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Clip description
The Drover (Hugh Jackman) prepares to lead the Faraway Downs cattle to Darwin. He explains the rules to Lady Ashley (Nicole Kidman), Nullah (Brandon Walters), Bandy Legs (Lillian Crombie), Kipling Flynn (Jack Thompson) and the rest of the team.
Curator’s notes
This is a motley crew compared to the experienced stockmen the Drover is used to working with. As he lays down the law he is like a team coach who’s lost his star players and has to make do with who’s left in the squad.
Hugh Jackman, best known internationally as the muscle-bound Wolverine in the X-Men movies, brings an imposing physical presence to the part of the Drover. He uses his prowess with horses and a gruff tone to establish his credentials as the boss. His eye rolling and muttered asides in this clip offer a welcome touch of humour that livens his performance.
The journey of this underdog multicultural crew to Darwin is similar to that of Dorothy and her companions in The Wizard of Oz (1939) – a film frequently referenced in Australia. Like Oz, Darwin is the place where dreams can be fulfilled. In the case of Lady Ashley, getting her cattle to Darwin is the only hope she has of saving her land and livelihood.
Not since The Overlanders (1946) has an Australian cattle drive been presented so spectacularly. Mandy Walker’s glorious widescreen cinematography in this sequence also indicates the enormity of the task ahead of the Drover and his crew. In the final shot, the cattle are dwarfed by the vast and dusty landscape they are heading into.
