This is a depressing story; and yet, it is not. It's simply life in rural Victoria, Australia, in the 1960s, within an immigrant family trying to survive, emotionally and financially, in difficult times. So, it's a well-known type of story: with precursors like The Grapes of Wrath (1940), We of the Never Never (1982), and right up to Angela's Ashes (1999).
The differences here are two fold: first, the story is told largely through the eyes of a pre-teen boy, Raimond Gaita (Kodi Smit-McPhee); and thematically, it reverses the stereotypical idea of the wayward husband who can't stop chasing women – instead, we have a wife who can't seem to settle down with one man.
As viewer, we enter the story with Romulus (Eric Bana) alone on his farm with his son, Raimond. Soon, we learn that Christina (Franka Portente) is now living with Mitru (Russel Dyksra), brother to Hora (Martin Csokas) who is a good friend of Romulus. Hora stays with Romulus, helping out on the farm for a while. One day, Christina returns and pleads to have Mitru join her. Romulus, surprisingly, agrees; but he's obviously not happy. Shortly, the emotional strain is too much however: Mitru returns to Melbourne, and soon Christina moves back to have his child, Susan (Eve Parker). Raimond joins his mother to help her out, leaving Romulus alone at the farm (with occasional help from Hora). All the while, Christine's unbalanced psychology leads to bouts of depression, sexual adventures and suicide attempts, all of which Raimond witnesses. From there, the story reaches its inevitable denouement.
As a fictional story, it would be a hard sell to any producer. Based upon a true memoir, however, it's simply astounding to me that a husband could love so deeply that he was willing to share his wife with another man. As Romulus, Eric Bana is astoundingly good; his non-verbal acting is just amazing. Young Kodi Smit-McPhee is a great new talent: being on camera most of the time is difficult even for adults, so his performance is even more of a revelation. Franka Portente, whom I'd first seen in Run, Lola, Run (1998), acts the alienated wife to perfection, I think. And the supporting cast is well up to scratch.
Overall, this is a mature production from first-time director, Richard Roxburgh, and rates as one of the better films from Australia for many a year. The script rings true, although a bit sparse at times; I think some voice over from Raimond would have been useful to help viewers stay with the narrative. The music is distinctive, but not particularly memorable; it is effective, however. The Australian landscape is stunningly and lovingly photographed. The period setting is exquisitely detailed, right down to the tinned baked beans and spaghetti for tea – one of my own unpleasant memories from my teen years in Sydney at that time.
And, as a piece of immigrant Australian history, it helped to flesh out, for me, the troubles of those New Australians, in those difficult times. It was an insight that appealed and appalled – and one that I'm glad I've now seen. I hope all film aficionados take the time to see it. Highly recommended.
The differences here are two fold: first, the story is told largely through the eyes of a pre-teen boy, Raimond Gaita (Kodi Smit-McPhee); and thematically, it reverses the stereotypical idea of the wayward husband who can't stop chasing women – instead, we have a wife who can't seem to settle down with one man.
As viewer, we enter the story with Romulus (Eric Bana) alone on his farm with his son, Raimond. Soon, we learn that Christina (Franka Portente) is now living with Mitru (Russel Dyksra), brother to Hora (Martin Csokas) who is a good friend of Romulus. Hora stays with Romulus, helping out on the farm for a while. One day, Christina returns and pleads to have Mitru join her. Romulus, surprisingly, agrees; but he's obviously not happy. Shortly, the emotional strain is too much however: Mitru returns to Melbourne, and soon Christina moves back to have his child, Susan (Eve Parker). Raimond joins his mother to help her out, leaving Romulus alone at the farm (with occasional help from Hora). All the while, Christine's unbalanced psychology leads to bouts of depression, sexual adventures and suicide attempts, all of which Raimond witnesses. From there, the story reaches its inevitable denouement.
As a fictional story, it would be a hard sell to any producer. Based upon a true memoir, however, it's simply astounding to me that a husband could love so deeply that he was willing to share his wife with another man. As Romulus, Eric Bana is astoundingly good; his non-verbal acting is just amazing. Young Kodi Smit-McPhee is a great new talent: being on camera most of the time is difficult even for adults, so his performance is even more of a revelation. Franka Portente, whom I'd first seen in Run, Lola, Run (1998), acts the alienated wife to perfection, I think. And the supporting cast is well up to scratch.
Overall, this is a mature production from first-time director, Richard Roxburgh, and rates as one of the better films from Australia for many a year. The script rings true, although a bit sparse at times; I think some voice over from Raimond would have been useful to help viewers stay with the narrative. The music is distinctive, but not particularly memorable; it is effective, however. The Australian landscape is stunningly and lovingly photographed. The period setting is exquisitely detailed, right down to the tinned baked beans and spaghetti for tea – one of my own unpleasant memories from my teen years in Sydney at that time.
And, as a piece of immigrant Australian history, it helped to flesh out, for me, the troubles of those New Australians, in those difficult times. It was an insight that appealed and appalled – and one that I'm glad I've now seen. I hope all film aficionados take the time to see it. Highly recommended.