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Epic is a term people throw around a lot in Hollywood. As the industry constantly cranks out movies with increasingly vast scope and soaring ambition, there comes a point when audiences have seen it all. Nowadays, it takes a remarkable effort for a film to truly live up to the word.
That said, Baz Luhrmann's Australia is one epic movie.
Seven years after writing and directing his last film, the 46-year-old Aussie has moved on from the distinctive tone of his Red Curtain Trilogy - Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! - and brought his vision of Australia circa World War II to life.
With the star power of Nicole Kidman (The Golden Compass) and People's Sexiest Man Alive Hugh Jackman (Deception) leading the way, Australia is a grandiose piece of fun, high-budget storytelling. It's a throwback to the striking spirit of Gone with the Wind and a modern romantic blockbuster in the trend-setting style of Titanic.
Aesthetically, Australia is nothing short of a masterpiece. Luhrmann splices the country's dazzling natural beauty with some skillfully produced visual effects to help set the larger-than-life scene. One after another, a slew of spectacular shots across the sprawling Australian landscapes take the screen, each seemingly more impressive than the last.
Set in 1939, the film centers around English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (a somewhat annoying Kidman), who takes control of an Australian ranch after the mysterious death of her husband. Sheltered and naive, Ashley ventures down under to take care of her inheritance, which is currently under the questionable management of Neil Fletcher (epic film specialist David Wenham, Children of Huang Shi).
Realizing she must drive more than 1,500 cattle to the city of Darwin, Ashley warily enlists the help of the gruff Drover (Jackman, in a role originally given to Russell Crowe) and embarks on a testing journey across the unforgiving Australian terrain.
Drover clearly can't stand Ashley, which we all know is movie code for "he's in love with her." As time passes, the two characters from different worlds undergo drastic transformations, forming an unlikely bond in the process. Jackman plays the reluctant adventurer well, though Luhrmann perpetually framing him in the most heroic shots possible doesn't hurt.
But, like any self-respecting historical epic, Australia delves into matters far beyond character arcs and melodramatic relationships. At the time, the Australian government forcefully removed Aboriginal children of mixed races from its social fabric, sending the so-called Stolen Generations to isolated missions. With racial tension prevalent throughout the country, the issue hits home for Ashley when government officials take away Nullah (newcomer Brandon Walters), an Aboriginal child she cares for as her own.
All the while, the looming shadow of World War II slowly makes its way toward Australia. When Darwin falls victim to an air raid from the same Japanese forces that attack Pearl Harbor, the stakes are suddenly raised to life and death.
So does Australia carry enough narrative weight to match the standards of its stunning visuals? For the most part, it does. Just when you're conceding the film might be all style and no substance, it strikes the right emotional chords, often using an extended Wizard of Oz metaphor to thread the plot together. And the aforementioned images - particularly those of a war-torn Darwin - are truly spectacular sights to behold.
After a frantic, uneven opening act filled with some awkwardly over-the-top humor, Australia falls into an easy rhythm, almost making one forget about its 165-minute runtime. Over the course of the film, traces of different genres and styles litter Luhrmann's storyline. A Western and a war film, a chick flick and a popcorn movie, a quirky comedy and a poignant drama - with a voice starkly resembling that of Peter Jackson (King Kong), Luhrmann makes sure Australia has it all.
Coming from a director who has made only four films in the past 16 years, Luhrmann's work always bears high expectations. In that regard, Australia will be a disappointment to some - it's not quite Best Picture material, although it may warrant a nomination at the Oscars. Viewers, however, would be best served dwelling on what it is rather than what it isn't. And as a gripping crowd pleaser, Australia is, well, nothing short of epic.
tfloyd1@umd.edu
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
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