The Man from Snowy River **** (1982, Kirk Douglas, Jack Thompson, Sigrid Thornton, Tom Burlinson, Terence Donovan) – Classic Movie Review 12,441

Director George Miller’s attractive 1982 Australian adventure film The Man from Snowy River stars Kirk Douglas, Jack Thompson, Sigrid Thornton, Tom Burlinson, Terence Donovan, and Chris Haywood.

Kirk Douglas enjoys himself extravagantly in two contrasting roles, as a mountain man and his rancher brother, in this Australian Western about the coming-of-age of young Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson), who takes a job with ace horseman Clancy (Jack Thompson) and romances his spirited daughter Jessica Harrison (Sigrid Thornton). Terence Donovan plays Jim’s father Henry Craig, David Bradshaw plays Banjo Paterson, and Chris Haywood plays Curly.

Henry’s one-legged miner old friend Spur (Kirk Douglas) gives a horse to Jim, who gets a job on a station owned by Spur’s brother Harrison (Kirk Douglas) after a recommendation from Harrison’s friend Banjo Paterson (David Bradshaw).

Breath-taking terrain, impressive horse sequences, high production values, gorgeous photography (by Keith Wagstaff) and a tale packed with real warmth combine to make this a grand Disney-style adventure.

Inspired by the epic poem by A B ‘Banjo’ Paterson, it is expertly directed by the George Miller who made Anzacs (not the one who made Mad Max). It was the highest grossing Australian movie at the time. Sequel: Return to Snowy River (1983).

Bruce Rowland composes the music, which won 1982 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Music Score.

The cast are Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig, Terence Donovan as Henry Craig, Kirk Douglas as Harrison / Spur, Tommy Dysart as Mountain Man, Bruce Kerr as Man in Street, David Bradshaw as Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson, Sigrid Thornton as Jessica Harrison, Jack Thompson as Clancy, Tony Bonner as Kane, June Jago as Mrs Bailey, Chris Haywood as Curly, Kristopher Steele as Moss, Gus Mercurio as Frew, Howard Eynon as Shorry, and Lorraine Bayly as Rosemary Hume.

It was the highest-grossing Australian film until Crocodile Dundee four years later and was briefly the highest-grossing film in Australia until E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Paterson’s notable poems include Waltzing Matilda (1895), regarded as Australia’s unofficial national anthem.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,441

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