![]() Australia is a young country in a continuous state of becoming, and it’s all there on the big screen. From the country’s earliest cinematic beginnings in works like The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) and The Sentimental Bloke (1919), this was a nation whose artistic output contained the spirit of a colonial culture attempting to define itself as a separate entity, rejecting the perceived classism of Britain in search of an egalitarian identity, while at the same time harbouring the deep desire to be validated by the outside world. I see, in its jarring and contradictory impulses towards counter-cultural crudity and high-art, the very nature of the Australian consciousness. ![]() So, why did I compile a list of quotes from classic Australian movies? Because I love Australian cinema. As a general rule, it is only when local filmmaking talent becomes internationally recognised that they are able to generate a profit (or eat three meals a day). But even on the rare occasions when such films do receive significant recognition from general cinema-goers, the reality is that the relatively small Australian population (23 million) offers a very small market for film production. However, having compiled this list, I will take a moment to stand up for this thoroughly under-appreciated national cinema.Īustralian films go largely unwatched by local audiences for a number of reasons, including the local market’s generally Americanised tastes, a sense of cultural cringe, and a public perception that local films are either “too-arty” or qualitatively inferior to Hollywood product. Nor am I sure that my definition of “classic” will sit well with all aficionados of Australian film – my taste for the ironic appreciation of Ozploitation cinema is not shared by all. Why compile a list of quotes from classic Australian movies? I’m not entirely sure.
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