The Scene is Set; This is the Olympics of Cinema & We’re Going for Gold
April 4th, 2007
No one can gaurantee a movie will be an award-winning masterpiece based merely on size and scope of the project, just look at Oliver Stone’s Alexander after all! However when asked by the Townsville Bulletin whether this was his aim Baz indicated that he certainly was hoping to create something special; a love story surrounded and embellished by the vast beauty of the outback and the mayhem of wartime Darwin
“‘I can’t guarantee that [it will be a great Australian epic]. I’m reaching out. We’re all reaching out. I’ve got the best actors and the best crew. This is the Olympics of cinema and we are going for gold,” he said.
Parts of the movie being shot in Bowen are meant to represent Darwin in the 1920s-1940s. Bowen, with its long timber wharf and undeveloped esplanade, is providing the perfect place to build a faux Darwin waterfront. Yesterday he pointed to a spot near the wharf to be called Australia Point in the movie. It is here at Australia Point where the characters played by Nicole Kidman (Lady Sarah Ashley) and Hugh Jackman (increasingly known as DWNN: Drover With No Name) will meet for the first time in the film.
Earlier in the year australiamovie.net brought you exclusive pictures of proposed shooting sites in Bowen. We now have an update for you with the world’s first look at the film sets in the process of construction. Visit our gallery to see the full sized images. And over the next few days keep an eye on our media section for a video addition containing news of the Darwin shoot.
Finally, it is no secret that anyone with an interest in Australian history and/or the film industry is vying to be a part of this unique experience. Baz has embraced the enthusiasm shown by the surrounding towns, particularly in Bowen where Mr Luhrmann has said bus tours would be conducted from centres such as Mackay and Townsville. In an interesting move Mr Luhrmann went on to say that special days would be set aside during filming to allow tourists to watch production from public galleries.
sources: BowenGirl, Townsville Bulletin
Entry Filed under: Baz Luhrmann, Media, Miscellaneous, Press