4.0 out of 5 stars
Rural Australia around 1928, December 7, 2011
This review is from: The Irishman [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In the hay-day of Australian films, when such greats as "Caddie", "Newsfront" and "The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith" were being made, a few lesser films were also made, such as the picaresque, slapstickish, but emotionally satisfying "Picture Show Man".
This film, "The Irishman" is one of the lesser films.
Why is it not up there with the truly greats?
Its story is not fully explained.
Why are jobs hard to get? Is the Great Depression the problem?
Who is the wealthy landowner, and what is his source of wealth?
How does the Irishman, who hauls cargo on a wagon pulled by a large team of draught-horses, make his living?
How long ago was World War I, and what is its impact on the local community?
Why is no one looking after the hapless Aboriginal house-maid?
Worse, the film has music that just does NOT suit the story, or the era. Lush orchestral music, with wordless vocal chorus: reminiscent of Maurice Jarre's great music for "Dr Zhivago", but in that case, well-suited to the Russian vocal traditions of Russian Orthodox church music, and worksongs. In the case of "The Irishman" the music has no convincing hint of Australian-ness. If only George Dreyfus had provided a folk-song-based score as he did for "Lawson's Mates" and "Rush".
And, at the horse-race picnic, the piano sing-along repeats "Pack up your troubles" and other songs, as if such repetition would not be howled down by the race-day sing-alongers.
Another weakness is the fact that the central character, the Irishman, is a bully and a stick-in-the-mud.
He punches his wife.
He batters his son.
He drinks too much.
He sticks with his team of horses even though the obvious future is with petrol-motor trucks.
Having let off that steam, when there is NO music in the background, and when the Irishman is not bullying, the production is visually compelling.
The characters are similarly compelling. Top-notch acting, all around.
The locations are utterly convincing.
This is a top-quality recreation of a by-gone era.
The rough mining town, the horses and carts, the dirt roads, the kerosene lamps, the rough country pubs, ... everything is just right.
I wonder how closely it matches the novel by Elizabeth O'Connor it is based on?
John Gough -- Deakin University -- jagough49@gmail.com
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