 2008 (AU) • Adventure, Romance, Drama • 165m

Overview

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 by Japanese forces firsthand.

Director

Baz Luhrmann

Writers

Baz Luhrmann, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan, Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie

Top Billed

Nicole Kidman

Keywords

australia missionary world war ii ranch cattle drive racist prejudice suspicion of adultery australian outback 1940s 1930s stampede trampled to death kimberley, australia

Where to watch

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Nicole Kidman

Lady Sarah Ashley

Hugh Jackman

The Drover

Essie Davis

Katherine

David Wenham

Neil Fletcher

Bryan Brown

King Carney

David Gulpilil

King George

John Jarratt

Sergeant

Shea Adams

Carney Boy

Nathin Art Butler

Carney Boy

John Walton

Carney Boy

Nigel Harbach

Carney Boy

Eddie Baroo

Bull

Arthur Dignam

Father Benedict

Sandy Gore

Gloria Carney

Bill Hunter

Skipper (Qantas Sloop)

Jacek Koman

Ivan

Ben Mendelsohn

Captain Dutton

Barry Otto

Administrator Allsop

David Ngoombujarra

Magarri

Bruce Spence

Dr. Barker

Jack Thompson

Kipling Flynn

Yuen Wah

Sing Song

Kerry Walker

Myrtle Allsop

Ray Barrett

Ramsden

Jamal Sydney Bednarz

Mission Boy

Tony Barry

Sergeant Callahan

Ursula Yovich

Daisy

Brandon Walters

Nullah

Matthew Whittet

Brother Frank

Lillian Crombie

Bandy Legs

Max Cullen

Old Drunk

Haidee Gaudry

Essential Services Woman

Jamie Gulpilil

Porter (Wharf)

Peter Gwynne

Lady Sarah's Butler

Jimmy Hong

Carney Manservant

Angus Pilakui

Goolaj

Adam McMonigal

Darwin Policeman

Robin Queree

Ball Guest

Mark Rathbone

Stockman

Crusoe Kurddal

Aboriginal Tracker

Siena Larsson

Flying Boat Passenger Child

Anton Monsted

Maitland Ashley (uncredited)

William Gabriel

Drover / Guest / Waiter (uncredited)

Chris Polzot

Firefighter (uncredited)

