Review: Tomorrow when Aussie cinema (finally) becomes something relevant, exciting at bloody last!
September 19th 2010 11:55
I made a solemn promise to myself as i told my friend after the credits of this hugely eventful and astonishing drama concluded before our very eyes that 'It was so good that I shall have to write a review without delay to this film.
I am talking about the latest touted much feared to be in anticipation of the film beginning yet ANOTHER gazillionth over bloated downtrodden depressing try-hard half baked and half- cocked Australian produced film effort. I am talking that, for over 2 decades at least that i was on death's doorstep (no joke) on the incresingly touching issue as an Australian of experiencing yet ANOTHER failed dismal pathetic weak and feebled excuse for an Australian written and produced motion picture 'feature film'.
But wow, almost with the potency of a 10- kilotonne mac-truck (if that ever exists) hitting a stationary person at high speed, or the feeling you get when you wake up after binging on way too much booze the day afrer that crazy night that was with a shock of a hangover- a complete contrast to the night before when you were partying getting blind drunk stupid (i hope not many people reading this do that awful habit!) from the opening scene of this film you are transported, speaking from one of the millions of disenchanted film goers who have fallen out of love with australian cinema due to it's impotence- at the local level who is witnessing with disbelief- history- at least locally being made- as the FIRST AT LEAST CREDIBLE IF NOT LANDMARK AUSTRALIAN FILM MADE IN 2 DECADES!
For Tomorrow I will reflect on what by far is since Crocodile Dundee- the last great relevant drama of THAT TIME that indeed what i witnessed is the australian drama that will come to define our generation.
I am of course talking about the faltless, epic and powerful TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN - a story that if it weren;t for it's strong almost overpowering australian rural landscape and country town setting could be forgiven for witnessing a generic invasion by a generic enemy who wants to conquer our territory and take away our freedoms as civilians in their quest for conquest and domination to ensure our enemy has a future as their population spirals out of control. Think in general principle the impact of an occupying force, such as Americans in Vietnam, or more pointedly, Germans invading and spreading all over Europe.
For this film for all it's 'Aussieness' from the larriking stereotypes (of which the charactyers are defined as representing not just one part of Australia, but as much as possible, each individual character represents and invaluable part of our nation) has a very strong powerful and central theme of losing once innocence to the scourge and horror of an impending war to becoming warriors on their quest to seize back their homeland via their local objectives as part of the broader war- to take back their country town back to local hands- no different as any 'rebel force' broadly speaking in warfare would seek to do to protect their homes and their people from any occupying force.
This film structure of "Tomorrow when the War begun" is indeed a remarkable epic journey in the lives of eventually as the story pans out over the under ultra efficient 2-hr running time (i discovered after the film's credits that - and with deep regret i should add- as i have not read these epic surely award winning books of the 1990's) that indeed it is a 7 part book series and if you see the film you note that it is an ending to their first objective and a resolution of the changing circumstances and how they influence their intersocial dynamics- ie at the start of the film and as it is set you be forgiven for thinking this is a 'here we go again not another teen movie about teen problems' but from the moment these aquaintances, class mates and friends - which also include a lady from the city, most from the country where the setting of the impending and eventual War (a hypothetical and compelling, intriguing World War III!!) and one of asian (multicultural origin) you also have as part of these rag- tag (the premise starts off as an offer for the parents to lend their daughter a car for a holiday over the weekend provided she can get 7 people at least to come along- and desperate to take on their rare offer she offers an open invite to some people she does know, others she knows less of and some who are unnknown quanitties to each other, as well as those who derive from an ethically obligated religius background.
The writer of this masterpiece - bearing in mind this film is a screenplay adaptation- but boy what an original base story even if it from a novel adaptation. But unlike my criticisms on Hollywood's choice of adaptations it very much depends on a combination of the creative and visionary nature of the book, and therefore how fitting it is to have this films story being ingrained in the mind of one of Australia's most talented and awarded and invaliuable contributors to australian storytelling and literature a figure who has very much defined his interpretation of Australia at numerous levels in astonishing and seemingly endless manners of interpretation. John Marsden for all you international readers is his name and he, like Roald Dahl put great emhpasis in leading the way in showing the potential for creativity in the type of situations and boldness in vision to inspire future generation of readers with as i learnt from wathcing this film, not only films that stir the australian spirit in each of us but also key into a broader appeal to, a much bigger global audience.
And so if i were to do a search pf his novels and the awards Marsden has won, it would not surprise me at all that this film is his most acclaimed generation defining work for indeed it is.
But one last brief thing on the author for this is a FILM review not a novel review!
It is one thing to be creative and bold in your vision as a filmmaker/ writer it another entirely to bring that vision with a very authentic and believable substance.
