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Starring Rachel Ward and Victoria Thaine, Rain Shadow
is about Kate, a 50 year old crusty female vet working with a younger
and brasher version of herself in order to overcome the drastic effects
of a drought on the small fictional farming community of Paringa. The
local community includes a well-off landowner with a large spread, as
well as owners of smaller properties who are really struggling to maintain a living for their families under severe circumstances.
A
number of secrets are hinted at throughout the episodes – is it about
the mysterious Larry, or the death of Kate’s husband, or the threat of
a health risk to the livestock?
A sequence of stark, yet
beautiful, picture-postcard images of drought ravaged landscapes is
interspersed throughout each episode. This effectively creates the
atmosphere that surrounds the drama played out by the actors. Shots of
crows on fences, wheat silos against the early morning sun and dry
paddocks had a lasting impression on this particular reviewer! These
scenes of Australian country life are complemented by an atmospheric
moody guitar theme, in the same way the theme music of Hamish Macbeth did for the Scottish highlands.
An
interesting device used by the director throughout each episode is the
character of Steve, as an unseen old sage who provides advice and moves
the plot along in key sequences.
Each actor is perfectly matched
to their roles. Particular mention must be made of Gary Sweet (who has
certainly developed from his earliest role as the innocent Magpie in The Sullivans)
playing Larry, the menacing figure doing his best to look like a tough
bald-headed Bruce Willis. His periodic appearances throughout each
episode culminates in a pivotal sequence in Episode 6.
I may
be living in a time warp but another featured actor, Shane Withington,
seems to have returned from nowhere (after creating an indelible
impression as a young Brendan Jones in A Country Practice) to play a key role as an older, overweight and weathered farmer.
But
the real acting credit needs to be given to the two female co-stars.
Rachel Ward gives her role a great deal of credibility as the
experienced vet who appears to be hiding two secrets. Her scenes at the
end of Episode 5 (when she reveals the trauma that has shaped her
character) are worth the purchase price alone. Ward has become Australia’s
adopted daughter and should be given more opportunities to be seen on
our TV and movie screens - she is simply outstanding.
Victoria Thaine also makes an impressive appearance in the series and will certainly go onto bigger and better things.
Finally,
much of the credit for this series is due to the writing talents of
Tony Morphett and his writing partner. Morphett has a history of
writing top quality Australian TV drama and Rain Shadow
is no exception. The way in which he has weaved the lives of the
farmers with a number of secrets that maintain your interest throughout
the six episodes is a real accomplishment.
While it may have
slipped under the radar to most TV viewers upon first airing on ABC -
the DVD release is certain to ensure that this fantastic series lives
on.
Australian TV at its best.
EXTRAS
Unusually
for these ABC TV releases, there is a 22 minute featurette included.
After a brief self-promotion summarising the series, there are
interviews with the stars, producer and director. I must admit however
that I was disappointed the writers were also not featured, and that
there was no comments made about the music which was a contributing
factor to the series’ success.
None the less, it's fantastic to actually see some extras included for once.
Conclusion: Episodes 90% Extras: 80%
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