Will Baz Lurhmann's 'Australia' win out in the end?
Critics have slammed it, overseas box office is poor, Australians are watching the film but find it disapointing, yet could Baz Luhrmann have the final word? Could Australia still go on to be a smash on DVD?
Like Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' and George Lucas's ongoing reworking of the 'Star Wars'films, is Luhrmann's real masterpiece still to come?
Baz Lurhman's mega film 'Australia' has just become his most successful film in Australia, it's box office takings have suceeded those of his earlier hit films 'Strictly Ballroom', 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Moulin Rouge'. The film is still along was from breaking even due to it's massive $197 million dollar budget.
Some critics have slammed this film, others have found some positive moments in the film, audience reactions have been very mixed. The most common reaction I find though is that people like parts of the film. Some praised the films depiction of indigenous culture, others have praised it's magical realism style, a friend said to be it was like two different films, with a fast paced 'Last Week in Australia' section joinging the two together. Another friend felt cheated when the characters suddenly make it Darwin, as if half an hour of the film may have been cut out at that point.
It's no secret that Luhrmann was under pressure to get the film finished on time, it's start date being pushed back a week to give him a little more editing time. Different endings were trialled, and it's has been acknowledged that there was a lot of material on the proverbial 'cutting room floor'.
So what are the chances of Luhrmann returning to 'Australia' and bringing out new version for the DVD releases, or a second release a few years down the track? It's not unheard of for films that are only mildly successful in the cinema to go on and make massive returns on DVD releases. David Fincher's 'Fight Club' was considered a commerical failure upon it's theatrical release, but the DVD aided by additional scenes and comentaries has become one of the hioghest selling ever.
There is still every possability that Luhrmann's 'Australia' could become a film like 'It's a Wonderful Life', which while often cited as one of the best films ever, yet when it was first released reviews were mixed and it's mainstream appeal only came after it had screened on television almost annually.
'Australia' could take advantage of the changing habbits of cinema viewers, who would prefer to stay at home and watch a DVD, rather than head down to the local megaplex. While some reviewers asked for the film to be shorter, a home viewer seeing the film on the home projector and DVD player might be more interested in the longer version. Could their be a place for the 4 or 5 hour cut of the film?
While many are calling 'Australia' a disaster, yet another failure of an industry that is at death's door, I'm not so sure.
Let's check back in in 5 years time and see how Australia views 'Australia'.
Like Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' and George Lucas's ongoing reworking of the 'Star Wars'films, is Luhrmann's real masterpiece still to come?
Baz Lurhman's mega film 'Australia' has just become his most successful film in Australia, it's box office takings have suceeded those of his earlier hit films 'Strictly Ballroom', 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Moulin Rouge'. The film is still along was from breaking even due to it's massive $197 million dollar budget.
Some critics have slammed this film, others have found some positive moments in the film, audience reactions have been very mixed. The most common reaction I find though is that people like parts of the film. Some praised the films depiction of indigenous culture, others have praised it's magical realism style, a friend said to be it was like two different films, with a fast paced 'Last Week in Australia' section joinging the two together. Another friend felt cheated when the characters suddenly make it Darwin, as if half an hour of the film may have been cut out at that point.
It's no secret that Luhrmann was under pressure to get the film finished on time, it's start date being pushed back a week to give him a little more editing time. Different endings were trialled, and it's has been acknowledged that there was a lot of material on the proverbial 'cutting room floor'.
So what are the chances of Luhrmann returning to 'Australia' and bringing out new version for the DVD releases, or a second release a few years down the track? It's not unheard of for films that are only mildly successful in the cinema to go on and make massive returns on DVD releases. David Fincher's 'Fight Club' was considered a commerical failure upon it's theatrical release, but the DVD aided by additional scenes and comentaries has become one of the hioghest selling ever.
There is still every possability that Luhrmann's 'Australia' could become a film like 'It's a Wonderful Life', which while often cited as one of the best films ever, yet when it was first released reviews were mixed and it's mainstream appeal only came after it had screened on television almost annually.
'Australia' could take advantage of the changing habbits of cinema viewers, who would prefer to stay at home and watch a DVD, rather than head down to the local megaplex. While some reviewers asked for the film to be shorter, a home viewer seeing the film on the home projector and DVD player might be more interested in the longer version. Could their be a place for the 4 or 5 hour cut of the film?
While many are calling 'Australia' a disaster, yet another failure of an industry that is at death's door, I'm not so sure.
Let's check back in in 5 years time and see how Australia views 'Australia'.
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