Oh, those Australians and their dissection and redefinition of
westerb genre: It seems that Aussie filmmakers have an uncanny ability
to consume “American” film genres and turn them on their
heads in audacious and fascinating ways. Qualitatively, the results
are often mixed, but there's always something about Australian films
that have resonance and continue to impact the worldwide market in
unexpected ways. The Man From Snowy River was made twenty years ago,
before the giant early-90s blitzkrieg of popular Australian cinema,
but nonetheless it shares a lot of the revisionist artistic sentiments
other, more recent exports have displayed in spades.
The one
that's on the tip of everyone's tongue now is Moulin Rouge, a film so
ridiculous and flamboyant, it's hard NOT to be at least intrigued by
its mere existence. Then there are The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen
of the Desert; Muriel's Wedding; even Babe – these are movies
made in the same mold as recognizable genre films of years past, but
each has a distinct and unexpected spin. Where The Man From Snowy
River isn't as showy and hyper-kinetic as the above-mentioned films,
it does exhibit a markedly different approach to the late-century
American idea of a “western”. It has all the elements of the
classic genre – horses, lush scenery, tough-as-nails
protagonists, gorgeous plainswomen – but it presents them in a
decidedly nuanced, almost seductive fashion. The film's
storyline is simple – a young man goes to work for a cranky, big-
time cattleman, but learns, through his forbidden love with the boss'
daughter, that there are greater things to strive fro in the
Australian sprawl (and his own soul) than merely the pursuit of greed
and gain. Yeah, it's hokey and contrived, but what the film lacks in
novelty it makes up for in sheer visual scope. It's the look and the
geography of the film that is The Man From Snowy River's joie de
vivre. There's nothing grandiose or earth-shattering about the
performances or the already-mentioned platitudes of the by-the-book
screenplay, but the locations and the action of the film's more
exciting sequences make the more bland elements of the film
irrelevant.
But perhaps The Man From Snowy River's most notable
merit is that it wears its innocence and old-fashioned mentality on
its sleeve; it is not ashamed to be the love letter to the Australian
outback, and any film as diverting and involving as this neo-western
deserves praise. It's not as popular nor as well-made as most of
fellow Aussie George Miller's fare or as noticeably “crazy”
as, say, Baz Luhrmann, but this DVD release reminds us of a bygone
era, a golden age of lackadaisical Australian filmmaking.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The included 2.35:1
anamorphic widescreen transfer is a significant step up from any other
previous home video version. Some of the film's color palette is pale
and unsaturated, and there's a bit of overall fade to the film's
original crispness, with only decent blacks and fair contrast. The
print has a handful of regrettable blemishes, and there are a few
signs of artifcating, such as some noticeable digital bleeps. It's
nice to see the film finally get a decent transfer, but it remains to
be seen if it will ever get the full-on restoration it deserves.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Presented in Dolby
2.0 surround, this mix is fair at best. It doesn't really offer much
separation between the front channels, and dynamic range is limited to
say the least. Effective use of low end is few and far between, and
while the dialogue sounds relatively crisp, it's just not a very
enveloping experience. Surrounds are weak, and it doesn't sound much
better than the original English mono mix that's also included.
Also provided is a French mono track, English Closed Captions and
Spanish subtitle options.
Supplements: What Goodies Are
There?
Not a lot. We've got a well-transferred if bloated
theatrical trailer, some other trailers for other 20th Century
Fox DVD releases, and that's it.
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What
do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras
have been included.
Parting Thoughts
Whether you
remember liking the film when it came out or are one of a growing
legion that feels it is one of the better westerns of recent years,
The Man From Snowy River is worth seeing. For a list price of $19.95,
you really can't go wrong with this disc, even if the audio and video
are only serviceable. It seems unlikely that another, more full-
fledged edition of the film will see the light of day any time soon,
so if your a fan, this DVD is worth considering.
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