SONS OF MATTHEW

Australia, 1949, 107 minutes, Black and white.
Michael Pate, Ken Wayne, Tommy Burns, John Unicomb, John Ewart, Wendy Gibb, John O’ Malley, Thelma Scott, Dorothy Alison.
Directed by Charles Chauvel.

Sons of Matthew is the second-last film made by pioneer director Charles Chauvel, co-written with his wife Elsa Chauvel. They were to make Jedda in 1955.

The Chauvels had been making films since the 1920s, making such striking films as Heritage and Uncivilised in the 1930s and the war films, Forty Thousand Horsemen and Rats of Tobruk as part of the war effort.

This is a pioneering story of the Green Mountains near the southern Queensland coast. The film shows the O’ Riordan family clearing the land (felling many trees which might cause some consternation in later decades). However, the film is important in terms of a picture of pioneering families in Australia. The O’ Riordans have many children, have a Catholic background, are dedicated to hard work. The film shows the varous sons and their families, the struggles, the clashes, the reconciliations, the hopes.

The film starred Michael Pate who was soon to go to Hollywood and perform in a number of character roles (often ethnic non-white American roles). Dorothy Alison, who portrays Rose O’ Riordan, was to go to England for a long career. Both Michael Pate and Dorothy Alison returned to Australian film and television during the 1970s.

1. An epic Australian film? Picture of pioneering years? Nationalism? Human stories?

2. The work of Charles Chauvel and his vision? This film within his canon of film? Similarities of themes? The epic treatment? The film's success in its time? Later?

3. The quality of black and white photography, locations? The special effects especially for the seasons, cattle and horse sequences, bushfires and floods, work? musical score? The atmosphere of New South Wales and the mountains of Queensland?

4. The cast and the device of the photo album, the commentary on each of the characters? Information and emotional response? The quality of Wilfrid Thomas's commentary? Indicating events, understanding of events, judgments, emotional response to Australian nationalism and the pioneers?

5. The portrait of the O' Riordan family: the Irish and English backgrounds? The characteristics of the Irish and the English? An ordinary family? Pioneering, work, home? Drought, fire, flood? The terrain? The opening up of the Australian outback and taming it? The building up of a family? The portrait of the Australian- Irishman, the English- Australian woman? The uncle and his work, remaining single, devotion to the family? The sense of family? The friendship with the Mc Allisters - the scene of the bathing of Kathy? The birth of the children and the counterpointing of Shane's birth with the trouble with the horses? The symbolism of difficult birth?

6. The range of boys and girls in the family? The emphasis on the boys? The background presence of the girls? Shane and his growing up the eldest, his responsibility? Michael as the youngest? the emotional impact of the recitation of the Our Father and his prayers? (The focus on Irish Catholicism during the early years? its later absence?) Jane and her care for the family while her husband was droving, the build-up to the celebration of Christmas, no gifts for Michael because of the drought, the family setting to to make toys, her making toffee?

7. The droving and the prolonged absences of the men? Christmas and the bushfires? The Mc Allisters burnt out and the deaths? Fighting the fire, the spirit of fighting the fire, the children and all helping? The uncle and his decision to go north? Matthew's decision to stay? The passing of the seasons and new prosperity?

8. The sons of Matthew continuing their father's tradition and droving, the return and the jovial atmosphere, the horseplay - especially with Michael? The family's style, spirit? Matthew's meeting with his sons and the discussion of the future and their moving north?

9. Shane and the organisation of the sons to go north? The Mc Allisters going as well? The difficulties for Kathy? and the emphasis on the strong pioneering spirit for man and women? Setting out, the journey, the Queensland town and the girls farewell? The trek through the mountains, the hard terrain? The difficulties of the mountains and their peaks? and the possibility of falling? Clearing the trees, the collage of felling the trees, clearing the jungle? The camping life, the incessant work, the rest, the trips to the town for supplies? The ruggedness of pioneering? The hopes for prosperity?

10. The focus on Shane and his seriousness, his command of the other brothers, respect for him, the rules? His love for Kathy but not expressing it indicated with tension? The manifesting of his love? Rejection of Kathy? His decision to take her away from Barney? The clash and the fight? Saving Kathy from the flood? His injury? His return? His becoming the new patriarch figure of the next generation?

11. Kathy and her place in the O' Riordan home, everybody talking about her being in love with Barney? Taking it for granted? Her not feeling it? Her going north, working, being one of the men? The unemotional engagement and her sadness? Her discussions with Shane and his rejection of her? Her decision to do her duty? The monsoon and the rescue? Shane's choosing her? Chauvel's ability to create at atmosphere of sexual tension? The background of duty and honour?. Honour among brothers and yet the audience knowing Barney as worthless?

12. Barney and his toughness, Selina and the girls in the town, his double standards? Luke and the younger son? The fight in the bar? Their work to build up the family property? Barney's injuring Shane and the feeling in the fight ? and his atoning?

13. Luke, Michael and the younger brother and their sharing, the jokes about Michael, Luke's help, the younger son being more sensitive but having to become a man in the rugged situation?

14. The sketch of the town, the people, the girls, supplies, their attitude towards the O'Riordans, the fight in the bar?

15. The achievement, the clearing of the jungle, the introduction of cattle?

16. Jane and her coming north, her speech, disgust with Barney, the reconciliation?

17. The epilogue with its picturing of the achievement of the family, their becoming part of the aristocracy of the land - generations, servants, wealth? A picture of the transition from 19th to 20th century Australia?