Eureka Stockade is an ambitious film. It tries to fervour revolutionary sentiments such as those American films that depict the Boston tea party and the fight for American independence.
Under British rule. The Victorian government in 1854 need to raise funds by imposing licence fees on gold miners in Ballarat. It was also imposed to discourage new people coming into the area.
Not only are miners being taxed with these monthly licence fees, they are not treated like equal citizens having to work in terrible conditions.
The story follows three new arrivals Peter Lalor (Chips Rafferty) an engineer by trade and his Italian friend Raffaello Carboni (Peter Illing) who help out young Scotsman Tom Kennedy (Gordon Jackson) they meet. Life is hard for the gold miners and the licence fees keeps on increasing.
Tensions rise between the miners and the police when a hotel owner is acquitted of murder when a miner killed in a brawl.
Lalor tries to keep the peace between the miners and the police. However the Governor is in no mood to meet their demands for better treatment. Lalor finds himself a wanted man after Lalor and the miners arm themselves and make camp at the newly constructed Eureka Stockade. The British army easily overpower them.
The film certainly has a radical intent. The Governor, his cohorts and the soldiers are painted as boo hiss villains. Chips Rafferty seems to play Lalor with the dignity of Abraham Lincoln who he is made up to look like.
Director Harry Watt was on side of the gold miners. He certainly envisioned an epic scope for this film. Unfortunately it is not an involving film, lacking impetus and action with too many two dimensional characters.
