Bush Christmas

I didn't really expect much going into this movie, why would I? The name, the age and even it's country of origin (my own country) didn't have much to offer it. That is probably a reason why I enjoyed this movie so much, it blew my low expectations out of the water.

The film was shot a lot more cleanly than I expected, showcasing a nice look at Australian Bushland. The children actors, who if I'm to understand correctly were not very experienced, did a great job allowing me to believe their performance. To top it off it wasn't your typical holiday movie, its only tie to Christmas being the time of year it is set.

I honestly can't recommend this movie enough. If you can get your hands on a copy I recommend watching it.

The exotic wildlife looks without too much interest in this Aussie travelogue and template for the sort of thing the Children's Film Foundation were making ten years later as a trio of crooks (led inevitably by Chips Rafferty) are harassed by a bunch of kids.

This being Down Under, there isn't the water for (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING:) the miscreants to get their usual dunking at the conclusion.

"I don't expect you've ever heard of our valley," says the narrator. "Mara Mara is its name, the name the Australian blacks gave it hundreds of years before we came to their land. Mara Mara. It has a nice, sleepy sound, hasn't it? And we're a sleepy little town, too. Plenty of hard work, but never much excitement. That is to say, not until last Christmas. I must tell you about last Christmas, because then we had too much excitement for a little place like ours. It all started on the afternoon school broke up for Christmas holidays. Of course on our side of the world, Christmas comes in the middle of the summer."

Five children riding their horses from school take a forbidden path and meet two strangers, who give them money and make them promise not to tell anyone about them. The two men learn about Lucy. She's a mare belonging to Mr. Thompson, a sheep farmer and the father of three of the children: Helen (the oldest), John, and six-year-old Snow (so named for the color of his hair). The other two are Michael, an English boy staying with the Thompsons, and Neza, an Australian black who is the son of one of Mr. Thompson's stock men. The two men prove to be horse thieves, and when Lucy and her foal turn up missing the next morning, the children know it must have been them.

They're mortified. Mr. Thompson had saved up three years for that horse, and it's their fault she's gone. The police have no luck finding the thieves, but John is certain he knows where they've gone. The children tell Mrs. Thompson they're going camping. But their real plan is to find the thieves and get Lucy and the foal back.

The strong performances of the children, and the intelligence and resourcefulness of their characters, are the main strong points of this mildly engaging adventure story.

The story could be tighter and the film shorter, but otherwise it's hard to find fault with this superb adventure film for children. The black and white cinematography is gorgeous - it's actually rather difficult to capture sweeping landscapes on black and white, but here it looks easy, it's so well done. The story is interesting, the dialog well written, the acting is superb - the kids never get annoying and remain authentic throughout, well supported by the adults who display a remarkable naturalism. Certainly it's "just for kids," that was its intent, and it succeeds admirably. If only one of the many versions of "Tom Sawyer" could have achieved such natural grace and energy! Has held up quite well after more than sixty years.

What a breath of open air and joyful hope this film from the faraway "Dominion" of Australia would have brought to British children worn out from near six years of war 1939-1945, and continuing material shortages in every aspect of life! The sunshine, outdoors sights and sounds, freedom to roam, all had a powerful emotional impact. Ralph Smart caught something of Australia as Australians even now think it ought to be. Chips Rafferty looked and sounded just like the mythic Aussie outback male: capable, good-hearted, courageous and humorous. A fine achievement by the Children's Film Foundation, which was itself an expression of optimism as Britain emerged from a hard-draining war.