But Marsden's understanding of Australian culture goes much deeper than his understanding of local national culture but as this film hints at as will no doubt be revealed in what i hope are equally impressive 6 installments to honour his epic 7 novel series total- thsi was (only!) part one! is that more than any other Australian novel i have read- espo what i read in high school back in the 1990's/ late 80's this is a film with an author and director who understand the wotrld stage and global circumstances with which Australia is positioned in its place not only unto itself but also in relation to our Aisan Neighbours.
Sure it is one thing to adapt a screenplay it another entirely to put your disgression and interpretation on written words entirely, and the bolder and more iamgniative the vision, the more risk there is of taking 'too much liberty' as was always a risk with the 'lord of the rings' franchise adaptation vs. playing it too 'conservatively' but the director Paul Beattie, clearly a filmmaker which i and nobody heard about but ought to after his first rate debut effort with this film, strikes the balance between authenticity and creativity and the msot 9improtant ingredient of all- drama. Beattie sensibly puts the focus on the interpersonal relationships as secondary to the few but all the more potent giving the timing in the story the events take place battle scenes, of whcih clearly it must be said the sound and lighiting department sought to put dramatic emphasis on each explosion as given their occassional but all the m,ore potent and emotionally gripping presence are in many ways more gripping thasn your run of the mill traditional action thriller. Sensibly and no doubt as to how Marsden would have liked it, "Tomorrow when the war began" is approached as an evolutionary structure and more important than the interpersonal semi- love / social connectrion stories between the characters is the manner in which their SOCIAL dynamic IN how they become acclimatised and accustomed to each other evolve with the timing fo events more broadly in this film.
By poting for the traditional evolutionary/ linear storyline- albeit with potent and powerful symoblic. dramatic twists interspersed throughout- such as the mysterious and sudden sound and revealing of the at the start of the movie generic military jetcraft as they fly ver lowly over the cliff ledge to which our then as the war beigns but they don't know and as the viewer we can only suspect innocent bystanders who at this point in time just care to enjoy themselves to make the most of the beauftiful view from the cliff ledge across the 'Copper;s Bay' bayside and port stretching in the distance and it must be said throught the cinematography is amongst the many consistently outstanding stadn out attirbutes that gives the film at the story and technical level it life, it's energy and it's drama- and it's twists.
I mean who can forget the imagery of the fleet of mysterious jetships flying overhead in a clear daylight sky as dawn drreaks over the bay.
Quite symbollicaly and one would be forgivne for thinking cyncically, the mountain the bystanders camp by for the weekend is called 'Mount Hell' all the more potent in its symbolism for this is the town where quite literally all the hell breaks loose and so the stage is set and behind the scenes, the 'battlelines' are drawn.
Yet this film gets away with what in any avergae australian film would rightfully be condemned with for the odd clunky dialogue or quiet uneventful moment for ultimately it is the first australian made local produced film with an entirely australian cast that i can recall in which CIRCUMSTANCE AND EVENTS ANF THE CHRONOLOGY OF HOW THEY UNFOLD AND THE POTENCY AND BRUTE FORCE WITH WHICH our bystanders discover their town is one of many rural port towns across Australia under siege by as the radio broadcast voice over states "is an invasion by foreign coalition forces" who have 'seized the towns of adjoining ports and airports across rural Australia" and the bystander's country town is more important to know by circumstance and setting rather than name just as it more improtant for us to engage as the filmmaker rightfully does no dobut true to the author's original inent not understanding " what the central characters do" but more so understanding their demographic bakcgorund as an australian citizen part of our broad multicutural/ multiracial / mluti religigous ctiizenship that shapes our Australia today, as it started to when immigration was big at the time post WWII and the first post baby boomer boom of population and immigrants in the 1990's which oincides with the ear of setting of the book,.
But this film deriving from the book's premise is just that- the role of everyday australian or geneally innocent civilians in their bid to fight for their right to survive and their right to live in freedom and not oppression- and the film's revelations come at the turning point as the cahracters change their attitudes to each other, as well as to their changing asituation one at times where you be forgiven that at the peak in which the enemy iof them and hence the nation is on their tail pans out moentarily into the type of reaction people get when beign stalked in slasher horror movies.
