The Legend of Molly Johnson

Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: August 19, 2022

5.3	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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KenRMay 9, 2023

The Drovers Wife – The Legend of Molly Johnson (forget Henry Lawson you won’t find him here)

This recent Australian movie looked like it could be the one we were waiting for to put Aussie films back on the international quality trail.The Drovers Wife – The Legend of Molly Johnson (forget Henry Lawson you won’t find him here)

This recent Australian movie looked like it could be the one we were waiting for to put Aussie films back on the international quality trail. Striking cinematography by Mark Wareham in and around the Snowy Mountains offers mesmerizing vistas, all captured within high-grade camerawork. Good central performances including a stand out by young Malachi Dower-Roberts as Molly’s young son. Multi-talented musician/composer Salliana Seven Campbell’s score is interesting but often intrudes on proceedings, if it’s not the tempo it’s the sound mix.

Leah Purcell works hard in the lead role of Molly Johnson, and her story is often important but she fails to keep the project on target as writer and director. Too many situations don’t hold too close scrutiny with some bordering on being outlandish - seems we are still trying to copycat Italian Westerns. It’s a pity indigenous filmmakers feel the need to drive a wedge through all attempts at integration by pushing the political ‘them against us’ narrative and doing so with evermore over-the-top violence and emotional manipulation. Here, she overloads her story with the grossest whites (like almost everyone) while the blacks are only shown as gentle peace lovers. This is never always the case and comes across as biased hypocrisy, leaving a disappointing aftertaste. A well-balanced film will involve both sides of the political situation without continually looking back to the past for fault and victim blaming. We will never move forward while this continual hatred is pushed in every augment for equality. Leah has been given the opportunity for a career within this modern nation’s industry but seems only capable of spewing back hatred. We see enough of this from politicians like Senator Lidia Thorp without it also permeating our entertainment. Disappointing.… Expand

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alanpotter17Jun 5, 2023

É sempre bom ver um western subvertendo os personagens típicos dessas produções, de "Brokeback Mountain" a "Ataque dos cães", é delicioso perceber que há espaço para boas histórias com personagens dissidentes. Molly, então, acaba sendo umÉ sempre bom ver um western subvertendo os personagens típicos dessas produções, de "Brokeback Mountain" a "Ataque dos cães", é delicioso perceber que há espaço para boas histórias com personagens dissidentes. Molly, então, acaba sendo um personagem que reforça o lado bom para quebrar esteriótipos.
Ainda que sua figura reforça certos padrões, como o apego à feminilidade, à obediência ao marido, ao instinto maternal pelos filhos, ela o faz com certo grau de independência e força, que fica impossível não perceber o limiar entre a mulher condescendente e a mulher aguerrida que está sendo.
Confesso que esperava um pouco mais do roteiro, que basicamente se concentra na pequena casa dela, que entra em contato até mesmo com um negro fugitivo (em uma brecha para se discutir a escravidão do século XIX), mas o filme, por uma razão que não sei bem definir, não consegue engrenar.
Claro que a presença de Leah Purcell, que dirige e atua, salta a tela, e é uma grata surpresa ver um trabalho com alma e tecnicamente satisfatório.
Ainda assim é tudo muito quadrado e tradicional, lembra de longe "três anúncios para um crime" mas feito de forma conservadora. Acredito que temos em Leah uma cineasta promissora, o que se pode falar desta obra é que está longe de ser ruim, mas também precisaria de um gás e um tempero para tornar-se mais marcante.… Expand

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