Damian Bradford

Constable #1

Eugene Kang

Waiter

Crew

Baz Luhrmann

Screenplay

G. Mac Brown

Producer

Baz Luhrmann

Director

David Hirschfelder

Original Music Composer

Catherine Knapman

Producer

Ronald Harwood

Screenplay

Richard Flanagan

Screenplay

Baz Luhrmann

Producer

Catherine Martin

Producer

Baz Luhrmann

Story

Stuart Beattie

Screenplay

Michael McCusker

Editor

Paul Watters

Producer

Mandy Walker

Director of Photography

Dody Dorn

Editor

Jo-Ann Beikoff

Property Master

Libby Villa

Dialogue Editor

Ben Breen

First Assistant Accountant

Catherine Martin

Costume Design

Catherine Martin

Production Design

Ronna Kress

Casting

Mike Leeder

Casting

Karen Murphy

Art Direction

Ean Tang

Casting

Nikki Barrett

Casting

Kylie Clarke

Wigmaker

Sheldon Wade

Hairstylist

Simon Elsley

Set Designer

Teresa Hinton

Hairstylist

Belinda Villani

Sculptor

Michael Bell

Assistant Art Director

Peter Russell

Set Designer

Fabian Sanjurjo

Supervising Sound Effects Editor

Robert Duncan

Visual Effects Supervisor

Colette Birrell

Art Department Coordinator

Aaron Downing

Post Production Supervisor

Ashley Johnson

Hairstylist

Ed Cotton

Assistant Art Director

Leanne Brooks

Special Effects Coordinator

Jiang Liu

Sculptor

Jennifer Stanfield

Makeup Artist

Francesco Nardi

Makeup Artist

Kate Birch

Hairstylist

Erik Liles

Visual Effects Supervisor

Alex Meddick

Visual Effects Editor

John Simpson

Foley

Andy Brown

Visual Effects Supervisor

Anna Behlmer

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Angus Cameron

Visual Effects Supervisor

Tony Cole

Visual Effects Supervisor

Diana Freeman

Construction Coordinator

Shannan Burkley

Visual Effects Art Director

Katie Goodwin

Visual Effects Editor

Andy Nelson

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Gaetano Lagana

Scenic Artist

Chris Godfrey

Visual Effects Supervisor

Matt McDonald

Visual Effects Supervisor

Wayne Pashley

Sound Designer

Jon Grinberg

Visual Effects Editor

Thomas Van Koeverden

Special Effects Coordinator

Wayne Pashley

Supervising Sound Editor

Randy Vellacott

Visual Effects Art Director

Michael Meagher

Visual Effects Producer

Kerri Schwarze

Visual Effects Producer

Greg Stuart

Stunt Coordinator

Chad Malbon

Visual Effects Producer

Sophie Fabbri-Jackson

Script Supervisor

Ineke Majoor

Visual Effects Producer

David Worley

Visual Effects Producer

James H. Fisher

Still Photographer

Zeb Simpson

Video Assist Operator

Matt Morris

Visual Effects Editor

Edweana Wenkart

Unit Publicist

Glenn Suter

Stunt Coordinator

Daniel P. Rosen

Visual Effects Supervisor

Shereena-Lee van de Berkt

Visual Effects Producer

Steve Dunn

Visual Effects Producer

Lawrence Woodward

Stunt Coordinator

James E. Price

Visual Effects Supervisor

Chris Schwarze

Visual Effects Supervisor

Edson Williams

Visual Effects Supervisor

Kilou Picard

Visual Effects Producer

Warren Lazarides

Camera Operator

Mary Barltrop

Location Manager

Angus Reid

Visual Effects Producer

Robin Saxen

Visual Effects Producer

Felix Crawshaw

Visual Effects Producer

Diana Giorgiutti

Visual Effects Producer

Ian Nobby Clark

Transportation Coordinator

Peter Hicks

Location Manager

Prue Fletcher

Visual Effects Producer

John Whitteron

Camera Operator

John O'Connell

Choreographer

Shaun Conway

Gaffer

Stuart Morton

Music Editor

Keir Beck

Camera Operator

Felix Meagher

Additional Music

Angela Little

Additional Music

Craig Bryant

Orchestrator

Baz Luhrmann

Additional Music

Ricky Edwards

Orchestrator

James K. Lee

Orchestrator

Ian Gracie

Supervising Art Director

Beverley Dunn

Set Decoration

Charlie Nott

Electrician

Mark Sexton

Storyboard Artist

Michael Turner

Assistant Art Director

Marco Nero

Concept Artist

Peter Annison

Greensman

Rowan E Cassidy

Concept Artist

Graham Dunn

Set Dresser

Glenn Johnson

Greensman

Gavin Malm

Greensman

Simon Warnock

First Assistant Director

David Swanson

Greensman

Dean Maguire

Swing

Brett McDowell

Dolly Grip

Simon Allan

Electrician

Shane Melder

Swing

Damian Wyvill

Additional Director of Photography

Jason Trew

Best Boy Grip

John Regan

Dolly Grip

Marcos Castro

Electrician

Matt Daley

Greensman

Nikki DiFalco

Storyboard Artist

Steve Daley

Electrician

Mark Harman

Set Dresser

John Stokes

VFX Director of Photography

