Australia (2008)
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An English noblewoman travels to the Australian outback to save her husband's failing cattle station, only to find herself entangled in a web of murder, racial injustice, and wartime chaos.
The story
In 1939, shortly before World War II, English noblewoman Lady Sarah Ashley travels to Australia to force her philandering husband to sell his faltering cattle station, Faraway Downs. Her husband sends an independent cattle drover, called "The Drover", to transport her to the station. However, Lady Sarah's husband is murdered before she arrives, and she is told the killer is an Aboriginal elder nicknamed King George. Meanwhile, the station's manager, Neil Fletcher, secretly tries to gain control of the land to create a cattle monopoly. Lady Sarah soon finds herself captivated by Nullah, a half-Aboriginal boy living at the station.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1939, Lady Sarah Ashley travels to Australia to force her husband to sell the Faraway Downs cattle station. After her husband is murdered, she is transported there by 'The Drover'. She discovers the manager, Neil Fletcher, is plotting to sell the land to a tycoon. Lady Sarah becomes close to Nullah, a half-Aboriginal boy, and learns of the government's policy of seizing half-caste children. She eventually takes over the station, but Fletcher reveals he murdered her husband and is Nullah's father. As World War II breaks out and the Japanese attack Darwin, Lady Sarah works as a radio operator. Drover eventually joins a rescue mission to save Nullah from Mission Island. In the climax, Drover and Lady Sarah reunite with Nullah in Darwin. Fletcher attempts to kill Nullah but is struck down by King George. Lady Sarah and Drover return to Faraway Downs, while Nullah returns to the Outback with his grandfather.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 165
- Production countries
- Australia; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Baz Luhrmann
- Writers
- Baz Luhrmann · screenplay; Stuart Beattie · screenplay; Ronald Harwood · screenplay; Richard Flanagan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Nicole Kidman · Lady Sarah Ashley; Hugh Jackman · The Drover; David Wenham · null; Bryan Brown · null; Jack Thompson · null; David Gulpilil · null
- Genres
- adventure; drama; epic
- Themes
- racial injustice; historical romance; Stolen Generations; Australian identity
- Tone and mood
- epic; romantic; melodramatic; mythologised
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; war; romance; adventure; prejudice
- Reception
- Australia received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $211 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 53% · review count: 216; Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Awards and nominations
- Best Costume Design · Academy Award · nomination
- Production trivia
- Baz Luhrmann originally planned to make a film about Alexander the Great starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman.; Luhrmann considered setting the film during the First Fleet in 1787.; The film's production was delayed due to the fact that Nicole Kidman found out she was pregnant during principal photography.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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