A Fortunate Life (1986) User Reviews

A bygone era

[johnnygs · 8/10 · 15 December 2019]

Great historical document on how life was for the country working class of Australia. Has aged pretty well and is based of one of the most loved Australian autobiographies that has been written

Great performances by the various kids playing Bert. Also features numerous great Aussie actors such as Ray Meagher and Bill Hunter

The 4th and final episode is based in Egypt and than Gallipoli. Excellent depiction of wartime from an Australian point of view

A Fortunate Series

[thinbeach · 8/10 · 21 May 2019]

A four part mini series with movie length episodes, based on the autobiography of Albert Facey. I enjoyed reading the book when younger, but so much time has passed between then and watching these films I'd forgotten all that happened. It was a great reminder! This mini series presents the early years of his life, from a child living and working in the bush, to a soldier fighting at Gallipoli in WWI. As desirable as a longer series would have been, it is wonderful they didn't try to cram it all into just one film length episode, allowing the story a chance to breathe. Although not a romance, there are beautiful moments of couples dancing to a phonograph, and despite the hardships, the bush surroundings are viewed with a cheer befitting the title. To end with marriage was fitting thematically, as if it to say every hardship is worth it for love.

Though the strings weep, you will not mistake this for an overly sentimental film. The storytelling is handled in a direct manner fitting the settings characters, and our lead has as much control over the harmonica as the English language. What he lacks in vocabulary he gains in character, with a strong moral stance against unjust authorities, and the ability to retain an easy going nature while enduring much. A fantastic journey back in time.

Mini-series based on seminal Australian biography.

[gavmaster · 1 July 2000]

"A Fortunate Life" is based on the bestselling biography of A.B. "Bert" Facey (1894-1982). This moving four-part television mini series covers the first part of the book. The mini-series stays true to the form of the book: it is somewhat unsophisticated and perhaps overly direct in its storytelling. The series ends with the year 1915, (the book finishes in 1976) after having shown a great deal of Mr. Facey's struggle to survive during hard times.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Mr. Facey's return to the life of Western Australia after enduring the punishingly realistic scenes of the Battle of Gallipoli: I thought that the "we lived happily ever after" voice-over at the end was a bit of a cop-out; after all the appeal of the show is the characterization of Bert as a tough, yet moral and easygoing man. The show paints an excellent picture of a typical tough "cobber", and it gives insight into the Australian people of the time.