"Mary Bryant" (2005) TV mini-series

Director:

Peter Andrikidis

Writer:

Peter Berry (writer)

Release Date:

30 October 2005 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Her courage paved the way to their freedom

Plot:

A young woman is transported to the New South Wales penal colony in 1788.

Plot Keywords:

Slave | Disease | Strength | Prisoner | Thief

Awards:

6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Romola Garai	...	Mary Bryant
Jack Davenport	...	Lt Ralph Clarke
Alex O'Loughlin	...	Will Bryant
Sam Neill	...	Governor Arthur Phillip
Tony Martin	...	Martin
David Field	...	Thomas
Garry McDonald	...	Reverend Johnson
Dan Spielman	...	Cox
Stephen Curry	...	Allen
Abe Forsythe	...	Sam
Alice McConnell	...	Elizabeth
Linal Haft	...	Sgt. Ryan
Genevieve O'Reilly	...	Allcia
Brittany Carney	...	Charlotte
Leo Jampinjinpa Wayne	...	Woollarawarre Bennelong

Also Known As:

The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant (Australia) (long title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence including rape, sexuality and some nudity.

Runtime:

Australia:480 min (2 parts) | USA:185 min (DVD version)

Country:

Australia | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company:

Granada Television

Trivia:

Had a budget in excess of $15 million, making this the largest television mini-series ever made in Australia.

Quotes:

Will: Still thinking of your lieutenant?
Mary Bryant: There is, and always has been, only one man for me.

Comment on '... Journey of Mary Bryant'

The reaction to the British miniseries 'The incredible journey of Mary Bryant' seems to be a sign of the times: Whereas the accolades poured in for the portrayals of Mary and her husband, the masterfully portrayed character of Officer Clarke was misunderstood / brushed over and his complex relationship with Mary largely ignored. In my book Mary was a selfish b..., solely driven by the will to survive, with little regard for the feelings of others except those of her immediate family. Officer Clarke, on the other hand, is a much more complex character: The product of a morally strict and repressive upbringing, he is basically a decent, kind man who ends up acting mercilessly (within the framework of the cruelty sanctioned or even demanded by his job) when his pride is wounded. That is his Achilles' heel. He suffers intense humiliation when Mary, in pursuit of her own selfish agenda, at first liberates him from his inhibitions and then betrays his trust and makes a fool of him in front of his peers. The realization of her callous exploitation of his kindness and his feelings seriously wounds his whole identity. Nevertheless, he can't get himself to kill her when he has her at his mercy (in his musket's visor): Twice he lets her escape; it's only the third time that he finally 'delivers her to justice' - and had Mary not once again revealed her falseness to him by sidling up to him again, he probably would have let her escape once more. All the time he finds himself in the struggle to keep his dignity. Jack Davenport's superb portrayal of this emotionally rich and complex character deserves the highest praise. To me it was the actual focus of the film. Barbara N.