Thread by @stemorgs

The third and final episode of David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema airs at 9pm tonight on @BBCFOUR. I'll be live-tweeting along once again. Check out #StrattOnBBC for my thoughts on the last two eps, and join in the discussion after 9! bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00…

@BBCFOUR And off we go with #StrattOnBBC, although I think @BBCFOUR is slightly behind, and I wish I'd made a cup of tea first.

This third and final episode revolves around 'Family', and the good, bad, and ugly relationships that make up Australian cinema. #StrattOnBBC

A very nice touch, then, that we FINALLY get some quality Margaret Pomeranz time! Anyone who grew up in Australia watching Margaret and David At The Movies will have a favourite. #StrattOnBBC

I'm sure I've said this a few times during this series, but THE CASTLE is an absolute Australian classic. A warm-hearted tale of a modest, humble family, whose home is threatened by the expansion of the adjacent airport. I hope @sarahwishart is watching! #StrattOnBBC

This is not the first Australian film that David Stratton dislikes intensely. I've often felt that grotesque mundanity that he talks about aligns very closely with what Robin Boyd called The Australian Ugliness. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Austr… #StrattOnBBC

That scene with the car names is one of the things that was changed (and dubbed over) for the US release of THE CASTLE. The US version is a thing to behold. #StrattOnBBC

Sadly, they cut the next line from that courtroom scene. "We won!" Thankfully some internet legend has created a 10-hour video that just contains Darryl Kerrigan calling the opposition lawyer a dickhead: #StrattOnBBC

Phillip Noyce is a great filmmaker, and RABBIT PROOF FENCE is perhaps the best film about Indigeneous Australia made by a white director. A stunning, brutal exploration of Australia's Stolen Generations adapted from the true story by Doris Pilkington Garimara. #StrattOnBBC

That footage of David Gulpilil meeting the young stars of RABBIT PROOF FENCE is taken from this brilliant behind the scenes documentary, FOLLOW THE RABBIT PROOF FENCE: #StrattOnBBC

Like Michod, and anyone without a heart of stone, RABBIT PROOF FENCE has me in floods every time. Yes it's about suffering, and trauma, and yes we need Indigenous stories that are more than that, but there is absolutely no denying this film's power. #StrattOnBBC

The backdrop to The Apology, of course, is that Rudd's predecessor, John Howard, repeatedly refused to apologise. Lest we forget. #StrattOnBBC

THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND is quite the stunning debut from Fred Schepisi. Like all the best Australian films - like all the best films - it is so well observed. #StrattOnBBC

We got a snippet of Christos Tsiolkas talking about THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND there. He wrote an excellent short monograph on the film for @CurrencyPress' Australian Screen Classic series. currency.com.au/books/australi… #StrattOnBBC

@CurrencyPress The bickering between Margaret and David will never fail to be anything other than an absolute joy. My all-time favourite M&D moment is their to-do over DANCER IN THE DARK. I loved Margaret's spite-five stars. #StrattOnBBC

@CurrencyPress This section on ROMPER STOMPER, and David's refusal to review it, is really fascinating, particularly in light of his earlier struggles against censorship (as detailed in ep.1). #StrattOnBBC

ROMPER STOMPER thrived on the kind of free publicity that reactions like David allowed. A similar thing happened here in London, where its debut run at the Prince Charles Cinema was protested by the Anti-Nazi League, who supposedly feared it would encourage facism. #StrattOnBBC

I re-watched ROMPER STOMPER a few years back, and in the context of the rise of the alt-right, it has a stunning, scary relevance. This context was, of course, explored in the recent TV series adaptation of the original film. #StrattOnBBC

Massive spoiler alert there, re: ROMPER STOMPER. #StrattOnBBC

Incidentally, I tried to organise an anniversary screening of ROMPER STOMPER at the PCC a while back, and - even 25 years on - they were not keen on having it back on their screen. #StrattOnBBC

HEAD ON is another one that I revisited recently, thanks to a short season on women-directed films about masculinity at the Barbican, and it still very much holds up. Paul Capsis is as stunning as ever, and Ana Kokkinos remains one of Aus's most underrated directors. #StrattOnBBC

Thankfully, Ana Kokkinos' career is slowly being recognised, not least in this excellent recent book by Kelly McWilliam for EUP's Visionaries series (the open access version is FREE!). edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-ana-kokki… #StrattOnBBC

This section on Paul Cox, another underrated Australian filmmaker, is rather lovely. Sadly, Cox died in 2016. #StrattOnBBC

LANTANA is a brilliant film, and placing Ray Lawrence's film alongside the work of Paul Cox is fitting. His other two features, BLISS and JINDABYNE are both equally worth seeking out. #StrattOnBBC

Ray's son, Ben Lawrence, has followed the family line, and is now a very fine filmmaker himself. His doco GHOSTHUNTER is utterly stunning, as is his recent feature HEARTS AND BONES, starring Hugo Weaving. I hope the UK get to see it soon. #StrattOnBBC

Every time I see Leah Purcell, I keep returning to two thoughts.
1) She is UTTERLY BRILLIANT in the Prisoner reboot TV series, WENTWORTH.
2) I CANNOT WAIT to see her film of THE DROVER'S WIFE.
#StrattOnBBC

There's a few brilliant explorations of Australia's particular brand of toxic masculinity hidden away in that little montage, and CHOPPER and THE BOYS are among the best. #StrattOnBBC

I still remember, very clearly, seeing ANIMAL KINGDOM for the first time, and I was absolutely hooked from the very first moment. #StrattOnBBC

SNOWTOWN, on the other hand, shook me no end. I love it, but I grew up not far away from where that true crime story occurred, and I 'knew' far too many of those characters. #StrattOnBBC

One the virtues of CHOPPER, but also one of its problems, is it's ability to treat the razor-thin line between comedy and utter terror. This line is no finer than in the sickening scenes of domestic violence. #StrattOnBBC

THE STORY OF THE KELLY GANG, the world's first feature-length fiction film, had an extensive, successful tour of the UK/Ireland in 1908. I've done a little research on this tour - screenaddict.wordpress.com/2015/05/02/bsf… - and a more detailed article on the UK tour is in the works. #StrattOnBBC

Eagle-eyed (or 'eared') Australian film fans will recognise the term "gutless wonder", shown here in NEWSFRONT, also makes a memorable appearance in STRICTLY BALLROOM, the film that kicked off this series. #StrattOnBBC

"So go on, treat yourself, go and see an Australian film."

If you're keen to see more, I'm preparing a viewing list of how UK audiences can see the films featured in David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema, as well as other #Ausfilm docos. Watch this space! #StrattOnBBC

Watch this space, also, for an exciting @LondonAustFilm watchalong event in the coming weeks, for which you can have a say in choosing one of the film's featured in David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema. #StrattOnBBC

Thanks to everyone who joined the #StrattOnBBC tweetalong. If you're anywhere near London and are inspired to see more Australian films, you absolutely must follow @LondonAustFilm.

As promised, here's a #StrattOnBBC Watch List, containing information about how UK audiences can access all the films featured in David Stratton's Stories of Australian Cinema: drsmorgan.wordpress.com/2020/05/18/dav…