THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER II

Australia, 1988, 110 minutes, Colour.
Tom Burlinson, Sigrid Thornton, Brian Dennehy, Nicholas Eadie, Mark Hembrow, Bryan Marshall, Rhys McConnachie?, Peter Cummins, Cornelia Frances, Tony Barry, Wyn Roberts.
Directed by Geoff Burrowes.

The Man From Snowy River II is an entertaining sequel to the very successful original. The time between the two films is six years.

What was successful in the first film has generally been retained for the sequel. The same characters are present, except for Kirk Douglas' Spur who has died (but who is mentioned). Brian Dennehy takes Kirk Douglas' place. Tom Burlinson and Sigrid Thornton are still the hero and heroine. The horses are still there and gallop spectacularly across the wide screen with breathtaking pictures of the high country landscapes. Bruce Rowland's stirring score is also still there - with the same touch of 'Waltzing Matilda' (and the acknowledgement of A.B. Paterson) at the end.

While the first film was based on a well-known ballad, this screenplay is more conventional, even like an American frontier film or a western.

The film was co-written by John Dixon and Geoff Burrowes, and Burrowes, the producer of many films during the '80s (Cool Change, Backstage, Running with the Guns) acts as director.

While the film might be conventional in many ways, it nevertheless touches something in the Australian psyche about the bush and its heritage. And the spectacle of thundering horses and beautiful landscape with the musical score would surely stir most audiences.

1. The success of the original film? The bush ballad, the heritage of the bush, Banjo Paterson? The second film capitalising on the first and continuing the tradition?

2. The spectacle of the Panavision photography of the high country? Mountains and valleys? The importance of the galloping horses and chases? Spectacle? Editing and pace? The musical score? The well-known theme and the strain of 'Waltzing Matilda' at the end?

3. The original being a well-known bush ballad? Legend? The continuance of the legend in a more-conventional plot?

4. The focus on Craig: the opening and audiences remembering his past, his absence from the high country, his droving and collecting horses, becoming a man?

5. His return, the encounter with Seb and getting up to date? Going to the races, the encounter with Harrison and his hostility, Patton and his hostility? Patton's son and his military show, his snobbish attitudes towards Jim? The encounter with Jessica? The insults - and his riding and outdoing Patton's son? Harry's admiration for him and coming on his side?

6. Jim establishing himself, the horses, proposing to Jess, Harrison's not wanting her to go? Spur's death, the mining settlement, its becoming a town; the hotel, the building of the church and the encounter with the priest?

7. Jess and her coming to the hut, their plans? The death of the young man' and the stallion? The mountain men and their warnings against Jess's presence? Jess and her decision to go? Patton and his stealing the horses? The chase? Jim looking for Jess, getting his horse and chasing the thieves? Riding the mountainside? His horse shot - and the pathos of his scene of grief? The stallion coming, the confrontation, his taming it? Riding in pursuit? The final confrontation with Patton - and with the sword? The stallion coming to help? Then going free?

8. Jess and her memories of Jimi? Waiting for him? With her father? Strong, his forbidding her to ride, the race and her winning it? Jim's return? Her moodiness, playing the piano, clashing with her father? Going, being with Jim? Participating in the final chase? A future?

9. Patton and his aristocratic attitudes, the loan and his hold over Harrison? Harry and his putting him down - saying that his family hanged Patton's family back in Scotland? Patton's son, his arrogance, military and fascist style, his display? His warning Craig off? The party, his friends, his hurting his friends? Going to the men in the hotel? The decision to steal the horses? The death of one of his party? The chase, his confrontation with Craig after killing his horse, his cowardice, the sword, the stallion? The villain looking dark and dressed in black, compared with Craig who had, literally, golden hair?

10. The mountain men, the mining settlement, the hotel, the friend at the bar, her advice for both Jim and Jessica? The clash with the valley people?

11. Harrison and his presence in Australia, the twenty years, his hold on Jessica, seeing him as a drifter, entertaining Patton and the owners, the clash with Patton, the question of the loan, his disdain of the Pattons? His joining in the chase for the stolen horses?

12. Harry and the military in India, the horse supplying the deal with Jim, Jim and his rounding up of the horses, the various properties, their being stolen?

13. The Australian bush, the 19th century heritage, the bush heritage romanticised for city audiences? The film as stirring something of the traditional Australian spirit?