Sam McDougall

Greensman

Simon Edie

Electrician

Hayley Egan

Prop Maker

David Belleville

Electrician

Justin Plummer

Best Boy Electrician

Jason Weekes

Best Boy Grip

Sean Samuels

Concept Artist

Alan Willis

Best Boy Electrician

Matt Begg

Best Boy Electric

Benn Hyde

Dolly Grip

James Pruden

Greensman

Christian Tancred

Swing

Jeff Eastman

Best Boy Grip

Dorotka Sapinska

Conceptual Illustrator

Drew English

Clapper Loader

Jason Poole

Best Boy Electric

Joel Froome

Clapper Loader

John Ellard

Electrician

Stuart Waller

Video Assist Operator

Luke Nixon

First Assistant "B" Camera

Ian 'Strapper' Mathieson

Rigging Gaffer

Rusty Geller

Steadicam Operator

Peter Quinn

Video Assist Operator

Michael Webber

Electrician

Jay MacNeill

Electrician

Moses Fotofili

Gaffer

Alex Laguna

Gaffer

Glenn Arrowsmith

Key Grip

Brett Tracey

Second Assistant "A" Camera

Mark Glindeman

Gaffer

Luis Olivares

Video Assist Operator

Greig Fraser

Second Unit Director of Photography

Peter Eastgate

First Assistant "B" Camera

Mary Ellen Mark

Still Photographer

Benjamin Dugard

Electrician

Simon Walsh

Electrician

Lesley Watson

Second Assistant "A" Camera

Jordan Maddocks

Second Assistant "B" Camera

Garfield Darlington

Electrician

Jason Binnie

First Assistant "A" Camera

Jay Torta

First Assistant "B" Camera

Ashleigh Carter

First Assistant "A" Camera

Geoff Full

Key Grip

Peter McCaffrey

Steadicam Operator

Stephen Head

Electrician

Cameron Wintour

Electrician

Frank Hruby

First Assistant "B" Camera

Russell Fewtrell

Electrician

Paul Seipel

Second Assistant "B" Camera

Gypsy Taylor

Costume Illustrator

Christina Plitzco

Costume Standby

Ziggy Golden

Makeup Supervisor

Simone Wajon

Makeup & Hair

Zoe Saleeba

Makeup & Hair Assistant

Terri Farmer

Makeup & Hair

Loz Schiavo

Makeup Supervisor

Brydie Stone

Makeup & Hair Assistant

Angela Conte

Makeup Supervisor

Maurizio Silvi

Makeup Designer

Amanda Enders

Costumer

Kerry Warn

Hair Designer

Lynn Wheeler

Makeup Supervisor

Fiona Nicolls

Costume Standby

Jamella Hassan

Costume Standby

Catherine Biggs

Makeup & Hair Assistant

Millie Adams

Costume Assistant

Jade Sims

Costume Assistant

Nik Dorning

Prosthetic Makeup Artist

Bronwyn Doughty

Costume Coordinator

Joanna Grenke

Tailor

Emma McCleave

Assistant Editor

Dave Dalley

2D Supervisor

Anthos Simon

Digital Intermediate Producer

Matthew M. North

Digital Intermediate Editor

Sally Johnson

Colorist

Dave Kim

3D Coordinator

Trish Cahill

Colorist

Jason Ballantine

Digital Intermediate

Will Reichelt

3D Supervisor

Geoff Willman

Assistant Editor

Erik Bruhwiler

2D Supervisor

Peter Spinaze

3D Animator

Ryan Boucher

Assistant Editor

Laurie Hughes

Digital Intermediate

David Birrell

First Assistant Editor

Rod Dean

Editorial Consultant

Olivier Fontenay

Senior Colorist

Kevin Spruce

Animation Supervisor

Gary Burritt

Negative Cutter

Andrew Hellen

Animation Director

Jan Adamczyk

Digital Compositor

Gautam Kumar Jayaseelan

Digital Compositor

Alex Serrano

Visual Effects Coordinator

Stuart Willis

Visual Effects Coordinator

Nik Kacevski

CG Artist

Robert McDougall

Visual Effects Coordinator

Daniela Giangrande

Visual Effects Coordinator

James Sdrinis

Visual Effects Coordinator

Peter Webb

Compositing Supervisor

Niki Bern

Compositing Supervisor

Jenny Basen

Visual Effects Coordinator

Nicholas Cross

CG Artist

Mathew Harrington

Visual Effects Coordinator

Steve Anderson

Pre-Visualization Supervisor

Naomi Mitchell

Visual Effects Coordinator

Matthew T. Griffin

Digital Compositor

Sarah Sparnenn

Digital Compositor

Jeff Driver

Modeling

Michael Currell

Visual Effects Coordinator

Michael Orbing

CG Artist

Morris May

CG Supervisor

Wilfred Patriarca

Digital Compositor

Sarah Jane Dunlop

Visual Effects Coordinator

Mike Bain

CG Supervisor

Carsten Kolve

CG Supervisor

Julian Dimsey

Compositing Supervisor

John Durney

Digital Compositor

Adrian White

Digital Compositor

Emmanuel Blasset

CG Supervisor

Steve Jaworski

Compositing Supervisor

Lucinda Glenn

Visual Effects Coordinator

Ed Coy

CG Artist

Mike Mulholland

CG Supervisor

Sam Cole

Compositing Supervisor

Daniel Loui

Digital Compositor

Louise Harvey

Visual Effects Coordinator

Michelle Rose

Visual Effects Coordinator

Cameron Sharp

Visual Effects Production Assistant

