A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.
- Awards
- 4 nominations
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaChris Haywood, Roderick Williams, and Peter Collingwood worked on this film and the parody Wills & Burke (1985).
- Crazy creditsAt the conclusion of the cast list in the end credits it reads: Mr. Stillwell as himself.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Bit Part (1987)
- SoundtracksI Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls
from "The Bohemian Girl" Act II
Music by Michael William Balfe (as Michael Balfe) and lyrics by Alfred Bunn (uncredited)
Sung by Vanessa Fallon
Piano played by Leon Gibbons
Featured review
25 years on, this movie is even more interesting than it was when first released. Some things haven't changed - the performances by Jack Thompson and Nigel Havers are still first rate, and Greta Scacchi is still gorgeous (and sings beautifully - it is her own voice). And the outback footage shot on location is just as stunning. But now there are whole generations of people, not to mention immigrants to Australia, who weren't taught about Burke and Wills in primary school, so the story of the explorers and what happened to them is new. This was one of the first Australian movies to have a large number of indigenous people involved and it is interesting to see how in 1985, the film makers contrast the struggle that the Europeans have with an environment in which the indigenous people lived quite comfortably, and also show that their communication systems were better! Definitely worth a look and hopefully it will be released on DVD some time soon.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- A$8,900,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $2,546
- Runtime2 hours 20 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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