It always strikes me that there’s a special affinity
between the American west and the lands down under of Australia and New
Zealand. I noticed it especially a few years ago after watching Walkabout, Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli
in succession. The openness of the land, the sense of adventure in the Outback
and the feeling of leaping into the unknown can all be thematically linked to
the western genre. Recently, while watching Niki Caro’s 2003 film Whale Rider I discovered that there are
links to be found also between New Zealand and the history of America.
