The Man from Snowy River - Movie Review

This has to be the best Australian horsey movie of all time. A must- see for any Aussie horsey girl! And one of my favourite movies of all time. This movie had a significant impact on me. My Grandpa knows the poem off by heart and I have known the story behind the movie my whole life. So it is by no small chance that I'd choose this movie as my first movie review.


Based on the story by: Elyne Mitchell


Genre: Historical Drama


Directed by: George T. Miller.

Starring: Tom Burlinson, Sigrid Thornton, Kirk Douglas.

Rating: PG (mild violence and mild course language)


Distributed by: 20th Century Fox.

Release Date: March 1982.


Running time: 102 Minutes.

(my) Rating: 

Plot: After Jim Craig's (Tom Burlinson) father dies while trying to catch a brumby mob, he is told by the mountain men that he has to earn his way first to be able to live in the snowy mountains. Before he leaves, his Father's friend Spur (a gold miner) gives him a horse named Danny to own, since his own horse died in the same accident that killed his father.

Jim decides to look for work in the lower country, and ends up working for the wealthy cattle owner Harrison (Kirk Douglass). Down in the lower counter though, he is the subject of prejudism by Harrison himself, who has a grudge against 'mountain men'. However he looks forward to the upcoming muster, where he can visit his beloved mountains again.

Harrison decides not to include Jim on the muster last minute, and Jim, who suffers from disappointment, ends up becoming friends with Harrison's spirited daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), who also wished to join the muster. Jessica pursuades Jim to break in Harrison's colt from Old Regret who was worth a thousand pounds. Since Jim is an experienced horseman. Jessica helps him every day, and they develop strong feelings for each other.

When the men return from their muster Harrison is furious that he finds his colt broken in, and threatens to send Jessica away to a boarding school and fires Jim, who at the time was sent to pick up a few stray cattle left over from the muster. Jessica runs away and by chance Jim rescues her, and takes her back to her worried father. Harrison is relieved, but becomes furious again when Jim tells him that he plans to marry her.

When Jim is refused, he then goes away to his mountain home. That same night the colt escapes and joins the same mob of brumbies that killed Jim's father. The colt's escape is blamed on Jim. Spur and Clancy from the Overflow (another of Jim's father's friends) try to convince Jim to join in on the chase for the colt, and Jim finally relents.  

Themes: There are many themes in this movie, but I will only name a few of them. The film is about courage and stepping up into manhood, but it also explores; family relationships, jealousy, classism and prejudism.  

Notes: I loved the movie beacause it is so similar (even the volcabuary) to the original book. The scenery is breathtaking and is filmed in the snowy mountains. The music is also lovely, and I enjoy the romance in it without it taking up most of the film. The action scenes are very good, and the storyline is very interesting and clever. In the chase scene you will notice bits of speech that are in the poem, and does the famous poem justice. On the downside, there is bad language, and there is a punch-up scene, that is a bit violent. However I highly recommend it and my parents thoroughly approve it when we fast forward the argument that contains the swear word, and we are strict about movies we watch.     

I hope you have enjoyed my first movie review. Please comment to share your opinions or questions. 

From Lauren