We of the Never Never

Agreeing to live with her cattle rancher husband in the Australian outback circa 1900, a young woman finds her preconceptions and views on the world at large changed in this iconic drama, based on actual events. Having never lived outside the suburbs and finding herself with no Caucasian female company at all, 'We of the Never Never' at first seems predictable with lead actress Angela Punch McGregor undergoing many trials and tribulations adjusting to her new life. The plot soon thickens though as she befriends the local Indigenous Australians and finds herself at odds with her Caucasian companions (including her husband), who treat the Aborigines as second class citizens. Particularly compelling are the maternal instincts that swell up inside her as she bonds with a young Indigenous girl without strong parental figures in her life. The question then arises of whether she actually has the girl's best interests at heart by taking her away from her family and basically trying to adopt her. Further questions of inference arise with an Indigenous man who she tries to force to take medicine, and it is all endlessly engaging as we witness a character with more moral fibre than those around her wrestling with whether or not her generosity is in fact beneficial. The less said about the strained relationship with her husband and Arthur Dignam's hardly remarkable performance the better, but this is Punch McGregor's film all the way with a special mention to the breathtaking majestic landscape photography that makes the outback seem more alluring than ever.

I found this a very beautiful film, with charismatic leads and a very realistic portrayal of outback hatdships, the predicament of the aborigines, and the fleetingness of life amidst death. It looks great and has a good romantic score. I felt for this couple, shared their hopes and their losses. My only gripe is that I may have watched a cut version, as there seemed to be a few jumps in time, and not enough of the interesting background characters

A remarkable movie about a woman overcoming sexist and racial prejudice in outback Australia. McGregor is very convincing as Jeannie Gunn as she battles constantly to be seen as an equal amongst the menfolk on the station on which she lives with her husband. The fight seems a losing battle however as the views held by the men (regarding both women and indigenous people) are hard to overcome.

Anyone outside of Australia who is interested in an accurate portrayal of the early relations between Australian Aborigines and white Australian's then this movie is for you.

"We of the Never Never" is a rare film. A near-epic made by and starring people from Australia. I can't really say whether no Hollywood people were involved, but it doesn't seem so.

Most Americans will have a some trouble understanding dialogue here and there. I have spent time in Oz and N.Z. and I didn't catch some of it. Just another reason why it's a true Australian production.

And it's quite upfront for 1982. The interaction/friction between Aboriginals and Whites is not most of the film, but a large part of it.

But to see it is to see something uniquely Australian, IMHO. Got to read the book!

The Never Never is Australia's home-grown version of a hostile environment. Bad enough now with modern conveniences but brutal in the early 1900s. Survival depended on factors few today could fathom. This movie is an open window to that time. It's about relationships that had to be built from the sweat and dust of hard work. Hollywood doesn't have its mark on this one so see it for certain. The right drama with the right characters. Professional acting producing a beautiful memory.