But the relvance of this film and the shaping fo it's characters is defined by the JOURNEY they take from bystander to not so innocent to survivors to soldiers NOT by the outcome of their objectives and if anything, outcomes lead to further development of the process of the objectives which is why by the end of the film, is not an end unto itself but merely a resolve betwen our characters that by this stage have stood up to be heroes like otgher minority survivors not recruited in the enemy's priosner of war camps who want to fight for their freedom- and this principle woudl resonate with anyone who ahs a big picture view of history for for the countless ragtag civilains who donned arms to protect their town tot he last stabnd agianst teh Nazi's or curiously, event he reverse where the civialins of Vietnam joined the Viet-cong to repel the american invaders- its all a matetr of point of view- and clearly, Marsden as the filmaker has reciprocated, rightfully so, understands that this is about capturing the persepctive and point of view of the main characters- the traditional base ingredient for a film to have success but it the events that dfine the maturing the loss and innocence and the journey to a ragtag team of survivor- turned warriors not just for the cause of national freedom from the impedning doom and oppression fo the enemy of the country- thoguht it should be pointed out this 'coalition' provocatively and daringly and where its boldest oand most powerful of vision is at its most controversial but all the more justified, is becase, put simply, the enmy is someone who even todate by our contemporary standards as a nation, we embrace as allies, but this film and the timing of its release isall the more potent for it themese and an all too timely reminder that in the future, as the voice over states in literal and blunt terms itself, that indeed, 'these colaition forces from the asian continent and the archipelago islands before them beyond our shores have tunred aginst us as part of their resolution to be able to accomodate their growing population (let's remember in real life the muslim population accounts for a third to be the most populous relgiigon on this planet and conversely beingh coalition nations and the storng asian appearance of the enemy, it does storngly imply thought ti is wrong to conclude that part of the coalition could it be suggested as the filmamker asks us that the most populous/ overpopulated nation in Cihna has leant their imliatry might to the cause fo teh invasion in Ausdtralia- which ulitmately is the only 'cuacasian' and in its origins 'white/aboriginal' basciallty non asian nation in the broader south pacific and as the events pan out for those who know recent world politics and read the papers to a point too, and who have read contemporary espionage novels the concept of as military strategists like in australia the strategic policy insitute have wanred that 'a time will come in which we must not take our current asian 'friends' for granted for they have long had the capacity and ability to invade and where else will they turn in the future if they can't contain their burgoeuing population, but the kleast populated nation per capita and per head vs. per region in the south pacific and that is
Australia- all the more potewnt at a time when the integrity of border protection along geopgraphic and political lines is an issue at stake with the recent influx of asylum seekers and either way whether you agree or not with things that are of concern to certian policy insitutues, the reality is whetyher you are for or against asylum seekers in the end it is a hot bed issue as it has been quite ironically and a huige twist of timing of the release of this film- which if anything? might? speculate on teh conseuqence of more broadly spekaing weak leadership in general and the consequences of a 'soft border' policy cos couldn't one argue that if border protection is softened, would that weaken our defenses, making us more vulnerable to attack?
Now i am not sure and i should make clear for my part i MOST CERTAINLY UNEQUIVOCALLY BELIEVE GIVEN MY PAST GENRATIONS ESCAPE A RACIST REGIME WITH DISCIFRMNITORY DESIRES to seek peace as immigrants from foreign c9ountries into our country fo australia, it would be a crime for me to toe the 'we don't accept asians' line and on the contrary if i did, one of the most p0owerful charactes is the one who clearly being named 'li' is nevertheless of Aisan background but he is as much on the recieving end of the invasion as the australian born and raised survivors turned warriors. And this is a symbol as it is a relaity that our nation is as much a part of the world as it is it belogns to us and our ancestors and descendants. Far from implying a racist vision, Marsden and the filmmaker understand the implications of portraying the enemy that indeed they are as a 'coalition force' and importantly NOT an ASIAN force- lord forbid they put that misinterpretation forward.
But we understand as this film clearly is targeted thankfully at long last a film tyo the upper educated demographics of australia and identifies to the inteloligent/ mature audience demographic that has been so badly neglected- as well as it shoud be said the general blockbuster/ event film demographic- when was the last time a film of generational relvance and potency to us as a nation as part of this big, wonderfuol diverse milti cultural/ multi-racial world appealed to us as an austrlaian amde film about big picture global issues/ regional issues and that was also a blockbuster holy shit mate i just gapsing with utter disbelief!!!!! (jaw drops!)
Now i could analyse the awesome and potent action scenes with their brutal and powerful as they're occassional bursts of violence, desperation and the build up to tension as from the time in which in that powerful goes down as one of the most memorable cinema moments ever in which a 'coalition' force soldier from the asian nations shoots exectution style at the head at point blank range an innocent australian POW this film it should be said has all the more potency tio me personally for with a few specific differences to its circumstances, but the idea of the innocent beign imprisoned in POW'S is one of the stories that is most mspirational and sadly hardly heard of that for [people like me and people in my jewish communtiy i know and care about and am friendly with is hardly heard about too far and few between.
