Tak005

There is nothing good to say about this film at all. I was going to switch it off after five minutes but persisted and it did not get any better. The script is pathetic and the storyline laughable. The acting is atrocious and very wooden. Very similar to watching a bad amateur drama society play. The cinematography feels like it all has been filmed on mobile phones in one of the crews private house on a farm. Overall it has the same production qualities of a badly made home movie.

Despite this movie being existence since 1982 I had never watched it till now. I have not read the book and my judgement is only upon the film. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

In essence it is the story of the trials and tribulations of a woman living in a very remote part of Australia in the early 1900's. There are many similarities to the 1985 film "Out of Africa" but it can't be accused of copying those ideas as this film was produced three years earlier. The acting, script and cinematography are all good. Unlike many Australian films made during this period it does not include British or American actors to increase its acceptance in those markets. The primary roles are all Australian. Also unlike many Australian movies of that time it's production qualities are good and stand the test of time. If you are Australian or not it's worthy of watching to get a genuine feel of outback Australia at that time viewed through the eyes of a woman subject to the social constraints of that time.

Abraham (Bram) Stoker wrote the well known novel Dracula in 1897. Later in 1922 the novel was made into an unauthorized film in Germany titled Nosferatu. The similarities were so alike the Florence Stoker, the widow of Bram Stoker sued the German makers and won. All copies of the film were ordered destroyed but a few survived so that we still may see the original.

The is reason that I preface with the history is that I believe that this film suffers from the same issue as it's namesake. That no matter how good the acting, production, cinematography or script. It is.just a retelling of the well known Dracula story. The differences between the two really make no difference at all. With that one wonders why the film was made at all and for that reason is why the low score.