The Tribal Mind: Now we know who understands Australia

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

To discuss if Gen X and Y can overcome the boomers, go to Who We Are.

by David Dale
We are ready to carry out a postmortem on Australia -- the movie, that is, not the country, which probably still has a year or two of life in it.

Last November, under the heading "How well do you understand the mind and mood of your nation?", this column asked readers to predict the box office for Australia here and in America. We got 172 entries, most of them pessimistic, and many of them vitriolic. You can read them all here.

Today we announce the winners, though what matters is not who was right or wrong, but what we learned from the process, which was that Australians will go to see an Australian movie ...

EVEN WHEN much of its dialogue is embarrassing, its acting is hammy, its special effects are unconvincing, it is an hour too long, its leading actress is unpopular and some critics list it among the worst movies of the year ...

AS LONG AS the story is stirring, the budget is huge, it is massively hyped, and it is showing on more than 500 screens during a holiday period when there isn't much else around.

So now future filmmakers in this country know how to create a hit -- and Australia was definitely that, selling $36.5 million worth of tickets in 12 weeks. This means it was seen by more than 3 million of us (or by Baz Luhrmann 3 million times). It is the third highest grossing local film in history (after Crocodile Dundee, which made $48 million in 1986, and Babe, which made $37 m in 1995) and the number 14 moneymaker of all time here, just ahead of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The Americans were less keen. It made a modest $US49m there. And across the world it made $US190m. Half those earnings would have gone to the ticket sellers and the distributors, but when the DVDs are done and dusted, it could well cover its budget of $150m.

Two readers came close to the correct figures. They were Cassi, who predicted $A35m and $US50m, and Kate, who predicted $A34m and a world total of $160m. They'll win books which modesty forbids me from naming. And books will also go to ...

Emma, who thought Australia would "resonate with cinema-goers in light of the global financial crisis. The film communicates basic themes that are relevant - in times of hardship, it is your loved ones that matter the most."

Capn Pugwash, who found it "fitting that Australia already represents a perfect summation of everything gone wrong with Australian films in the last decade, and the narrow patronising cultural banality so prevalent during the Howard years."

And Les, who argued: "If they wanted Australia to be successful they would have made the character of Hugh Jackman a serial killer with Nicole Kidman fighting for her life."

They were all correct.

What's your postmortem on Australia? Will you buy the DVD (or, if Luhrmann is consistent with past habits, the five disc box set)? Tell us at Comments. And go to The Films Australia Loved for more background.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

Australia is still in the cinemas here and yet to open in Japan. It will most likely gross US $200 million by the end of its run. not too bad considering it bombed in the USA and UK.

Tribal Mind wonders: It's fascinating to speculate on how the Japanese will react. During the scene on Mission Island, will audiences be shouting "The kids are hiding in the water"?

by Buzzy on February 16, 2009 at 01:49 AM

Why do we look at the amount of money that a film makes and not the number of people who see it. Crocodile Dundee was the highest grossing film in the world in 1986 and $48 million dollars then is worth far more in todays dollars.
My point is we count Albums on unit sales which shows the popularity of a record over time yet we count dollar figures for movies which changes overtime.

Tribal Mind replies: You're right, and you will see that I have attempted to do that, if you click on The films Australia loved and scroll down. The problem is that the cinema chains don't release weekly data on how many people bought tickets. All they release is total box office, so we can only estimate number of cinemagoers at the end of the year by dividing average ticket price by total takings.

by Peter Allsopp on February 16, 2009 at 08:50 AM

Making money? Gross or Net? If those are current box office gross figures then financially the film has tanked. The taxpayers of Australia have underwritten and Baz indulgence.
Irrespective of the income business side of this film it looks sounds feels like a stinker.
I might look at it one day when I get the pirate copy from Vietnam that costs me $1.99.
Baz is a one trick dog and his special skill has been parlaying that into a lucrative career.

by jak on February 16, 2009 at 09:01 AM

This is a horrid article. Australia was a brilliant film - the best I've ever seen. Why does Australia have a life-threatening case of Tall Poppy Syndrome?

