Watch The Sundowners

The Sundowners, a 1960 drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann, follows the lives of a family of Australian sheepherders as they travel across the vast and untamed Outback in search of work. The film stars Deborah Kerr as Ida Carmody, the wife of Paddy Carmody (Robert Mitchum) and mother of their young son Sean (Michael Anderson Jr.). Paddy is a restless, hard-drinking sheep drover who is always looking for the next job, while Ida longs for a settled life in a house with a garden. Together, they are determined to make a better life for themselves and their family.

When the film opens, the Carmodys are working for a wealthy rancher named Landy (Peter Ustinov), who hires them to drive his sheep to a shearing shed. Along the way, they face many challenges, including harsh weather, dangerous animals, and feuding with other drovers. They also meet a variety of colorful characters, including a lonely cook named Rupert Venneker (Chips Rafferty) and a wildcatter named Tinker (Glynis Johns).

As they travel, Ida and Paddy struggle with their conflicting desires for stability and adventure. Ida is torn between her love for Paddy and her need for a settled life, while Paddy is caught between his love for Ida and his restless urge to keep moving. Meanwhile, Sean begins to question his place in the world and whether he wants to continue the family tradition of sheepherding.

The Sundowners is a beautifully shot and expertly acted film that captures the rugged beauty of the Australian Outback and the characters who inhabit it. Deborah Kerr is particularly impressive as Ida, bringing both strength and vulnerability to the role. Robert Mitchum is equally impressive as Paddy, conveying both the rugged toughness and charming charisma of a sheep drover. Peter Ustinov provides comic relief as the eccentric Landy, while Glynis Johns is delightful as the free-spirited Tinker.

Ultimately, The Sundowners is a film about the search for identity and the struggle to balance the competing demands of family and the wider world. It is a timeless story that speaks to the universal human experience of longing for a place to call home, while also acknowledging the pull of adventure and the desire to explore the unknown.

Overall, The Sundowners is a classic film that has stood the test of time, with excellent performances, stunning cinematography, and a compelling narrative that will keep viewers engaged from start to finish.

The Sundowners is a 1960 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 13 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 82.