I really enjoyed ABC TV's mini series, the Bastard Boys.
For the benefit of those outside Australia it tells the story of a large and complicated 1997 industrial dispute that helped reshape Australia's water front. The story had everything moving from the docks to Parliament to the courts.
Looking at the complaints since, the dramatic presentation appears to have satisfied none of the original cast. Each, and especially Bill Kelty, may have a point. But looked at as a drama I thought that it was remarkably well done, simplifying a very complex story and also making the participant's human.
Postscript
I failed to pick up that Neil had included a comment on this in one of his posts. I refer to the dispute as 1997. It began in 1997 but extended into 1998.Neil has a link to a site that gives some additional information. Unfortunately many of the links on this site have expired with time, but the links to the various court judgements are still live.
This, the expiry of links, is a real problem that I have been meaning to write about for some time. It links to another broader problem, the preservation/archiving of material.
2 comments:
I second that. I thought as drama it was first rate, and as dramatised history not bad at all. Certainly brought back memories. I am sure it would amply repay seeing more than once.
I think that's right Neil.
I actually missed part of it because of a personal prejudice based at least in part on experience that its expected political bias was likely to interfere with the show as drama. I was simply wrong.
I had the same concern in advance of Curtin and again I was wrong. Maybe we are maturing sufficiently that we can now do drama with two sides.
To me, this adds to the interest.
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