by Mike on February 16, 2009 at 09:58 AM

I agree with Mike. It was a film that impressed. I work in the middle east and a Greek Cypriot project manager, who has never been to Australia, loved it and wanted to know more about Australia (and not about the beachy life style we go on about). I saw the movie after him telling me about it and I enjoyed it immensely. By the way the experts were writing about it I thought I would be embarrassed, this was not the case. My wife who was also critical of it before seeing it became very poitive about it...a significant turnaround. All the best for 'Australia'

by peter on February 16, 2009 at 10:32 AM

I don't know why David Dale keeps on attacking this movie and making fun of it. He probably hates any Australian succes-story. It's a brilliant movie and everyone I talked to loved it. Name me a recent Australian movie which has stirred so much emotions and already made $36 million in this country, $200 million in Europe and $50 million in the US (which he calls modest). I wish all australian films were 'modest' like this one.

Tribal Mind replies: Why do you assume I was attacking it? I was reporting on the reaction, which, frankly, has not been entirely positive. As I wrote, it is the number three Australian moneymaker of all time.

by John Muffet on February 16, 2009 at 11:56 AM

What movie did these posters see (or is this simply Rupert Murdoch placing several posts under a pseudoneum)? Australia has to be one on the most badly concieved movies of the last year. Paper-thin characters superimposed on a paper-thin plot. A clumsy pastiche of slapstick and epic, resulting in neither box being ticked. Add that to a director who doesn't seem to be able to cut his own work.
I loved Baz Luhrmanns previous films and was open to enjoying this one, but this was simply a two-star outing.

Tribal Mind has to ask: Two stars out of how many? If Michelin restaurant guide, then out of three, which is brilliant. If hotels, then out of five, which is not so good.

by Fishboy on February 16, 2009 at 12:13 PM

Haven't seen it, don't want to see it, definitely won't buy the DVD.

by meg on February 16, 2009 at 12:45 PM

I watched this on the plane over to the US a few weeks back. It was unutterably bad, embarassing, childish, awkward and just bad.
The various action scenes were bearable, but the cringing attitude towards aboriginals, the idiotic voice-over, the simple plot and characters, the set-peice characters... there was no complexity, everyone was a cardboard cutout.
It was breathtakingly awful.

by ant on February 16, 2009 at 04:17 PM

It was more of a cartoon than real life characterization. I've tried to watch it twice and fell asleep both times. So, if sleeping is a problem it's a sound investment but as for paying $1.99 for a Thai bootleg, you can get it much cheaper elsewhere.
Don't download it though, not worth the internet space.
Even Peter Costello (John Howard's office boy) panned it.

by Dennis on February 16, 2009 at 04:41 PM

I only scanned the reviews but understand they were very critical particularly of Nicole Kidman. I then heard it was getting good audience and heard a few people who said it was not brilliant but not terrible. We went to see it on the weekend and I was surprised that after being on release for this number of weeks, there were a reasonable number of people there. It was definitely not as good as Buz Luhrman's earlier work but I accept it for what it was; an epic with a bit of tongue in cheek ("crikey"). Nicole was OK, it could have been a bit shorter (like most modern epics) but I was engaged and not dying to get out of the cinema at the end.

by Michael on February 16, 2009 at 04:50 PM

The movie is horrible, finally people can see that Nicole Kidman is so over rated, it's not funny. I mean, Cate Blanchett, now there's an actress/movie star, Nicole....it's hard to show emotion when your face can't move. Even on talk shows, she comes across as the snotty girl you went to school with who thought she was a goddess, oh did I mention, she has no personality...

