A film with everything - Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, sheep herding, horse racing, gorgeous locations and a baby koala. What's not to love?
Intro.
I realized the other day that I spend entirely too much time thinking about classic movies. I came to this conclusion when I was flipping through my copy of the TCM guide to Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era. I got really excited that the latest film on my DVR, The Sundowners, was the last film on the entry for Robert Mitchum (each actor has 5 Essential films listed). Then I started to plan on watching all 5 films for each actor in the book and soon realized that would be 250 films, or more like 180 if you count all the ones I've already seen. Such is the life of a classic film fangirl! Anyway, now that I've seen all 5 Robert Mitchum films (the others being Out of the Past, Cape Fear, Night of the Hunter and Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison), I can say that The Sundowners truly qualifies as an essential.Overview
Sundowners, in Australian terminology, are people whose home is where the sun goes down; in short, people always on the move because they have no permanent home. Such is the way of life for the Carmodys - Paddy, the father, is a sheep drover and hates the idea of settling anywhere. His wife Ida (Deborah Kerr) wants to settle somewhere and have a real home for their teenage son, Sean (Michael Anderson, Jr.). The film starts out with them driving a flock of sheep to be sold and sheared. They hire another man to help them, an older gentleman named Rupert (Peter Ustinov). Together this family deals with the rough terrain to drive the sheep, including a horrible "crown fire" that spreads like lightning between tree tops. Finally they manage to get the sheep to a shearing town, and despite his strong feelings against settling anywhere, Paddy agrees to stay for the season and shear sheep. The rest of the family also get jobs and the bankroll starts to grow. Although Ida and Sean are set on getting a farm, it takes some convincing (and some conniving) to even get him to look at one. A few gambles later and the family gains a beautiful racehorse which they name Sundowner. They decide to enter him in a few races, but just how much are they willing to lose?Highlights
Okay, first of all, I love Deborah Kerr in just about every film she's made. She has a lot of gumption but can also be very graceful and demure. She's perfect for the role of Ida and in later interviews, she said of the 5 times she was nominated for an Academy Award, this role was the one she wanted to win for the most. She deserved it too - she has a kind of stoic pride that gets Ida through all of the family's hardships, but she still has no problem telling Paddy exactly what she thinks. In fact, Ida and Paddy are well suited for each other, and I think a bit part of their chemistry comes from how well Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr work together. According to TCM, William Holden was the first choice for the role of Paddy, but when he turned it down, Robert Mitchum jumped at the chance. He didn't even need to read the script; when he heard Deborah Kerr was in it, that was all he needed. It's great to see actors have such a good working relationship, and both are outstanding in their roles.
In the beginning I felt that the film had an epic tone - the cinematography and directing were wide and grand. But as the film progressed, it focused in more on the family. Part of it was the great score by Dimitri Tiomkin and the wonderful directing by Fred Zinnemann. But what really makes this movie a standout is the filmography - it's all done on location in Australia. Apart from the great scenery, we also have some adorable wildlife like kangaroos, wallabies and of course, a koala with its baby. The work with the shearers is all really well done, especially the shearing contest between Paddy and some ringer. Also, I know there are articles out there criticizing the accents, but I think both Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum have great Aussie accents. I think my favorite part was when Paddy gets drunk and starts singing "Wild Colonial Boy" in the local pub. Think about that - 1) Robert Mitchum has to pretend to be drunk 2) and manage to keep his accent 3) while singing. Now that's talent.
What the film really comes down to is a family trying to stay together. Paddy and Ida clearly want the best for their son and for themselves, but can't agree on what that is. All they have is each other. In the end, they are still Sundowners and continue onward with their futures still unsettled. That heart - that love they have for each other - makes this movie a success.
Review and Recommendation
I really enjoyed this film. The ending doesn't really settle anything, but I think that's in keeping with the nature of the characters. If it had been any different, it couldn't really be called The Sundowners. Australia serves as a perfect (and breathtaking) setting for this tale of family, love and survival. It's a gamble every step of the way for the Carmody family, and a great movie every minute. Definitely worthy watching!
P.S. For anyone who has seen Crocodile Dundee, the line "Flat out like a lizard drinkin'" is actually used in The Sundowners too!! I had a little bit of a fan girl moment there.