Taking into account whereas in this film's story and setting of circumstance that the POWS were the original inhabitants of the land invaded by the invading force and that in my true story my grandfather like a minority of a few thousand other's were immigrants who arrived under mistaken identity from the UK and Germany as immigrants who were mistkaenyl perceived and imprisoned as POWS for a lengthy period of timebut nevertheless generally the events depicted or circumstances from the pows perspective is vaguelg and generically similar as they were treated as POWS wghen they were innocent, just like my grandfather was when he was mistaken as A POw AS part of the HMS Dunera- one of a handful of refugees seeking immigration to settle to be part of what would start to be in wartime Australia post wwII the dawn of multicutluralism in Australia and i take great pride in my European heritage but more so that an invaluable part of that has thrived through my very6 existence thanx to the australian authorities who gave my gradnfather a chance to live a happy and peaceful life which lead to the birth of my fatyher as it conseuqently did myself and why? becauyse Australia is and as is represented so powerfully thorugh the multicultural make-up of our ragtag team of survivofr- turned warriors in this film just as accurate in its general portrfayal of where our nation started to be at it was thanx to our early settlers and immigrants that followed in the post war time years in our real hisotry that the inspiration was planted for Marsden's eclectic and intriguing mix of multicultural heroes- to be- reluctant heroes they are buyt ones that are on a mission to justa s it was in generic tgerms in my gradnfathers day to esnure freedom from oppression but the difference is huge and i must point out so as not to blend real life hisotricakl events with historical fiction albeit one woujld be forgiven for th9inking that if it eren't for the slightly overdone stereotypes in thsi film justified thoguth they may be, that certainly, this film would almost play out as a real life story of heorism, courage and determination to fight for ones rights against impossible odds.
But in my granfathers true story of the as they came to be reocgnied as they arrived on the HMS DUNERA the Dunera Boys- an invlauable legacy and part of our heritage and part of what gave several country town across rural NSW esp it existence and recpognition. but whereas my gradnfather's part ot play as a Dunera Boy indeed gave the country town a vital part of its identity, in Tomorrow when the War Began it is about more than anything A GROUP OF AUSTRALIANS and locals who are out to SAVE THEIR TOWN FROM CAPTURE OR OBLIVION AND HENCE TO SAVE IT'S IDENTITY RATHER TO THAN TO DISCOVER IT for ultimately that is the biggest picture thing that is at stake and between the yes at times cleched- but neverthekless there is effective cleche and their is weak cleche and the effective cleche is the one that comes secondary to the imminent big picture setting and issues at stake.
Ultimately this film is about survival it is a reminder of that we past look after all that is precious in our nation, from our insitutions to our wonderful enchanting magical uniquekly austrlaian landscapes to us people as being multicultrural- and our recent recognition of the rightful landowners of thr stolen generations only makes our impetus to procede with caution as well as optimism the relations we manage with our foregin neighbours that if indeed it is the right thign to do to strengthen our borders that it must be done to ensure displomacy between our nations is strengtehns whislt retaining a cuatious ap[rp0oach nevertheless to border security.
But most important of all and as the interpresonal maturing of the 2 ramatic and doubtless life changing days in the lives of these once innnocent aussie citizens demonstrate, that indeed, there are some things that are more important than our pet dog- which one of our characters trys to save does but just it should be pointed out, or worrying about our make up kit, or our posessions or even a leg wound ulimtately it is the bond that is our common cause and in any circumstance where any country's civilaians are at war with each other we must put aside all preconceptions aside no matter our differences, no matter our race, our colour, we must always if ever lord forbid there is a time of nationAl crisis of a waron our dorrstep put all differences aside to help each thorugh a comon cause and that is our right to live, to survive and to fight for ourselves and for each other that we hope and pray that our allies that are at present our enighbours will never betray our trust for there is one th9ing surely at heart our neighbours even if they may? in future have dark intentions to australia wnat that i hope as well do would untie the world in a common cause and that is our desire to coexist in peace and harmony,.
Tomorrow 2when the war Began is a testament to such a vision and one that should not only go down as a touchstone moment in Australian cinema folklore but also one that is probably more relevant and important in it themes concernign regional circumstances today in real life now and into the future it is a warning as much as it is entertainmen t, a thriller, as much as it is part war drama, part semi romance as it is personal struggle as each individual must work together for the most important common cause of all in any war inflicted on any civilaian for ultimately what if us as Australians would one day exp[erience what Iraqi's and others in Afghanistan has if hypothetically in the future those we invaded (well? an invasion of North Korea is not impossible if one day they do launch an uclear warhead at a wester country) then we become the injnocent civilian at the victyim fo tjheir war machine? what woukld you do for your part? would you run ? or would you styand at fight for everything you believe in everyth8ing you live for?
this more than any philosophical question is the more broadly powerful and relevant an australian drama can pose and it a credit to the author and the filmmakers for making the vision a powerful testament to above all tjhe true poential of Australian Cinema, so it is with that i declare with great hope and optimism that:
TOMORROW I HOPE AND PRAY FROM THAT DAY FORTH A NEW DAWN HAS BEGUN IN MORE BOLDER, DARING BLOCKBUSTE EPIC AND INVENTIVE ORIGINAL CINEMA.
