Newsfront (1978)

Historical, long but interesting

This was not exactly what I was expecting but I did enjoy it. Knowing nothing about the broadcasting industry, I found it very interesting to see it and learn about it from this point of view. The characters were shown in such a way as to be believable. Although they may not always have been behaving perfectly, I found myself identifying with them as "real" and realizing that like all of us, they are only human and make mistakes. It was refreshing not to have a "Hollywood" script or ending. May 2, 2008

The best Australian film?

The late 1970s-early 1980s was a time of frenetic activity in the Australian movie industry, one which saw the production of films such as "Picnic at Hanging Rock", "My Brilliant Career", "Gallipoli" and "Breaker Morant". However even against such excellent company "Newsfront" stands out as the finest film of its time, and possibly the best Australian film yet made.

Most Australian films of that time, even the very best, tended to exhibit a slightly self-conscious "Australianness". It was historically a time when Australians rediscovered their "roots" and were keen to present their culture to the world. Consequently many of these films can look a little quaint or provincial, for all their undoubted quality. "Newsfront", in contrast, had a storyline which, whilst it was thoroughly Australian in context, was completely accessible to a woldwide audience.

It also boasted a cast which included some of the best local actors ever to grace the screen, a very strong script, and high production values. The combination of historic newsreel footage studio shots and location photography was perfectly handled, and the score was inspired.

One of the most interesting facets is the way in which the style of cinematography, music and dialogue production change during the course of the film. Just as the story covers a period of great technical change, the film itself evolves during its 110 minutes from shaky black and white handheld shots with an accompanying post war soundtrack to slick colour with a fine orchestral soundtrack. This is not, however just an obvious gimmick - it is a very gradual and subtle change, which may not even be consciously noticed on the first viewing.

A wonderful and rewarding film which is as fresh now as it was on its release in 1978. November 12, 2005

when the world was young

While Newsfront is not a comedy, it is a delight. The cast is fabulous and leave the audience wishing they were friends with the people portrayed.

The film tells a story about people who made newsreels in 1950s Australia. Today, newsreels are simply gone, passing from tremendous importance to obscurity almost overnight, driven there by television. Television first went on the air in Australia in 1956, when the story ends, and the newsreels and the people who made them became insignificant as society traded thoughtfulness and integrity for immediacy with neither.
November 7, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...