Straya! The Movie

Australia has an almost universal lack of self criticism when it comes to the arts. Its something of a blind spot. Now I use the word criticism in its professional sense, people who are trained to make judgments about the merit of a work. Now I can say that if there was ever a skill that I have been trained professionally for it is literary criticism, one of my majors is English Lit. So while I rarely exercise the muscles of my critical faculty in the public space (my movie reviews are hardly exhaustive) I do have a feel for the value of calling a spade a good spade or a Baz Luhrmans film unwatchable shit.
I was prompted to examine the failure of arts criticism by (ironically) an English rock journo writing in the Australian edition of Rolling Stone. His observation was that there is NO criticism of useful construction in the Australian music scene. every so called critic must gush over the sacred cows, no one is allowed to say this band is actually mediocre or that band is quite shit. He sited the examples of Powderfinger and Silverchair the Triple J wunderkinds.
To criticise these bands negatively is to perpetuate the tall poppy syndrome. In fact to criticise any mainstream art in Australia is to be guilty of tall poppy or heaven forbid unAustralian!!!
It is worth noting that the three major media outlets in Australia News Corp, PBL and Fairfax control the publication of almost everything that is read, heard or watched. They have a vested interest in selling units, so negative publicity (in any form) is unacceptable.
This has a damming effect on the ability of the public to spot the naked emperor.

Baz Luhrmans new movie 'Australia' is out in cinemas at the moment. I won't be going to see it. I can say in all honesty that I'm not a Baz fan, I don't like his style of movie making and do not enjoy watching Nicole Kidman. The public have been feed several rumours about the movie, that its over budget, that the 'script' was written on the fly and that the final print was completed within hours of the premier. Perhaps some of these juicy rumours are true, perhaps all, perhaps none. But what is true is the gamble the Australian Tourism board is taking in promoting the movie 'Australia' to promote Australia the country.
Australia is secretly very ashamed that one of the most iconic of Australian films is 'Crocodile Dundee' and not 'Strictly Ballroom' or 'Two Hands' etc I'm not, I liked Croc Dundee and I enjoy Paul Hogan.

So you may hear a lot of gushing reviews for 'Australia' the movie. Please bear in mind the unstated vested interests of the media outlets to push and promote attendance in this film. It is estimated that 1/3 of all Australians will need to see it at least once for it to break even. To me that sounds like Baz is pushing for public investment in his vision. Tough break, if you wanted my money make a film about Hobbits or ninjas or god forbid Henry Lawson.

Just don't use Nicole Kidman.