As an australian and cinema lover this is the country type epic set drama that i longed for in an australian rural setting. Now let's see some genuine bold original city- based visions please in australian cities the bar has been raised and so have my expectations as australians and film lovers let's hope that future aussie films do not prove to be half of wbhat this films is a national masterpiece for our generation just as Marsden's book was for it;'s time
I am talking about the latest touted much feared to be in anticipation of the film beginning yet ANOTHER gazillionth over bloated downtrodden depressing try-hard half baked and half- cocked Australian produced film effort. I am talking that, for over 2 decades at least that i was on death's doorstep (no joke) on the incresingly touching issue as an Australian of experiencing yet ANOTHER failed dismal pathetic weak and feebled excuse for an Australian written and produced motion picture 'feature film'.
But wow, almost with the potency of a 10- kilotonne mac-truck (if that ever exists) hitting a stationary person at high speed, or the feeling you get when you wake up after binging on way too much booze the day afrer that crazy night that was with a shock of a hangover- a complete contrast to the night before when you were partying getting blind drunk stupid (i hope not many people reading this do that awful habit!) from the opening scene of this film you are transported, speaking from one of the millions of disenchanted film goers who have fallen out of love with australian cinema due to it's impotence- at the local level who is witnessing with disbelief- history- at least locally being made- as the FIRST AT LEAST CREDIBLE IF NOT LANDMARK AUSTRALIAN FILM MADE IN 2 DECADES!
For Tomorrow I will reflect on what by far is since Crocodile Dundee- the last great relevant drama of THAT TIME that indeed what i witnessed is the australian drama that will come to define our generation.
I am of course talking about the faltless, epic and powerful TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN - a story that if it weren;t for it's strong almost overpowering australian rural landscape and country town setting could be forgiven for witnessing a generic invasion by a generic enemy who wants to conquer our territory and take away our freedoms as civilians in their quest for conquest and domination to ensure our enemy has a future as their population spirals out of control. Think in general principle the impact of an occupying force, such as Americans in Vietnam, or more pointedly, Germans invading and spreading all over Europe.
For this film for all it's 'Aussieness' from the larriking stereotypes (of which the charactyers are defined as representing not just one part of Australia, but as much as possible, each individual character represents and invaluable part of our nation) has a very strong powerful and central theme of losing once innocence to the scourge and horror of an impending war to becoming warriors on their quest to seize back their homeland via their local objectives as part of the broader war- to take back their country town back to local hands- no different as any 'rebel force' broadly speaking in warfare would seek to do to protect their homes and their people from any occupying force.
This film structure of "Tomorrow when the War begun" is indeed a remarkable epic journey in the lives of eventually as the story pans out over the under ultra efficient 2-hr running time (i discovered after the film's credits that - and with deep regret i should add- as i have not read these epic surely award winning books of the 1990's) that indeed it is a 7 part book series and if you see the film you note that it is an ending to their first objective and a resolution of the changing circumstances and how they influence their intersocial dynamics- ie at the start of the film and as it is set you be forgiven for thinking this is a 'here we go again not another teen movie about teen problems' but from the moment these aquaintances, class mates and friends - which also include a lady from the city, most from the country where the setting of the impending and eventual War (a hypothetical and compelling, intriguing World War III!!) and one of asian (multicultural origin) you also have as part of these rag- tag (the premise starts off as an offer for the parents to lend their daughter a car for a holiday over the weekend provided she can get 7 people at least to come along- and desperate to take on their rare offer she offers an open invite to some people she does know, others she knows less of and some who are unnknown quanitties to each other, as well as those who derive from an ethically obligated religius background.
The writer of this masterpiece - bearing in mind this film is a screenplay adaptation- but boy what an original base story even if it from a novel adaptation. But unlike my criticisms on Hollywood's choice of adaptations it very much depends on a combination of the creative and visionary nature of the book, and therefore how fitting it is to have this films story being ingrained in the mind of one of Australia's most talented and awarded and invaliuable contributors to australian storytelling and literature a figure who has very much defined his interpretation of Australia at numerous levels in astonishing and seemingly endless manners of interpretation. John Marsden for all you international readers is his name and he, like Roald Dahl put great emhpasis in leading the way in showing the potential for creativity in the type of situations and boldness in vision to inspire future generation of readers with as i learnt from wathcing this film, not only films that stir the australian spirit in each of us but also key into a broader appeal to, a much bigger global audience.
And so if i were to do a search pf his novels and the awards Marsden has won, it would not surprise me at all that this film is his most acclaimed generation defining work for indeed it is.
But one last brief thing on the author for this is a FILM review not a novel review!
It is one thing to be creative and bold in your vision as a filmmaker/ writer it another entirely to bring that vision with a very authentic and believable substance.
But Marsden's understanding of Australian culture goes much deeper than his understanding of local national culture but as this film hints at as will no doubt be revealed in what i hope are equally impressive 6 installments to honour his epic 7 novel series total- thsi was (only!) part one! is that more than any other Australian novel i have read- espo what i read in high school back in the 1990's/ late 80's this is a film with an author and director who understand the wotrld stage and global circumstances with which Australia is positioned in its place not only unto itself but also in relation to our Aisan Neighbours.
