52 Films by Women Vol 6. 41. THE DROVER'S WIFE: THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON (Director: Leah Purcell)
Completed in 2020, pre-pandemic, but released in 2022, writer-director-star Leah Purcell’s Snowy Mountain-set period Australian outback western, The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson , is a labour of love. Adapted from Henry Lawson’s short story, published in 1892, the film boasts arresting production values, though not much droving, addressing instead the twin evils of racism and domestic violence. Given that it is set in the late 19 th Century, justice isn’t served. However, Purcell’s film presents prototypical Australian suffragettes, who protest as a hanging takes place, though there isn’t an equal protest for the rights of indigenous people. The film is ragged and raw, working with genre elements, but withholding the pleasure of righteous acts – the sort of standing up to menfolk that make you whoop with approval. No – catharsis isn’t put before the horse. This is a film that reflects on the journey to come and on women like Molly who took brave steps. When we fi...