Storm Boy

I recall this film very fondly from my late teenage years and was keen to revisit it, partly in preparation for a stage play adaptation we will be seeing shortly. I had studied the book at school and saw this film once in 1976 or 1977 in its first release.

I found it remarkably fresh and almost as captivating as back then. Greg Rowe as the young Mike (Storm Boy) and David Gulpilil as Fingerbone, the Aboriginal youth who befriends him is his lonely isolation were just as convincing. Somehow Peter Cummins's 'Hide away Tom Kingley still didn't quite ring true, despite the obvious challenges in such a reclusive role. I'm not sure the school scenes worked as well as they could have done either. But Tony Allison's national park ranger portrayal is wonderful, with the challenging handling of the same issues rangers face today.

But it does shows what telling the story truly, without trying sugar coat the darker bits can be so effective and provides lasting impressions.

The photography and locations are just brilliant, as are the pelicans. In fact, the capturing of these locations as they were in the mid 1970s is probably even more important now, given the environmental degradation the Coorong has suffered over the 40 years since then, with greatly reduced water flows into the lower Murray and probably declining water quality as well.

STORM BOY was a major cinem success in Australia and some other countries in the mid 70s and deserves to be an enduring hit anytime it is shown. Sensitive and heartfelt, this glorious film about a 12 year old boy and his Pelican sea bird reflects those Belgian - French - camargue films of the 60s but in a very Australian way. Filmed on the windswept desolate beaches of South Australia in full wild force of Summer Antactric winds and with a true young Actor, STORM BOY nowdays should be a staple of any family movie channel and dvd outlet. The Aboriginal teen in the film is David Gulpilil, one of Australia's most celebrated Actors, recently seen in Rolfe Heer's awesome film THE TRACKER.

This timeless classic Australian masterpiece did not disappoint in the slightest. The cinematography is brilliant, the acting is great (remember this was 1976 Australia) - especially from child actor Greg Rowe (who is now all grown up and living with his wife and two kids in Canada). David Gulpilil also provides a wandering Aboriginal man mysticism to the film and he looks quite younger than in Australia but it's like he is playing the same character. A character well suited to him. The area in which it is set is just beautiful and while Storm Boy battles with his needs to see the greater world and gain an education - all I wanted to do when watching was to swap places with him. The film supplies a lot of themes about nurturing, growing, the circle of life (thankyou Lion King), isolation, friendship and the morality of right and wrong. The battle between life in general and the life the rest of the population says we should be living.

The film is funny at times, touching, sad and inspiring and will make you want a pet pelican!!!

Try and get to see this one - I know Target has them for $7- and you can probably pick up at most places for same price - or rent it. One disappointing thing about it - the DVD is a straight copy of an older print - it is not remastered, but somehow to me this added to it's age and quality - like a fine port on film.

I saw this film just after I left school in 1981. To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't been broadcast on British television since. I recently had the pleasure of watching this wonderful film for the second time, after it was finally released on DVD in the UK.

Although essentially a children's film, I think adults will find this an engaging movie - particularly Greg Rowe's endearing performance in the title role. Hard to believe it was made so long ago.

Message to any Australians reading this thread - Has there ever been a dramatisation of the Beaumont Children case?

http://www.beaumontchildren.com/

This is such a classic. I saw it first as a child and then the other night as an adult and I just thought it was magnificent. The way the aboriginal is portrayed remains modern even after a few decades. It is brilliant stuff.