Australian Comedy Films

This film was about a group of 3 best friends from Australia called the black tar gang. They all worked together in construction earning low wages; they had what they needed but lived by fairly simple means. The best way I can describe these characters personalities and lifestyles is that they were “hillbillies”. Each man was married and had responsibilities but they were the happiest when the spent time together out in the woods drinking beer. One day they decided to buy a metal detector and take it out with them to look for treasure; imagine their surprise when they find the largest ever found nugget of Gold worth millions of dollars.

With a possession so valuable it was no surprise that people tried to steal it, and one of their neighbors actually did. With all the drama and suspicions the friends started to turn on each other and ended up in a property battle trying to decide who really owned the gold nugget.

One of the funniest parts of the movie is the ending. A friend of the thief was angry at the man’s selfishness so in revenge he decided to steal the gold and give it to the original founders. Out of the kindness of his heart he decided to melt it down to make it easier for them to handle, but in the process gets distracted by a game on TV. The gold with a mind of its own melts into a stream that flows down the street and straight to one of the men’s houses. The gold found its way home.

The plot line of lower class people coming across a fortune is fairly common. It also is ordinary for the money to tear apart relationships. Despite the familiar story though the humor was enough to carry the film. The director did a good job at portraying the characters as dumb but loveable that created a little bit of an emotional connection and a desire for an underdog ending.

Compared to the other Australian comedy films I have watched for this blog, I can definitely see the changing of the times. The cinema created in Australia at this time is not much different from anything we would see in America today. It was very relatable to me and I believe it would be relatable to a large array of people as well.