Daniel Chavez

Visual Effects Coordinator

Nicole Ashford

Visual Effects Production Assistant

Selcuk Ergen

Visual Effects Technical Director

Miles Green

Visual Effects Technical Director

Flavia Dias Riley

Visual Effects Production Manager

Gemma James

Visual Effects Coordinator

Ingrid Johnston

Visual Effects Production Manager

Sotiris Georghiou

Visual Effects Technical Director

Joe Thornley

Visual Effects Technical Director

Katrin Arndt

Visual Effects Production Manager

Oleksandr Panaskevych

Visual Effects Technical Director

Toshi Shiozawa

Visual Effects Technical Director

Hayley Sullivan

Visual Effects Production Assistant

Jessica Vines

Visual Effects Production Assistant

Sandy Sutherland

Visual Effects Technical Director

Alex Pattinson

Visual Effects Production Assistant

Octavia Mansfield Schweitzer

Visual Effects Production Manager

Vishal Patel

Visual Effects Technical Director

Stephanie De Wealth

Visual Effects Coordinator

Eliska Yojtechovska

Continuity

John Bowring

Armorer

Anna Steel

Production Coordinator

Victoria Sullivan

Script Supervisor

Stephanie De Meautis

Production Coordinator

Steve Steenstrup

Armorer

Andre Deubel

Epk Camera Operator

Kelly Vincent

Production Coordinator

Gideon Marshall

Armorer

Denise Farrell

Production Accountant

Anton Monsted

Epk Producer

David Wheeler

Armorer

Steven McGregor

Script Consultant

Paul B. Gibbs

Production Accountant

Silvana Azzi Heras

Title Designer

Fiona Dunford

Production Secretary

Hilton Howson

Production Secretary

Biatta Czerkies

Production Secretary

David Scott

Visual Effects Art Director

Evan Pardington

Grip

Michael Ralla

Compositing Artist

Adrian Chiarella

EPK Editor

Ben Aickin

Compositing Artist

Mark Bakowski

Compositing Lead

Polly McKinnon

Dialogue Editor

Delia McCarthy

Dialogue Editor

Anne Breslin

Dialogue Editor

Reviews

John Chard

⭐ 7/10

January 12, 2020

King George angry at them white fellas. King George say them white fella bad spirit. Must be taken from this land.

Australia is directed by Baz Luhrmann and Luhrmann co-writes the screenplay with Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, and Richard Flanagan. It stars Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown and Brandon Walters.

It took a bit of a kicking from the pro critics upon release, where the consensus is that at a cost of $130 million this intended sprawling epic is an ambitious flop. For the record at the box office it practically made double its outlay, so certainly wasn't a financial flop.

It's a mixed bag for sure, a film of two differing halves. First half sends Kidman's English aristocrat to Northern Australia after she inherits the sprawling Faraway Downs Ranch. Here she finds herself in the middle of a dirty take over plot and reluctantly makes a working pact with Jackman's stock-man Drover. Seeds are sewn here for a bit of a screwball relationship, all while a cattle feud brews and the Aborigines at the ranch - particularly young Nulllah (Walters) - are in fear of racial tension. Pic then flip-flops into a love story, a war story (as the Japanese attack Darwin) and the bile strewn historical strand that features the "stolen generations" of half-white/half-Aboriginal children.

With all this going on, as Lurhman nods to classic epics from classic era past, the vistas are stunning and the hard work of cattle ranching is given genuine credence (helps having the rugged Jackman leading the way). Set pieces are exciting, the Japanese aerial attacks realistic for dramatic worth, while the chemistry between the leads, a worthy child performance from Walters and a quality weasel villain turn from Wenham ensure performances don't harm the pic in that department. There's even the likes of Ben Mendelsohn and John Jarratt in secondary support slots.

It isn't all it can be, and tonally it feels like there might have been some behind the scenes interference (three co-writers probably didn't help). Yet there are some genuine moments of fun and beauty here, mixed with some heart string tugs and reflection of an historical time that should never ne forgotten. Luhrman reached for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and didn't quite make it, but it's honourable and has some damn fine craft for entertainment purpose. 7/10

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