The Sundowners

Australia gets a golden era Hollywood treatment in this old-fashioned epic about pioneering spirit and settlement set in the early 20th century. Robert Mitchum heads up a colourful international cast as Paddy, the patriarch of an Australian roving family... his wife Ida (Deborah Kerr) and son Sean (Michael Anderson Jr.) yearn to put down roots and claim part of the country for themselves, but Mitchum has a wandering soul that's part romantic adventurer and part irresponsible layabout. There isn't really much of a plot to The Sundowners beyond that, it's more about colonial Australian life and plays out more as a travelogue for the benefit of American audiences.

From an Australian viewer's standpoint, there's something magical about this film. Australians couldn't make a movie like this (though this hasn't stopped some of us from trying... EG. Baz Luhrmann's Australia). Through the eyes of Hollywood everything we take for granted takes on an exotic air. The film is so unashamedly stereotypical in its depiction of our country that it's hard not to love it. Here's a list of 'Australianisms' I picked up...

• Gumtrees.
• Corellas, Kookaburras, Koalas, Kangaroos, Dingoes, Border Collies.
  
• A look and style that draws upon classic Australiana like Norman Lindsay's illustrations, The Sentimental Bloke and Dave and Dave.
• Lawn bowls, barefist boxing, horseracing and cricket (the phrase "Come in spinner" is even used).
  
• Pubs that serve KB lager.
• Merino sheep (and the word 'jumbuck')
• Use of colloquialisms like "backside", "smoko" and "Ooroo".
  
• Bush fires.
• Slouch hats.
• Sheep-shearing (and sheep-shearing competitions).
• Sausage rolls and schooners of beer.
• Two-Up.

Director Fred Zinnemann shoots his grand epic on location to good effect. Some of the story elements are comparable to a western/American historical drama hybrid, but the Australian landscape has a look entirely of its own that gives the film its own flavour. I probably could've done without the twee and folky score - even for a film made in 1960 it feels a tad dated. Mitchum is a good pick (as far as Americans go) as the stereotypically long-faced Aussie larriken... his accent isn't completely watertight but it's still quite convincing, his rhythm is spot on even if the vowels sometimes aren't, and his naturalistic performance carries it. Deborah Kerr on the other hand takes a while to get used to, she seems to interpret Australianism as flat-out coarseness, which would be a little insulting if she wasn't such a charismatic performer. Peter Ustinov co-stars as a philophising British adventurer who gets caught up with Paddy's family, and he helps to give the proceedings a much-needed touch of mother country-class.

I loved The Sundowners to bits, it quenched my film thirst like a frosty beer on a hot summer's day, and as far as American tributes to Australia go you can't go past this rollicking, finely-observed 'greatest hits' package of Aussie folklore and character.
TRIVIA: I couldn't spot him, but famed Australian actor Ray Barrett made his film debut in an uncredited part.

DIRECTOR: Fred Zinnemann
WRITER/SOURCE: Script by Isobel Lennart, based on a novel by Jon Cleary.
KEY ACTORS: Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr, Peter Ustinov, Glynis Johns, Dina Merrill, Chips Rafferty, Michael Anderson Jr., John Meillon.

RELATED TEXT:
- The Sundowners originated as a novel by internationally-famous Australian author Jon Cleary.
- Part of the film is devoted to a sheep shearing competition. I can't imagine there are too many films that feature such a thing, but another one that does (perhaps more memorably) is Sunday Too Far Away.
- Two previous American films that extensively featured Australia and Australian characters were On The Beach and The Man From Down Under. The 1980s Meryl Streep vehicle Evil Angels was an American-Australian co-production that dealt with real life events that happened in Australia.

AWARDS
Academy Awards - nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (Deborah Kerr) and Best Supporting Actress (Glynis Johns).
BAFTAs - nominated Best British Actress (Kerr), Best British Film and Best Film.
Golden Globes - won Special Merit Award. Nominated for Best Director.