The Man from Snowy River (1982)

***SPOILERS*** I gotta wonder how many people ever gave a thought to the idea of Australian cowboys? How about Hawaiian cowboys? African cowboys? YUP. Probably one out of a hundred. Russian cowboys? Nah. This is a fine movie from a viewpoint few of us Americans think of - another country ! Imagine that!! Before there was a Quigley down under, There was a Man From Snowy River. I saw it on cable a long time ago, and then recently again. Kirk Douglas does a pretty good job of it, but, I'll bet they could've found an Aussie to play this grizzled (and ungrizzled) role just as well. A fast moving plot with a couple of ranch rats, a domineering father, a guy who loves the beautiful girl, and an escaped stallion? Gee, that is a pretty good recipe for a western of any country. Throw in great horsemanship, fantastic scenery, and terrific acting, and you get this movie.. it's a 10.

I first saw this movie at a truck stop in Idaho in 92 and was hooked! The cinematography, the actors, and especially the sound track are breathtaking. The sound track is tremendous with softness of the piano and the excitement generated by the french horns. Absolutely Awesome!!!This is also a fun about someone that believes in himself and his principles. He fights for what he believes. That's rare these days. The female characters, Jessica and Mrs Hume carry themselves brilliantly and are a good balance against Tom and Kirk. I liked Kirk Douglas playing both parts. He was always one of my favorite actors.I've seen it so many times, I probably have the script memorized. I never get tired of the beauty of film. Highly Recommend it to anyone that likes horses!

This movie is both perfect and imperfect. Perfect because it has amazing horse riding scenes, beautiful cinematography and music, wonderful acting from Jack Thompson who captures the quintessential Clancy of the Overflow of Australian legend, and a great performance from Tom Burlinson, and showcases the skills of the 'real deal' cattlemen of the high country who acted as extras in the horse chase scenes, and finally because it can bring a tear to the eye the way Banjo Paterson's poem has for 120 years. This film was clearly a work of love and that is wonderfully conveyed.However it's also imperfect because Kirk Douglas simply doesn't work in this context, and his two roles seem at times ridiculous. The storyline also meanders around at times, mostly in relation to one of Douglas's two characters, and it just seems a pity that an otherwise wonderful film has these flaws.This is a movie to stir the heart, and well worth watching, and the horse chase scenes in the movie are now as much a part of Australia's culture as the original poem.

Clint Eastwood and Unforgiven be damned. This is by far the best western of the modern era. Its an Aussie tale, but that does not disqualify it in my books. Lonesome Dove has its group as does Unforgiven. But George Miller's The Man from Snowy River is downright majestic. There are no stagecoaches, revenge killings, poker games or joking jail hands. There isn't even a climactic standoff in a dusty old town. But there is the hand of a maiden to win and inner demons to slay. The climax isn't a shoot out with a band of criminals, but with a stallion and a lonely ride down a rocky mountain. Director George Miller draws clear characters and honest human situations. He understands what a camera can do. Scenes of great power play out not in a tired miasma of gunfire or hokey soliloquies, but in the striations of muscle from a horse powering through rock in slow motion. George Miler is a poet. And the Man from Snowy River is a story that will stand the test of time. See it.