Sure it is one thing to adapt a screenplay it another entirely to put your disgression and interpretation on written words entirely, and the bolder and more iamgniative the vision, the more risk there is of taking 'too much liberty' as was always a risk with the 'lord of the rings' franchise adaptation vs. playing it too 'conservatively' but the director Paul Beattie, clearly a filmmaker which i and nobody heard about but ought to after his first rate debut effort with this film, strikes the balance between authenticity and creativity and the msot 9improtant ingredient of all- drama. Beattie sensibly puts the focus on the interpersonal relationships as secondary to the few but all the more potent giving the timing in the story the events take place battle scenes, of whcih clearly it must be said the sound and lighiting department sought to put dramatic emphasis on each explosion as given their occassional but all the m,ore potent and emotionally gripping presence are in many ways more gripping thasn your run of the mill traditional action thriller. Sensibly and no doubt as to how Marsden would have liked it, "Tomorrow when the war began" is approached as an evolutionary structure and more important than the interpersonal semi- love / social connectrion stories between the characters is the manner in which their SOCIAL dynamic IN how they become acclimatised and accustomed to each other evolve with the timing fo events more broadly in this film.
By poting for the traditional evolutionary/ linear storyline- albeit with potent and powerful symoblic. dramatic twists interspersed throughout- such as the mysterious and sudden sound and revealing of the at the start of the movie generic military jetcraft as they fly ver lowly over the cliff ledge to which our then as the war beigns but they don't know and as the viewer we can only suspect innocent bystanders who at this point in time just care to enjoy themselves to make the most of the beauftiful view from the cliff ledge across the 'Copper;s Bay' bayside and port stretching in the distance and it must be said throught the cinematography is amongst the many consistently outstanding stadn out attirbutes that gives the film at the story and technical level it life, it's energy and it's drama- and it's twists.
I mean who can forget the imagery of the fleet of mysterious jetships flying overhead in a clear daylight sky as dawn drreaks over the bay.
Quite symbollicaly and one would be forgivne for thinking cyncically, the mountain the bystanders camp by for the weekend is called 'Mount Hell' all the more potent in its symbolism for this is the town where quite literally all the hell breaks loose and so the stage is set and behind the scenes, the 'battlelines' are drawn.
Yet this film gets away with what in any avergae australian film would rightfully be condemned with for the odd clunky dialogue or quiet uneventful moment for ultimately it is the first australian made local produced film with an entirely australian cast that i can recall in which CIRCUMSTANCE AND EVENTS ANF THE CHRONOLOGY OF HOW THEY UNFOLD AND THE POTENCY AND BRUTE FORCE WITH WHICH our bystanders discover their town is one of many rural port towns across Australia under siege by as the radio broadcast voice over states "is an invasion by foreign coalition forces" who have 'seized the towns of adjoining ports and airports across rural Australia" and the bystander's country town is more important to know by circumstance and setting rather than name just as it more improtant for us to engage as the filmmaker rightfully does no dobut true to the author's original inent not understanding " what the central characters do" but more so understanding their demographic bakcgorund as an australian citizen part of our broad multicutural/ multiracial / mluti religigous ctiizenship that shapes our Australia today, as it started to when immigration was big at the time post WWII and the first post baby boomer boom of population and immigrants in the 1990's which oincides with the ear of setting of the book,.
But this film deriving from the book's premise is just that- the role of everyday australian or geneally innocent civilians in their bid to fight for their right to survive and their right to live in freedom and not oppression- and the film's revelations come at the turning point as the cahracters change their attitudes to each other, as well as to their changing asituation one at times where you be forgiven that at the peak in which the enemy iof them and hence the nation is on their tail pans out moentarily into the type of reaction people get when beign stalked in slasher horror movies.
