The Castle Film Review

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The Castle A Film Review Great things have come out of Australia: Vegemite, Hugh Jackman, Tim-Tams, the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and many more icons. So there’s no surprise that when the word Australia is mentioned one instantly conjures up images of open paddocks, kangaroos and beautiful coast line. However in April 1997, one piece of cinema changed these images by portraying suburban working class Australians as they are: The Castle. When tow-truck driver Daryl Kerrigan (Michael Cayton) discovers that the neighbouring airport is seeking to compulsory acquire his family home, he is more than angry. But in the true Aussie “Battler” style he takes on the large corporation regardless of the circumstances. The film follows Daryl’s legal endeavors and his personal life in the true blue Aussie manner. This film incorporates all of the Aussie values in a satirical manner, persistence, loyalty, honesty and mateship. Persistence is especially shown in Daryl Kerrigan, when…show more content…
However it takes an Australian to understand the Australian humour and way of life and this could explain why the film was a bomb at the American box office. Despite the repetition, the puns and corny obvious jokes, this is how the film was meant to be and it worked. The portrayal of Australians in this film is somewhat of a two-sided sword, on one side the films characters are uneducated, dim witted, lower class people who eat basic meals and go on dull holidays. Australians are strong willed, persistent loving people who may be all of the above but are the happiest people in the world because they have each other. Examples of this are revealed throughout the film, like when the family goes to their holiday home at Bonnie Doon. It may be a ramshackle shack but Daryl is just happy to be at the place he loves with the people he loves, coining phrases such as “how’s the

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