And intriguing, if quirky film
I like this film, but it's hard to believe that it's set in Australia.
It has a strange idea of what Australia was like in the early 20th century. A bush dance is filled with Scots and Irish folk, and the music is bagpipes?! The accents are mostly British with the exception of the title role, which is played by Rosalind Russell, who has a distinctly American accent. Place names are mispronounced (like "Bris-bane" instead of "Bris-ban" for Brisbane).
And yet, there's a charm to this film. The real Elizabeth Kenny was an outsider who used unorthodox techniques and terminology to treat polio. It didn't cure the condition, but alleviated the symptoms. In the film she resolutely persists in practicing this and opposing the medical establishment, at a cost of her personal life.
Well worth watching.
It has a strange idea of what Australia was like in the early 20th century. A bush dance is filled with Scots and Irish folk, and the music is bagpipes?! The accents are mostly British with the exception of the title role, which is played by Rosalind Russell, who has a distinctly American accent. Place names are mispronounced (like "Bris-bane" instead of "Bris-ban" for Brisbane).
And yet, there's a charm to this film. The real Elizabeth Kenny was an outsider who used unorthodox techniques and terminology to treat polio. It didn't cure the condition, but alleviated the symptoms. In the film she resolutely persists in practicing this and opposing the medical establishment, at a cost of her personal life.
Well worth watching.
- gallae
- Jan 23, 2007