Australia 2008 PG-13, 165 min. Genre: Adventure / Drama / Western
Director: Baz Luhrmann Cast: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson, David Gulpilil, Brandon Walters, David Ngoombujarra, Jacek Koman, Ben Mendelsohn, Bruce Spence, John Jarratt, Bill Hunter, Essie Davis, Barry Otto
During World War II, Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) sets out to meet her husband at the cattle station they own in the Australian outback. She is escorted on a three-day trek through the desert by a man nicknamed The Drover (Hugh Jackman) and puts up with his swaggering style. They arrive at the cattle station and find that Sarah's husband has been murdered, and the overseer Neil Fletcher (David Wenham) is suspected because he is in cahoots with King Carney (Bryan Brown) to achieve a beef monopoly. If Sarah can transport her cattle to Darwin, Fletcher and Carney's plot will be foiled. Sarah appeals to The Drover to help her on the cattle drive. Despite good moments and bad, they fall in love and do arrive in Darwin–just in time for the Japanese attack. Fletcher's son Nullah (Brandon Walters), who has magical powers, narrates most of the story. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.
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Crocodile Dundee 1986 PG-13, 98 min. Genre: Action / Comedy
Director: Peter Faiman Cast: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Mark Blum, John Meillon, Michael Lombard, David Gulpilil, Irving Metzman
Paul Hogan stars as Michael J. Dundee, "Crocodile," a legendary wilderness guide from Australia who is hired by a chic New York reporter to take her on a tour of the outback. In turn, she invites him to see the U.S., and Dundee becomes the toast of New York City. Good entertainment and Paul Hogan is great in his role.
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The Last Wave 1977 PG, 106 min. Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Peter Weir Cast: Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, David Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow, Vivean Gray, Nadjiwarra Amagula, Walter Amagula, Roy Bara, Cedrick Lalara, Morris Lalara
When Sydney lawyer David Burton (Richard Chamberlain) defends five aborigines accused of murder, Burton's scientifically logical mind is met head-on by aboriginal mysticism.
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Mad Dog Morgan 1976 R, 102 min. Genre: Western / Action
Director: Philippe Mora Cast: Dennis Hopper, Michael Pate, Jack Thompson, Frank Thring, David Gulpilil, Bill Hunter, John Hargreaves, Wallas Eaton, Martin Harris, Robin Ramsay, Graeme Blundell
In this true story about a 19th-century Australian bush outlaw, Dennis Hopper takes on the title role of an Irish immigrant who goes to Australia to find gold. Once in Australia, Morgan resorts to criminal activity, is caught, and put in jail for six years. After his release, Morgan teams up with an Aborigine, Billy (David Gulpilil), and, as Morgan tries to exact revenge on those who had wronged him, they gain fame as outlaws in New South Wales.
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The Proposition 2005 R, 104 min. Genre: Western / Drama
Director: John Hillcoat Cast: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Richard(2) Wilson, Emily Watson, John Hurt, David Wenham, Noah Taylor, David Gulpilil, Leah Purcell, Garry Waddell, Boris Brkic, Jeremy Madrona, Jae Mamuyac, Mick Roughan
The Australian frontier in the late 1800s is not unlike the American Old West, and Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) has been brought in from England to help in the taming process. This film centers around the Burns brothers, a notorious gang who have raped and pillaged throughout the territory. When two of them, Charlie (Guy Pearce) and young Mike (Richard Wilson), are captured after killing a family, Stanley has a proposition for Charlie: find and kill the older brother and gang leader, Arthur (Danny Huston), and gain pardons for him and Mike. But, he must do it within nine days or Mike will be hanged on Christmas day.
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Rabbit-Proof Fence 2002 PG, 94 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Phillip Noyce Cast: Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, Laura Monaghan, David Gulpilil, Kenneth Branagh, Ningali Lawford, Myarn Lawford, Deborah Mailman, Jason Clarke, Garry McDonald, Roy Billing
In 1931, the Australian government endorsed taking aboriginal girls away from their families to train as domestics. Those children became known as the Stolen Generation. Fourteen-year-old Molly (Everlyn Sampi), 10-year-old sister Daisy (Tianna Sansbury), and 10-year-old cousin Gracie (Laura Monaghan) escaped from one government camp in 1931 and set out on a 1,500 mile trek in search of a rabbit-proof fence that would lead them home. This film is based on their true story.
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The Tracker 2002 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Rolf de Heer Cast: David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet, Damon Gameau, Grant Page, Noel Wilton
This morality tale depicts how white settlers in Australia tried to destroy Aboriginal life and culture. The setting is the 1820s and involves the efforts of a posse of white men in pursuit of a black man accused of killing a white woman.
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Until the End of the World 1991 R, 178 min. Genre: Drama / Sci-Fi / Adventure
Director: Wim Wenders Cast: Solveig Dommartin, William Hurt, Sam Neill, Max von Sydow, Rudiger Vogler, Jeanne Moreau, Chick Ortega, Lois Chiles, Adelle Lutz, Jean-Charles Dumay, Eddy Mitchell, Allen Garfield, David Gulpilil
As the world worries about a nuclear satellite crashing on Earth, Claire (Solveig Dommartin) has a car accident with bank robbers who then give her some of their heist to drop off in Paris. Along the way, Claire meets an American, Sam Farber (William Hurt), who is trying to elude the CIA. They hit it off until Sam steals some of the heist from Claire. Now Claire travels the world, through many countries, chasing Sam and ends up in Australia where Sam's father (Max von Sydow) has a laboratory in which he has invented a camera used by Sam on his trek. The camera will play back images that Sam's blind mother (Jeanne Moreau) can see. Even more important, the camera will allow dreams to be recorded. All this is accomplished while it is believed that a nuclear holocaust has taken place and presumably destroyed civilization.
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Walkabout 1971 PG, 100 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Nicolas Roeg Cast: Jenny Agutter, Luc John, David Gulpilil, John Meillon, Peter Carver, John Illingsorth, Barry Donnelly, Noeline Brown, Carlo Manchini, Hilary Bamberger
Two young children are stranded in the Australian outback after their father kills himself. They slowly make it back to civilization with the help of an Aborigine (David Gulpilil) who was on a "walkabout"–banishment of adolescents for several weeks that requires them to find food and water for themselves. A beautifully made film–both sound and sight. Footage was added on some releases that show brief frontal nudity (of 14-year-old Jenny Agutter). The six-year-old boy, Luc John, is the Director's son.
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| 1. Australia (2008)
2. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
3. The Last Wave (1977)
4. Mad Dog Morgan (1976)
5. The Proposition (2005)
6. Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
7. The Tracker (2002)
8. Until the End of the World (1991)
9. Walkabout (1971)
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