Country Life

Country Life is an unusual film in two respects. Firstly, with its detailed period production design it looks like it was made during the 1970s when such fare typified the newly conscious Australian film industry. Made in 1994 it is quite an anachronism. Secondly, whilst it stylistic peers are dramas of one stripe or another, it is a comedy. Admittedly, a Chekovian comedy but no less unusual for that.

Writer-director Michael Blakemore based his script on  Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, relocating it rural Australia immediately at the end of WWI.. Jack Dickens (John Hargreaves) and his niece Sally (Kerry Fox) run the family farm and send money to Alexander (Blakemore), Jack’s brother-in-law and Sally’s father, a supposedly brilliant literary critic in London. When Alexander returns with his beautiful young wife Deborah (Greta Scacchi), tensions rise as the family soon tire of Alexander’s idle ways, while both Jack and the local doctor (Sam Neill) fall for Deborah.

If stylistically the film runs on rails, at least the rails are well oiled and Blakemore, helped by cameraman, Stephen F. Windon, who has gone on to a decent career largely making Hollywood action movies, serves up an easily consumable film that always looks good its sunburnt Edwardian reaiized with tasteful art direction and attractive landscape photography.

The real strength of the film is, however, the original text and if Blakemore’s adaptation lacks the polish of Chekov’s daring room play this is entirely appropriate and the outcome surprisingly amusing. The cast are all excellent and Blakemore, an Australian who worked in British theatre and television in the 1950s and 60s, gets strong performances from all. Although Greta Scacchi’s part is underwritten and for the first half of the film she has little to do but look appealing, eventually she gets her fair share of the proceedings, John Hargreaves steals the show as Uncle Jack, Blakemore is very effective in playing the public school type, no doubt basing the character on his friend, Robert Morley, whilst Googie Withers is also excellent as the Irish houslekeeper, but these are only the most prominent of top-to-bottom excellent performances.

Had Country Life been made 20 years earlier is would probably be regarded as a classic of Australian cinema. As it is, it an amusing film that deserves to be better known.

DVD Extras: Behind The Scenes; A Personal History of The Australian Surf (approx 50mins), a 1981 documentary by Blakemore.

Available from: Umbrella Entertainment

 

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