There haven’t been that many biographies of animals, but then few animals captured the affection of a nation like the way champion race horse Phar Lap did in Australia during the depression. Like many notable Australians, Phar Lap was in fact a Kiwi (there is a lovely joke on this in the film towards the end), who came up against the local establishment and opposition overseas during his relatively short life.
This is a handsome, romantic film with a magnificent score and an affection for its subject which makes the film impossible to dislike. The dialogue is occasionally clichéd and unconvincing – mostly exchanges along the line of “he’s a crap horse/no, he’s a bloody champion”, “you’re training him too hard/no I’m not” – and there are the usual flaws of the Australian period film, i.e. villains who sit behind mahogany desks and endless shots of period cars driving in the background.
However, David Williamson’s script is structurally strong and includes some fascinating subplots, such as Phar Lap’s Jewish-American owner (Ron Liebman) taking on the VCR establishment, the trainer (Martin Vaughan) who realises he ultimately had little to do with his horse’s success, and of course the hints that the Yanks killed Phar Lap. Tom Burlinson has an incredibly difficult role, that of Tommy Woodcock, Phar Lap’s strapper, but he pulls it off very well. In fact, all the performances are good, and the film much better than Seabiscuit.
Roadshow have outdone themselves with a superb 2-part DVD, which includes separate audio commentaries from Burlinson and director Simon Wincer, plus an audio interview with Woodcock, and documentaries and contemporary newsreels on Phar Lap. A must for all Phar Lap-ophiles.
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