Midway through the film Mrs. Bailey confronts Harrison (Kirk Douglas) with the story of his wife, in love with two men and deciding to marry the first one to make his fortune. Harrison staked it all on a gamble and won. His brother Spur - "He went looking for gold".
Each character in their own way finds gold in "The Man From Snowy River". For Jim Craig (Tim Burlinson) it's the pursuit of manhood and finding the confidence in himself to challenge an autocratic father. For Jessica (Sigrid Thornton) it's found in an ideal of being true to one's self against daunting odds. For mountain man Spur (Douglas in a dual role), it's a reuniting with family and a chance to mean something to someone else. Even Harrison finds his own gold, though it will take him some time after the movie's over to realize it.
Filmed against a backdrop of a stunning Australian wilderness, the movie introduces new language to this fan of the Western genre. Until now I had never heard of a brumby (a wild horse), and found it interesting that they travel in mobs, rather than herds. The adventurous spirit in me was rather intrigued by the mention of wallaby stew, one of Spur's featured menu items. In a comedic moment though, he mentions to the Harrison cook his fondness for plump breast and tenderloin.
It struck me that the film has a uniquely timeless appeal. Filmed in 1982, it doesn't feel dated and looks like it could have been made today even though the story itself takes place in 1888. Perhaps that's one of the hallmarks of a good film, a story that transcends it's chronological setting to carry on it's appeal for future viewers.
There's only one troublesome thing though, and for a family film, it bothered me that more men joined Harrison to look for his runaway colt than for his missing daughter. Sadly, value placed on things often had more importance than value placed on people, even in the 1800's.
Each character in their own way finds gold in "The Man From Snowy River". For Jim Craig (Tim Burlinson) it's the pursuit of manhood and finding the confidence in himself to challenge an autocratic father. For Jessica (Sigrid Thornton) it's found in an ideal of being true to one's self against daunting odds. For mountain man Spur (Douglas in a dual role), it's a reuniting with family and a chance to mean something to someone else. Even Harrison finds his own gold, though it will take him some time after the movie's over to realize it.
Filmed against a backdrop of a stunning Australian wilderness, the movie introduces new language to this fan of the Western genre. Until now I had never heard of a brumby (a wild horse), and found it interesting that they travel in mobs, rather than herds. The adventurous spirit in me was rather intrigued by the mention of wallaby stew, one of Spur's featured menu items. In a comedic moment though, he mentions to the Harrison cook his fondness for plump breast and tenderloin.
It struck me that the film has a uniquely timeless appeal. Filmed in 1982, it doesn't feel dated and looks like it could have been made today even though the story itself takes place in 1888. Perhaps that's one of the hallmarks of a good film, a story that transcends it's chronological setting to carry on it's appeal for future viewers.
There's only one troublesome thing though, and for a family film, it bothered me that more men joined Harrison to look for his runaway colt than for his missing daughter. Sadly, value placed on things often had more importance than value placed on people, even in the 1800's.