Before commenting on the rest of the film, I want draw attention to something wonderful, the film's score by Dimitri Tiomkin.
Around 1960, "The Sundowners" was one of two, big Hollywood productions shot in Australia; the other was "On the Beach". Both had scores by Hollywood composers, and both based their compositions on old Australian ballads. Ernest Gold developed his score for "On the Beach" around "Waltzing Matilda" while Dimitri Tiomkin based his on "The Queensland Drover". Combining classical and folk music wasn't new, but these film scores are unique, they are virtually two glorious symphonies celebrating Australia's own folk songs.
I also think the film is a fascinating look at a segment of Australian life that has long gone, After all, the film depicts a rural Australia of the 1920's, not life in 1960 when the film was made, that historical perspective stops the film from dating too much.
I'm amazed that some think not much happens in the film; based on Australian Jon Cleary's novel, it's full of incident with a story of a loving family in conflict between staying as "Sundowners", where home is where they stop for the night, or settling down in a permanent home.
Fred Zinnemann was one of the classiest directors. He liked to go where his films were set and they smack of authenticity. This film is a slice of Australiana in the same nostalgic vein that John Ford excelled in with American settings and Irish ones.
Importantly I think Robert Mitchum as the roving Paddy Carmody captured a character that is the one Australians 60 years ago liked to think represented their true spirit; self-reliant, forthright, wary of authority, and a bloke who never backed down from a scrap.
He inhabited a similar character to the one Peter Finch played in "The Shiralee" and "A Town Like Alice". However, it wasn't all acting, Mitchum was close to that in real life, an American version of a "larrikin". Forget that Bob's accent slipped here and there, he actually did pretty well. A brawny bloke, he was also impressive hauling 100 kilo Merino sheep around with his big hands in the very funny shearing scene.
Deborah Kerr as Ida gave a beautiful performance as the long-suffering, good-natured Ida who sticks by Paddy through it all. Peter Ustinov, who got some of the best lines, didn't have to change gears much playing an Englishman.
And if you think Americans can't nail an Aussie accent, these days most would think the actress who played Jean Halstead, the station owner's wife was one of the Aussie actors in the film, but that was Dina Merrill, New York born and raised.
Australian audiences at the time were thrilled to see that iconic Australian lifestyle depicted on the screen for the whole world to see. Then about 10 years later another outsider, Canadian Ted Kotcheff took another Australian novel through a darker side of the outback legend in "Wake in Fright".
Around 1960, "The Sundowners" was one of two, big Hollywood productions shot in Australia; the other was "On the Beach". Both had scores by Hollywood composers, and both based their compositions on old Australian ballads. Ernest Gold developed his score for "On the Beach" around "Waltzing Matilda" while Dimitri Tiomkin based his on "The Queensland Drover". Combining classical and folk music wasn't new, but these film scores are unique, they are virtually two glorious symphonies celebrating Australia's own folk songs.
I also think the film is a fascinating look at a segment of Australian life that has long gone, After all, the film depicts a rural Australia of the 1920's, not life in 1960 when the film was made, that historical perspective stops the film from dating too much.
I'm amazed that some think not much happens in the film; based on Australian Jon Cleary's novel, it's full of incident with a story of a loving family in conflict between staying as "Sundowners", where home is where they stop for the night, or settling down in a permanent home.
Fred Zinnemann was one of the classiest directors. He liked to go where his films were set and they smack of authenticity. This film is a slice of Australiana in the same nostalgic vein that John Ford excelled in with American settings and Irish ones.
Importantly I think Robert Mitchum as the roving Paddy Carmody captured a character that is the one Australians 60 years ago liked to think represented their true spirit; self-reliant, forthright, wary of authority, and a bloke who never backed down from a scrap.
He inhabited a similar character to the one Peter Finch played in "The Shiralee" and "A Town Like Alice". However, it wasn't all acting, Mitchum was close to that in real life, an American version of a "larrikin". Forget that Bob's accent slipped here and there, he actually did pretty well. A brawny bloke, he was also impressive hauling 100 kilo Merino sheep around with his big hands in the very funny shearing scene.
Deborah Kerr as Ida gave a beautiful performance as the long-suffering, good-natured Ida who sticks by Paddy through it all. Peter Ustinov, who got some of the best lines, didn't have to change gears much playing an Englishman.
And if you think Americans can't nail an Aussie accent, these days most would think the actress who played Jean Halstead, the station owner's wife was one of the Aussie actors in the film, but that was Dina Merrill, New York born and raised.
Australian audiences at the time were thrilled to see that iconic Australian lifestyle depicted on the screen for the whole world to see. Then about 10 years later another outsider, Canadian Ted Kotcheff took another Australian novel through a darker side of the outback legend in "Wake in Fright".