by John Smith on February 16, 2009 at 08:00 PM

I haven't and will never watch 'Australia' but that won't stop me giving my two cents worth.
Based on not much evidence, it seems to me the 'success' of The Film is testament to the great Australian tradition of being quite happy thanks with mediocrity. Especially if it's patriotic mediocrity. I'm willing to bet the peolpe who saw it and liked it also think a tattoo of the Southern Cross on the shoulder is noice and maybe Pauline Hanson said some things that make sense.
Since when did 'not terrible' mean 'must see'? Maybe since every talk show and 'current affairs' show and 'news' broadcast decided it would be risky popularity-wise to declare that the movie is not very good (by most reports and I'm including those that said 'it wasn't too awful' as 'not very good'). Something about getting behind the Aussie Film Industry and Our Nicole and Our Baz whether its a U.S. film Co making money from it and the acting makes you want to scrape out your own eyes or not.
It's not honest apraisals of the thing that are 'horrid' it's the low expectations of film-goers in this country (and others) and the confusion between patriotism and taste.

by darren on February 17, 2009 at 06:03 AM

I haven't seen the film, and do not plan to unless forced. I am going to add though, that my American relatives saw the film here in Australia (instead of contributing to the American box office). They loved it. This just made me wonder if watching 'Australia' in Australia was more appealing for Americans.

by Kym on February 18, 2009 at 10:19 AM

Can I just say that I work in a Village Cinemas Gold Class and we still have it! And it still sells out EVERY session! They took it away one week and we had a three page long petition/waiting list at ticket box of people wanting to get in. It also went away in traditional cinemas, but is back for this week!
I personally loved it...I got caught up in what is an old timey, don't think too much, romantic epic. It is not a historical piece, just some escapism with a bit of humour, a bit of sadness, a bit of romance and some great cinematography.
Year 12 English classes won't be studying it in 10 years, but people will still be watching it.

by Nick on February 18, 2009 at 11:23 PM

i saw this movie and actually thought it was pretty good. i would give it a 7.5 out of 10! the only bad thing on its side is how long it runs. if the movie has made that much already then i would call it a success considering all the bad press it has received. its done alot better than most other movies out there

by ryan on February 21, 2009 at 04:33 AM

For all those people who haven't seen the film, keep your opinions to yourself. You have no right to criticise a film that you HAVEN'T SEEN. It was excellent, Nicole was excellent & her acting was entirely appropriate for the character she played. I am sick & tired of this film's reputation being damaged by people who are willing to knock something good, simply because it is Australian.

by net on February 22, 2009 at 12:27 PM

Well, I watched it last night.
I originally had no intention of watching it. Baz Lurhman's stuff doesn't exactly thrill me, and I must say that Australia (the movie) struck me as a cartoonish pastiche epic with echoes of Indian Jones' style over-acted characterisations.
While I personly rated it as neither bad nor great, it was on a par as far as entertainment value - in my opinion, with Indiana's Crystal Skull installment.
The bizarre mix of chest beating self-appreciation (as embodied in The Drover) and self-flagellation regarding a history that some of us aren't so proud of, almost made me puke - especially the final scene with "King George" approving of the mixed race future of our land as embodied in Nulla... as long as loving adoptive mum Nicole and beyond belief role model of everything righteous and good - Hugh The Drover Jackman, were there to lovingly reinforce the fact that he in fact belonged to both the black and white worlds. Yawn... Popularist pap.
Some of the effects made me cringe... like the stampede scene along the cliff edge - ripped straight out of The Crystal Skull for my money that one! All it needed was vehicles instead of horses and a bit of jungle instead of desert.
Or the unbelievable oversized explosions of bombs being dropped on Darwin by Japanese Zeros (which were actually Nth American Harvards in a few scenes!).
BTW, were lever action Winchester rifles a common weapon of choice for drovers just prior to WWII in outback Australia? Not so sure about that one!
For historic purists, Australia would rate particularly low on the "I can believe that" scale - but I guess Baz felt it best to accomodate foreign sensibilities for marketing purposes.
I've gotta wonder whether the Government's economic rescue package will get swallowed up in extra taxes to pay for Bazz's folly?!
No purchase of the DVD from me...

by Steve C on February 22, 2009 at 01:40 PM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

The Tribal Mind: Now we know who understands Australia

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