My Movie Review on Quigley Down Under (Plus, a Bonus) · 3:11pm Jul 24th, 2020
Howdy, my friends.
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Quigley Down Under".
Here's the rundown of this Australian-Western adventure:
Matthew Quigley is an American rifleman who is a famous sharpshooter. This reputation is what made Quigley travel to Australia in response to an ad sent to him by Elliot Marston.
However, Quigley is appalled when he learns that Marston wanted to hire him to kill Australia's natives: the Aborigines. Particularly as part of a movement to wipe out the Aborigine race.
After refusing to take the job, Quigley becomes an outlaw hunted by Marston and his men, his only company being a Texan woman named Crazy Cora who seems to constantly mistake him for her former husband: Roy. Along the way, the two of them encounter a tribe of Aborigines who provide them food, water, and shelter, which provides them a firsthand look at their ways of life.
What's in store for this wide array of characters?
Well, the best way to know is to find out.
I'd like to be honest, the prime reason for why I decided to analyze this movie next was because of its reference to America achieving independence from the redcoats. It made me think this was a perfect movie to review in July since that's what Independence Day is about. My family and I are also big fans of this movie, and when I learned about the mixed reception it received from critics and its lack of success at the box office...I was deeply surprised.
I really can't understand why that is either, because even now...I find this to be one of the most awesome westerns ever!
For instance, the acting, casting, characters, and character development were fantastic!
Tom Selleck and Alan Rickman were literally perfect for the roles of Quigley and Marston. They portrayed their characters with astounding personality, passion, emotion, and commitment. I can hardly vision anyone but them playing the parts, that's for sure. Likewise, Laura San Giacomo did a wonderful job portraying Crazy Cora, especially in a way that made her character lovable and three-dimensional. Quigley, Cora, and Marston themselves had dynamic development throughout the film.
The direction by Simon Wincer, and the story by John Hill, were quite a treat as well. As a western, I found the concept to be remarkably original. I can hardly recall seeing any other western taking place in Australia, and its exploration of Aborigine culture and what Australia was like in the Western era was amazing! Along with that, the film contained a handsome amount of heart and emotion, which was particularly generated by the developing romance between Quigley and Cora. There was even a remarkably fun humorous side that was entertaining to see, and the morals and themes the films had about equality were nicely worked too.
Finally, the music by Basil Poledouris was marvelous. Poledouris was not only able to capture the feel of a western movie with his music alone, but...his score felt so emotionally compelling that it was strong enough to resonate onto the human heart. In a way, audiences can live the adventure while watching the movie thanks to the music.
In conclusion, "Quigley Down Under" is an underrated gem of a film that deserves so much more credit. It's fun, original, and has all the hallmarks to make it a great film.
So, I rate "Quigley Down Under" a solid five out of five stars.
Before I conclude this post, I’d like to show you all this painting that I finished not too long ago.
This paint-by-number is a little something that I completed from June 18 to July 19, 2020.
So, what do you guys think? Of this review? And the painting?
And if you’ve seen this movie, let me know in the comments what you thought about it.