But the relvance of this film and the shaping fo it's characters is defined by the JOURNEY they take from bystander to not so innocent to survivors to soldiers NOT by the outcome of their objectives and if anything, outcomes lead to further development of the process of the objectives which is why by the end of the film, is not an end unto itself but merely a resolve betwen our characters that by this stage have stood up to be heroes like otgher minority survivors not recruited in the enemy's priosner of war camps who want to fight for their freedom- and this principle woudl resonate with anyone who ahs a big picture view of history for for the countless ragtag civilains who donned arms to protect their town tot he last stabnd agianst teh Nazi's or curiously, event he reverse where the civialins of Vietnam joined the Viet-cong to repel the american invaders- its all a matetr of point of view- and clearly, Marsden as the filmaker has reciprocated, rightfully so, understands that this is about capturing the persepctive and point of view of the main characters- the traditional base ingredient for a film to have success but it the events that dfine the maturing the loss and innocence and the journey to a ragtag team of survivor- turned warriors not just for the cause of national freedom from the impedning doom and oppression fo the enemy of the country- thoguht it should be pointed out this 'coalition' provocatively and daringly and where its boldest oand most powerful of vision is at its most controversial but all the more justified, is becase, put simply, the enmy is someone who even todate by our contemporary standards as a nation, we embrace as allies, but this film and the timing of its release isall the more potent for it themese and an all too timely reminder that in the future, as the voice over states in literal and blunt terms itself, that indeed, 'these colaition forces from the asian continent and the archipelago islands before them beyond our shores have tunred aginst us as part of their resolution to be able to accomodate their growing population (let's remember in real life the muslim population accounts for a third to be the most populous relgiigon on this planet and conversely beingh coalition nations and the storng asian appearance of the enemy, it does storngly imply thought ti is wrong to conclude that part of the coalition could it be suggested as the filmamker asks us that the most populous/ overpopulated nation in Cihna has leant their imliatry might to the cause fo teh invasion in Ausdtralia- which ulitmately is the only 'cuacasian' and in its origins 'white/aboriginal' basciallty non asian nation in the broader south pacific and as the events pan out for those who know recent world politics and read the papers to a point too, and who have read contemporary espionage novels the concept of as military strategists like in australia the strategic policy insitute have wanred that 'a time will come in which we must not take our current asian 'friends' for granted for they have long had the capacity and ability to invade and where else will they turn in the future if they can't contain their burgoeuing population, but the kleast populated nation per capita and per head vs. per region in the south pacific and that is
Australia- all the more potewnt at a time when the integrity of border protection along geopgraphic and political lines is an issue at stake with the recent influx of asylum seekers and either way whether you agree or not with things that are of concern to certian policy insitutues, the reality is whetyher you are for or against asylum seekers in the end it is a hot bed issue as it has been quite ironically and a huige twist of timing of the release of this film- which if anything? might? speculate on teh conseuqence of more broadly spekaing weak leadership in general and the consequences of a 'soft border' policy cos couldn't one argue that if border protection is softened, would that weaken our defenses, making us more vulnerable to attack?
Now i am not sure and i should make clear for my part i MOST CERTAINLY UNEQUIVOCALLY BELIEVE GIVEN MY PAST GENRATIONS ESCAPE A RACIST REGIME WITH DISCIFRMNITORY DESIRES to seek peace as immigrants from foreign c9ountries into our country fo australia, it would be a crime for me to toe the 'we don't accept asians' line and on the contrary if i did, one of the most p0owerful charactes is the one who clearly being named 'li' is nevertheless of Aisan background but he is as much on the recieving end of the invasion as the australian born and raised survivors turned warriors. And this is a symbol as it is a relaity that our nation is as much a part of the world as it is it belogns to us and our ancestors and descendants. Far from implying a racist vision, Marsden and the filmmaker understand the implications of portraying the enemy that indeed they are as a 'coalition force' and importantly NOT an ASIAN force- lord forbid they put that misinterpretation forward.
But we understand as this film clearly is targeted thankfully at long last a film tyo the upper educated demographics of australia and identifies to the inteloligent/ mature audience demographic that has been so badly neglected- as well as it shoud be said the general blockbuster/ event film demographic- when was the last time a film of generational relvance and potency to us as a nation as part of this big, wonderfuol diverse milti cultural/ multi-racial world appealed to us as an austrlaian amde film about big picture global issues/ regional issues and that was also a blockbuster holy shit mate i just gapsing with utter disbelief!!!!! (jaw drops!)
Now i could analyse the awesome and potent action scenes with their brutal and powerful as they're occassional bursts of violence, desperation and the build up to tension as from the time in which in that powerful goes down as one of the most memorable cinema moments ever in which a 'coalition' force soldier from the asian nations shoots exectution style at the head at point blank range an innocent australian POW this film it should be said has all the more potency tio me personally for with a few specific differences to its circumstances, but the idea of the innocent beign imprisoned in POW'S is one of the stories that is most mspirational and sadly hardly heard of that for [people like me and people in my jewish communtiy i know and care about and am friendly with is hardly heard about too far and few between.
