The Shiralee

I've seen this film twice, and on both occasions I found it immensely enjoyable. A simple tale, where a less than responsible husband and father, after finding out his wife is having an affair, decides to leave her, and taking his young daughter, Buster, with him, sets out on the road to find work. Peter Finch is perfectly cast as the dour, itinerant worker, drifting from job to job, with Buster, played by the delightful and irrepressible Dana Wilson. Finch, as Jim Macauley, dominates the screen with his physicality, toughness and sheer doggedness in trying to keep body and soul together while travelling across rugged terrain, with the added, awesome responsibility of looking after his daughter - his 'shiralee' (burden). The coherent and entertaining storyline, together with the 'punchy' dialogue and authentic looking locations, the film maintains interest right to the end. There is an economy of words from the laconic Peter Finch, as he sets out to negotiate every barrier which he comes up against. He immerses himself into the role of Jim Macauley to such an extent that he wins the audience over to his unenviable position. But Dana Wilson as 'Buster' takes huge credit for her 'tomboyish' persona and her extraordinary performance as the girl who loves her father so much, she will go that 'extra mile.' The film captures brilliantly the rough, tough love relationship between father and daughter, which never becomes too sugary. I would highly recommend this film.

I'm surprised at how few reviews this very good film has so far.

Very well cast and acted especially the wee girl of course. I presume that, like every other country, this way of life has gone almost seventy years later.

Odd to see Sid James without his trademark laugh appearing at regular intervals but this was not a comedy film of course.

I had expected some native Australians to make an appearance but there was none to be seen.

It runs along very nicely with an interesting plot with a few sub plots to keep the viewer interested through the whole film.

Well worth watching so let's see some more reviews appearing soon.

Peter Finch's first film for Ealing was 'Eureka Stockade' and nearly ten years later he returned down under to make one of their last Australian productions; a film of which very few have heard but was actually the star's personal favourite of his own films, considering it most representative of his antipodean roots.

Finch is for once cast as a bona fide Australian and uncharacteristically rough round the edges. The film is a drama with an Australian setting rather than a travelogue with settings rather plainly rendered in black & white. A strong female contingent includes Tessie O'Shea, Elisabeth Sellars and a very young Rosemary Harris.

Given the plot line, this could easily have been cutesy or mawkish. It isn't, though. Peter Finch is brilliant in his understated playing and the supporting cast is very fine.

Maybe because I've known men estranged from their wives who have taken their children on their quests through life, I was fascinated and very moved. The last half or gets a little busy and the (anti)hero's leaving his daughter with an unknown wanderer is implausible. But Finch holds the hole together brilliantly. And the actress playing his little girl is a natural. She never tries to charm us. Perhaps that is a credit to the director as much as to the performer.

There are simialrities (if memory serves) between this and the later, better known and lauded "Paper Moon." Of the two, I prefer this by a hundred thousand miles.

It is a charmer and a bit of a heart-breaker -- much like the character played by Finch.

While best known for their UK set comedies Ealing Studios also made several movies in Australia and this is one of them .It is based on a fine novel by D'Arcy Niland and revolves around Jim Macauley (played by a genuine Aussie ,the great Peter Finch).He is an itinerant salesman -a swag man in 'Strine (Aussie English)who on returning from his latest walkabout finds his wife (Elizabeth Sellars)is living with another man -one able to offer her the material comforts she seeks .He decides to go on his travels again this time taking with him his daughter Buster (Dana Wilson).she is his "shiralee"-the Aboriginal word for "burden".the movie deals with the way they come to learn from each other and is an emotionally moving look at father-daughter relationships as they work through illness,hardship and threats of separation.

It is free of sentimentality and the Finch-Wilson double act is captivating .the monochrome photography of Paul Beison is superb and the only minor blot is the slightly misfiring comedy sequences revolving around Sid James and Tessie O'Shea -scenes others may well enjoy more than I did An Australian made mini-series ,later edited into a single episode version,starring Bryan Brown is also worthwhile but this little known gem is the better picture