RAMS
Australia, 2020, 118 minutes, Colour.
Sam Neill, Michael Caton, Miranda Richardson, Wayne Blair, Asher Keddie, Leon Ford, Will McNeil?, Travis McMahon?.
Directed by Jeremy Sims.
A story of two brothers who have not spoken for 40 years despite the fact that they live on adjacent properties. They breed sheep.
Cinemagoers with international interest will remember that there was a film of the same name, Rams, from Iceland in 2015. Characters and plot have been transferred to Western Australia. There is something grim about Icelandic landscapes and big bearded men, reminiscent of Vikings, hostile to each other. It is not quite so grim in the West Australian landscapes – even though there is a bushfire crisis at the end of the film.
While there are many stories about rival brothers, there is a particular focus here. An epidemic. As the film opens, there is a local Rams competition in the town of Mount Barker, down near Albany, a small community, rather close-knit (except for the brothers!). But, there are difficult times, one local is raising alpaca, another is considering moving. Prominent in the community is the official who judges the sheep, a migrant from England. At the end of the competition, one of the rams is discovered to have a contagious disease.
The more sympathetic brother, Colin (an affable if reserved bachelor, played in his inimitable way by Sam Neill), burns his flock. The less sympathetic brother, Les (gruff, slob in dress and behaviour, resentful that he did not get the inheritance that was given to his younger brother, Michael Caton) lets his flock be removed from the property. Everything in the sheds has to be disinfected. There is a fine supporting cast with the Wayne Blair and Asher Keddie.
The film has a go at government bureaucracy, a completely unsympathetic interfering officer who turns up regularly (Leon Ford) but has to be restrained by the more sympathetic Kat, the inspector (Miranda Richardson). He turns up again, interfering at the end, encouraging the audience to have a hiss and boo attitude towards him.
This all happens in summer. Then the screen notes that it is winter – and we see that Christmas is coming. However, Colin has a deep secret and is at pains to keep it quiet, even putting rotting prawns in his garbage bin to disguise the smell of sheep, and lots of spray around the house.
Ultimately, as always, the truth comes out. And, a bit more humanity with the brothers, some disappointment on the part of Kat and her experience with Colin.
Then come the bushfires, quite vividly presented, part of Australian consciousness. A trip to the mountains to the sea with the sheep – and the possibilities for Ray, comparatively, happy future.
An Australian yarn, an acknowledgement of farmers and their problems, and quite a lot of photos of sheep and flocks back in the pioneering days during the final credits.
1. The original and the transition from Iceland to Western Australia?
2. The settings, Mount Barker, the farms, the sheep, the homesteads, interiors? The town? The pubs, offices? The mountains, the sea, the bushfires? The musical score? For a variety of moods?
3. The signalling of each of the seasons?
4. The atmosphere of the sheep, the visuals of the sheep, Colin and his care, the dog (and each brother calling it by a different name)? The rams, mating, lambs?
5. The two brothers, not speaking for 40 years? Their ages? As boys in the photos? Not speaking, living side-by-side, Les and his anger, not getting the inheritance, Colin and his inheriting? The relationship with Kat, reserved and amiable?
6. The competition, Colin, pleasant, talking to the sheep? The lineup, Kat and her presence, from England, the comments about this, judging the sheep? Her assistant? Les and his ram? The other contestants?
7. The people in the town, Frenchy, his wife, Jackson? Travis and his wife? Life in the area? Friendships, rivalries? Kat and the inspection, her final judgement, Les winning?
8. The aftermath, the celebrations, the discussions and hopes, the alpaca, Jackson and his hopes, Kat’s assistant going to Perth to study?
9. Colin discerning the disease, Kat examining, the consequences? The official and his arrival, his fussy intrusion, bureaucracy, nobody liking him? Kat restraining him?
10. The consequences for the sheep, Colin and his burning the sheep, against the rules, the other sheep herded away, cleaning of the barns? Les and his refusal?
11. Colin, the fact that he kept some sheep and a ram, in the house, growing fodder for them, the different rooms, water, the drainage? The plans for the mating?
12. Christmas approaching, Colin staying remote, Kat and her coming to talk, gifts, the smell and the spray? Using the prawns as an alternate smell? Frank talking with each other?
13. Kat and her realisation, Les discovering, taking the sheep out? The inspector arriving, Colin installing the bell, Kat and her presence?
14. Les, his drinking, wandering the house, Colin over at his place, with the sheep? Les reviving?
15. Transferring the sheep to the mountains, the dog, over the mountains, down to the sea, the hills and the hut?
16. The bushfires, the vivid staging of the fires, everyone together working? Overcoming the fire, Angela and her being in charge?
17. Colin, the reconciliation with Les, the photos, talking, each helping the other?
18. Colin, his reaction to Kat, the sheep in the mountains, the hopes for lambs in the future?
