Kings in Grass Castles (1998)

"How the Australian West Was Won"

Television, which can be so awful, can also be magnificent, breathtaking, and memorable. "Far Pavilians" is such a work of television art. So is "Kings in Grass Castles," a brilliantly well-acted, stunningly photographed study of the westward movement of white settlers into the aboriginal lands in the 19th century. All the main characters are a marvelously charismatic lot of Irish peasants who brought their wits and charm to the new lands. The dynamics of the native population in conflict with the new settlers is at times tragic, but the film makers bring enormous compassion and intelligence to the subject. It is a drama, not a sentimental tirade against whites, nor a reactionary celebration of the civilized against the savage. It is a human drama, well told, against the background of the seemingly endless Australian landscape. July 14, 2007

As powerful as "Roots"; a must-see film

This little-known, beautifully filmed drama introduces us to the real-life Durack family, who as poor farmers living in early nineteenth century Ireland, fled their homeland to seek a better life in Australia. The story tells of the hardships the Irish people faced living under British rule, and how they willingly gave up their freedom to become indentured servants in the new land in the hopes of finding a better life.

Although thousands of miles away in the new land, the Duracks found themselves suffering under the same British repression. In order to be truly free men, they had to travel thousands of miles again into the unsettled areas of Australia. This story tells of that struggle and how the Duracks, in their success at settling the new land, unknowingly helped the very same British empire that they so desperately despised and helped to displace the aborigine people that they came to love.

This is a first-class production with a first-rate cast, beautifully filmed in Ireland and Australia and is a must-see for anyone who is interested in that history. The script captures the spirit of the Duracks, showing their strengths and shortcomings, their wit and humanity. You will laugh with them and cry at their pain and heartache.

Stephen Dillane, who plays the patriarch of the Durack family in Australia, won the Ausralian Film Institute Best Actor award for this 1998 mini-series. January 29, 2001

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