Rent The Overlanders (1946)
3.4 of 5 from 51 ratings
1h 27min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
It's the beginning of World War II and the Japanese are closing in on Northern Australia. People are ordered to evacuate as soon as possible in case of aerial attacks. The people of Australia are wrought with panic and fear, uncertain of an imminent invasion. Suddenly the government brings in a Scorched Earth policy: a devastating military strategy whereupon people are forced to destroy anything that might be useful to an invading enemy. Dan McAlpine (Chips Rafferty) is a farmhand who rebels against the government's strategic operation and refuses to kill his livestock. Instead he decides to risk his life by leading his immense herd of cattle beyond civilisation and into the hazardous terrains of the Ozzie outback. It's a deadly journey that will take him 1600 miles across the continent, amidst unforeseen terror, suspense and bravery. - Actors:
- Chips Rafferty, John Nugent Hayward, Daphne Campbell, Jean Blue, Helen Grieve, John Fernside, Peter Pagan, Frank Ransome, Stan Tolhurst, Marshall Crosby, John Fegan, Clyde Combo, Henry Murdoch, Steve Dodd, Jerome 'Jock' Levy
- Directors:
- Harry Watt
- Producers:
- Michael Balcon
- Writers:
- Harry Watt
- Studio:
- Optimum
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Countries:
- Australia
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 04/05/2020
- Run Time:
- 92 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0, English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Extensive image gallery
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Reviews (1) of The Overlanders
Australian Western. - The Overlanders review by Steve
In 1944 the Ministry of Information and Ealing Studios assigned Harry Watt to Australia make a film acknowledging their contribution to the war effort. Watt was a former documentary maker at the GPO and he found his story in the land and people. It was based on the huge cattle drive across Northern Territory in 1942, to ensure livestock didn't fall into the hands of the Japanese.
The irony being that the Australians were launching a scorched earth policy in one of the most barren habitats on earth. Rather than shoot and burn his herd, a resolute drover (Chips Rafferty) recruits a team to take it 1,600 miles across the interior. This is a epic story of the people against the wilderness.
It's an Australian western. Except, when the cattle are driven across the river, the crew have to clear it of crocodiles first. It is a realist film, and it's possible to pick up a surprising amount about the transport of cattle. There is mostly an amateur cast of locals, led by Rafferty (in his fifth feature) who makes a convincing outdoorsman and is a natural on horseback.
Some of the accents are suspiciously posh for a gang of Aussie rednecks. Otherwise this is low key, documentary film making, which is a stirring tribute to an immense real-life enterprise which took three years to complete. Though it's an Ealing film, it's a landmark in Australian cinema, and an authentic adventure story which still inspires.
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