Silver City (1984)
After World War II, 4,000 Polish families came to Australia. They were Jews, Fascists, anti-Communists, and others dispossessed. In a large hostel, where even married men and women were housed in separate barracks, the adults lived for two years while they worked off the government's payment of their passage. Even though he is married to Anna and has a son, Julian falls in love with Nina and she with him. As they and others face the new situations and prejudices that await immigrants and as they take on aspects of Australian culture, old-country values reassert themselves. Julian decides what to do about love and family, and Nina must find a way to move on.
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The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Overall, this is a pretty good, but not great film. What really caught my attention is the part that focuses on the migration of Poles to Australia following World War II. Prior to viewing "Silver City" I was not familiar with this occurrence and I found this aspect fascinating. However, the creators of the film decided to focus upon an illicit love affair between two immigrants, so the Polish migration aspect fades rather quickly and had me wondering why they selected this title since the characters don't spend much of their time in Silver City (I would have preferred to see more of this). Also, the husband (Julian) leaves his wife (Anna) for another woman (Nina) and...his wife is the better (and better-looking) person. Anna is a faithful spouse and friend who's imbued with a radiance (albeit world-weary) throughout and this undermines the plot (why would Julian leave her, even if only for a while?).
Gloriously romantic and severe in its roots, this excellent 1984 Australian film details the Polish migrant story in an emotionally winning way. A personal family history revelation from young Director Sophie Turkewicz, SILVER CITY is the name of the compound of corrugated tin huts into which migrants of the late 40s and 50s were herded for months to be assessed and accepted into Australian life. These "silver cities" were in each major city in Australia and existed as holding centers for all migrants, even the sought after British, until the early 70s. This film tells one migrant's story and her romantic pursuit into Aussie life of the 50s. Perefectly realized and achingly real by gorgeous (migrant) actress Gosia Dobrowolska SILVER CITY is an international level Australian film from the same era that produced CAREFUL HE MIGHT HEAR YOU and WE OF THE NEVER NEVER. It was very successful in its day and deserves three widescreen DVD cheers.