MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER (DVD/FAMILY FEATURE/1982) DVD

The Man from Snowy River
Inspired by an epic poem by A.B. "Banjo" Patterson, The Man From Snowy River was a major step forward for the regenerated Australian film industry of the early '80s. This "down-under Western" spotlights Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig, a headstrong young man who goes to work for a powerful cattle baron. Burlinson falls in love with Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), his boss' daughter, and becomes enmeshed in a bitter land feud. Kirk Douglas has a high old time in the dual role of hard-hearted landowner Harrison and grizzled, one-legged old prospector Spur. Previously filmed in 1920, The Man From Snowy River was directed by the other George Miller, not the director of the same name who helmed Mad Max (1979). A monumental moneymaker, the film inspired a 1988 sequel, confusingly titled Return to Snowy River, Part II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Kirk Douglas as Spur Kirk Douglas as Harrison Jack Thompson as Clancy Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig Sigrid Thornton as Jessica Lorraine Bayly as Rosemary Chris Hayward as Tony Bonner as Kane Gus Mercurio as Frew Terence Donovan as Henry Craig

Crew George Miller - Director Adrian Carr - Editor Michael Edgley - Executive Producer Simon Wincer - Executive Producer Bruce Rowland - Composer (Music Score) Leslie Binns - Production Designer Keith Wagstaff - Cinematographer Michael Lake - Production Manager Geoff Burrowes - Producer John Dixon - Screenwriter Fred Cullen - Screenwriter

The Man from Snowy River
The Man From Snowy River may be a landmark achievement in Australian cinema -- accomplished by the standards of a fledgling film industry -- but when compared to a long history of similar American Westerns, it fares only so-so. Its more enduring place may be in the hearts of horse lovers, specifically young girls, many of whom campaigned ever more urgently for a pony as a result of watching the movie. In this way, its influence is better equated to the The Black Stallion than The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There's a harlequin quality to the forbidden omance on the frontier storyline, which also includes scandalous family secrets and other bits of soap opera fodder. Still, it's executed with enough skill and enough mildness to rest comfortably within the realm of the sentimental family classic. Especially impressive are the horse-riding feats, even the loving way the horses are filmed, which help categorize it among horse films without that being its explicit focus. In his debut film, cinematographer Keith Wagstaff encapsulates the beauty of the Australian countryside with a real sense for its expansiveness. Kirk Douglas is an effective choice to raise the film's stateside interest level, even if the lesser half of his dual role, the salty old prospector, has the hokey feel of a theme park character. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
 

Golden Globe, Best Foreign Film (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DDS: Dolby Digital Surround 1: PCM mono Additional Features: cc Theatrical trailer Interactive menus Scene selection Anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.35:1) and pan & scan versions Audio: English Stereo Surround, English Mono, French Mono Subtitles: English, Spanish DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 104 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Widescreen 1. The Old Thoroughbred 2. Main Titles 3. The Accident 4. Hard Country 5. Spur's Gift 6. The Thousand-Pound Colt 7. Clancy 8. The New Kid 9. The Legend 10. Two Romantics 11. Staying Behind 12. A Butler and a Lady 13. Breaking the Colt 14. A Foolish Boy 15. Twenty Strays 16. Harrison's Anger 17. Lost in the Mountains 18. Rescued 19. To Be With You 20. Gold 21. Uncle Spur 22. A Tale of Two Brothers 23. One Impetuous Act 24. Bunkhouse Brawl 25. Curly's Revenge 26. Clancy's Off 27. Going After the Colt 28. The Stallions 29. Jim's Big Leap 30. A True Horseman 31. The Man From Snowy River 32. End Titles Side #2 -- Pan & Scan 1. The Old Thoroughbred 2. Main Titles 3. The Accident 4. Hard Country 5. Spur's Gift 6. The Thousand-Pound Colt 7. Clancy 8. The New Kid 9. The Legend 10. Two Romantics 11. Staying Behind 12. A Butler and a Lady 13. Breaking the Colt 14. A Foolish Boy 15. Twenty Strays 16. Harrison's Anger 17. Lost in the Mountains 18. Rescued 19. To Be With You 20. Gold 21. Uncle Spur 22. A Tale of Two Brothers 23. One Impetuous Act 24. Bunkhouse Brawl 25. Curly's Revenge 26. Clancy's Off 27. Going After the Colt 28. The Stallions 29. Jim's Big Leap 30. A True Horseman 31. The Man From Snowy River 32. End Titles