Taking into account whereas in this film's story and setting of circumstance that the POWS were the original inhabitants of the land invaded by the invading force and that in my true story my grandfather like a minority of a few thousand other's were immigrants who arrived under mistaken identity from the UK and Germany as immigrants who were mistkaenyl perceived and imprisoned as POWS for a lengthy period of timebut nevertheless generally the events depicted or circumstances from the pows perspective is vaguelg and generically similar as they were treated as POWS wghen they were innocent, just like my grandfather was when he was mistaken as A POw AS part of the HMS Dunera- one of a handful of refugees seeking immigration to settle to be part of what would start to be in wartime Australia post wwII the dawn of multicutluralism in Australia and i take great pride in my European heritage but more so that an invaluable part of that has thrived through my very6 existence thanx to the australian authorities who gave my gradnfather a chance to live a happy and peaceful life which lead to the birth of my fatyher as it conseuqently did myself and why? becauyse Australia is and as is represented so powerfully thorugh the multicultural make-up of our ragtag team of survivofr- turned warriors in this film just as accurate in its general portrfayal of where our nation started to be at it was thanx to our early settlers and immigrants that followed in the post war time years in our real hisotry that the inspiration was planted for Marsden's eclectic and intriguing mix of multicultural heroes- to be- reluctant heroes they are buyt ones that are on a mission to justa s it was in generic tgerms in my gradnfathers day to esnure freedom from oppression but the difference is huge and i must point out so as not to blend real life hisotricakl events with historical fiction albeit one woujld be forgiven for th9inking that if it eren't for the slightly overdone stereotypes in thsi film justified thoguth they may be, that certainly, this film would almost play out as a real life story of heorism, courage and determination to fight for ones rights against impossible odds.
But in my granfathers true story of the as they came to be reocgnied as they arrived on the HMS DUNERA the Dunera Boys- an invlauable legacy and part of our heritage and part of what gave several country town across rural NSW esp it existence and recpognition. but whereas my gradnfather's part ot play as a Dunera Boy indeed gave the country town a vital part of its identity, in Tomorrow when the War Began it is about more than anything A GROUP OF AUSTRALIANS and locals who are out to SAVE THEIR TOWN FROM CAPTURE OR OBLIVION AND HENCE TO SAVE IT'S IDENTITY RATHER TO THAN TO DISCOVER IT for ultimately that is the biggest picture thing that is at stake and between the yes at times cleched- but neverthekless there is effective cleche and their is weak cleche and the effective cleche is the one that comes secondary to the imminent big picture setting and issues at stake.
Ultimately this film is about survival it is a reminder of that we past look after all that is precious in our nation, from our insitutions to our wonderful enchanting magical uniquekly austrlaian landscapes to us people as being multicultrural- and our recent recognition of the rightful landowners of thr stolen generations only makes our impetus to procede with caution as well as optimism the relations we manage with our foregin neighbours that if indeed it is the right thign to do to strengthen our borders that it must be done to ensure displomacy between our nations is strengtehns whislt retaining a cuatious ap[rp0oach nevertheless to border security.
But most important of all and as the interpresonal maturing of the 2 ramatic and doubtless life changing days in the lives of these once innnocent aussie citizens demonstrate, that indeed, there are some things that are more important than our pet dog- which one of our characters trys to save does but just it should be pointed out, or worrying about our make up kit, or our posessions or even a leg wound ulimtately it is the bond that is our common cause and in any circumstance where any country's civilaians are at war with each other we must put aside all preconceptions aside no matter our differences, no matter our race, our colour, we must always if ever lord forbid there is a time of nationAl crisis of a waron our dorrstep put all differences aside to help each thorugh a comon cause and that is our right to live, to survive and to fight for ourselves and for each other that we hope and pray that our allies that are at present our enighbours will never betray our trust for there is one th9ing surely at heart our neighbours even if they may? in future have dark intentions to australia wnat that i hope as well do would untie the world in a common cause and that is our desire to coexist in peace and harmony,.
Tomorrow 2when the war Began is a testament to such a vision and one that should not only go down as a touchstone moment in Australian cinema folklore but also one that is probably more relevant and important in it themes concernign regional circumstances today in real life now and into the future it is a warning as much as it is entertainmen t, a thriller, as much as it is part war drama, part semi romance as it is personal struggle as each individual must work together for the most important common cause of all in any war inflicted on any civilaian for ultimately what if us as Australians would one day exp[erience what Iraqi's and others in Afghanistan has if hypothetically in the future those we invaded (well? an invasion of North Korea is not impossible if one day they do launch an uclear warhead at a wester country) then we become the injnocent civilian at the victyim fo tjheir war machine? what woukld you do for your part? would you run ? or would you styand at fight for everything you believe in everyth8ing you live for?
this more than any philosophical question is the more broadly powerful and relevant an australian drama can pose and it a credit to the author and the filmmakers for making the vision a powerful testament to above all tjhe true poential of Australian Cinema, so it is with that i declare with great hope and optimism that:
TOMORROW I HOPE AND PRAY FROM THAT DAY FORTH A NEW DAWN HAS BEGUN IN MORE BOLDER, DARING BLOCKBUSTE EPIC AND INVENTIVE ORIGINAL CINEMA.
As an australian and cinema lover this is the country type epic set drama that i longed for in an australian rural setting. Now let's see some genuine bold original city- based visions please in australian cities the bar has been raised and so have my expectations as australians and film lovers let's hope that future aussie films do not prove to be half of wbhat this films is a national masterpiece for our generation just as Marsden's book was for it;'s time
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