Against the Wind (1978) User Reviews (41)

Ah, the great stuff that was on PBS when I was a kid...

[cathyshin · 8/10 · 2 August 2008]

Man, amazing how many of us saw this as kids and still remember it! Now that said, I mostly recall that I was totally hot for Greville (I must have been about 13) and I can't really remember details of the plot or much else except that I loved watching the thing.

I'm another one of those who would love to get this on DVD.

I'm actually going to Australia this Sept but wondering if the DVD will play on my American machine. Funny that I've been there twice before and never thought of this. Someone brought up Dr Who, another PBS import that I loved from that era, which made me get all sentimental about watching Poldark, Duchess of Duke Street and Against the Wind :)

coming out in DVD summer 2006!

[rondnor · 8/10 · 27 June 2006]

I remember this from my youth as a great series. The story starts in Ireland and moves quickly to Australia. set in 1798 it tells about Mary Mulvane and Jonathan Garrett, both convicts shipped off to the Penal Colony of New South Wales under the oppression of the English Military. Though a love story it mixes in incidents based on history such as the convict uprising at Castle Hill (Sydney). The series was very popular at the time. The 13 episodes were produced in 1978 at Old Sydney Town, N.S.W. and Geelong, Victoria. The soundtrack album by Jon English and Mario Millo is very memorable.

by the way, latest information is that it will come on DVD 3rd Jul 2006. many online DVD stores are already taking orders.

nearly wept

[cmeghen · 9/10 · 23 July 2006]

All choked up. Just took delivery of the new DVD 4-set I vaguely remember parts of this series as a kid at the age of 8-10, I think. The opening sequence has stayed with me in one way or an other for the past 25+ years.. Yet, Freedom! yet thy banner, torn, but flying, streams like the thunderstorm against the wind... with the classic windswept western Irish landscrape as a backdrop to the Byron quote, fantastic stuff. Stuff you just don't see these days. The production was broadcast in Ireland a couple of years after it was made in Aus, but it feels like it was made for the Irish.

I've just watched the 13 episodes and its just a delight to see a 70's TV drama today, one that never achieved any 'cult' status. While watching LOST at the same time the simplicity of the ATW narrative is disarming. It's so refereshing to see material that hasn't been over-produced and yet imparts such a realistic sense of time and place. No steadycams here.

I just love the actors in ATW, esp. Jon English - pure rock and roll, but parts played by Cpt Greville, Cpt. Wiltshire and Will Price all put in great performances. No offence to Mary, Polly and Dinnie .. its just that the stage Ourish accents are a problem for us Irish.

But where did all this great talent end up- esp. Frederick Parslow, he's quite Hollywood, as is Warwick Sims.. both seem to have moved out of TV/film acting since the late 80's - pity.

Great to have seen the full series again and not to have been (bitterly) disappointed..

Highly recommended.

C.

Powerful, historical mini-series

[fcookson · 2 January 2003]

I saw this series in 1979 when I was 23 and have been looking for it on video for the past 10 years. Have not seen it since and can find no other information on the series except for this website. The music was lovely and I remember the story line was moving. For the memory of a mini-series to last this long, it must have been good.

One of the most compelling Mini series I've seen

[mcelspeth · 10/10 · 8 September 2001]

I first saw Against the Wind when I was 10 and for the last 20 years it has remained my favorite mini series to date. In fact the few times that it has aired since then I have invited several people over to watch it and they too have become as hooked as I. The story is both fascinating and compelling to watch. The acting is fantastic as well as true to the characters. I truly felt as if I was an onlooker in the Garrets life. It also gave me a historical look at life in Australia when it was still basically a penal colony.

The writing and the music also meld well together. Creating a smooth flowing and completely compelling piece of Television art. I can only say that I highly recommend this to anyone.

This mini series was fantastic.

[sharryne23 · 10/10 · 13 March 2005]

I saw the series Against the Wind and have always maintained that it was the best mini series ever produced in Australia. The acting was brilliant which enabled the viewer to acquire a real empathy for what it was like for the convicts in our history. The drama and the romance throughout this unique series kept me coming back to the screen for the next part, every night it was screened right up until the last episode. I have often scanned the T.V guide just to see whether it was being screened again. I have had no success searching for an available video or DVD. I would definitely buy this if available. My children have learned about these times in primary school. I would love to share this magnificent mini series with them.

Such a culture shock...

[schwarz-10 · 10/10 · 5 January 2009]

I am happy to realize that so many people share my personal feelings on these miniseries. I cannot add anything to the fine words said about the acting, the score or the story - I just can add another touch to the tapestry of opinions which I believe a few will be able to add.

Living in Bulgaria during the Communist regime certainly had its limitations :-), including not being able to watch most of the TV shows that the whole world grew with. For obvious reasons, Bulgaria's then-one and only state-run TV station did not care to show the working class of the country how did the working class in the US, Europe or Australia live at the time. Occasionally, the censure treated us with some British costume drama or historical miniseries so we could not really make any 'politically incorrect' parallels. Against The Wind was one of those series that kinda passed the censorship and I can remember streets of Bulgaria getting empty when an episode was on air. I was about 10 at the time but I still remember the score being played on the radio in a café and everybody hushing down to hear it. You couldn't buy the soundtrack it in stores then... A friend of mine still keeps a cassette tape with the opening theme recorded from the speaker of his TV set. It even has the Bulgarian voice-over reciting the title of the series and the names of the leading casts. The series had a huge cultural impact on me and many of my friends in Bulgaria at that time and was a measure for every new miniseries coming on Bulgarian TV for years.

Against the Wind (1978) mini

[CindiACB · 10/10 · 30 July 2001]

It's been a long time since I saw this series which ran on our PBS about 1979. It was the story of an Irish girl, and a boy deported from the British Isles to New South Wales in the 1800s. From what I have been able to learn through additional reading, the mini was fairly accurate. The hardships of the transport, the harshness of the legal system and laws, the difficulty of the convicts as they founded a new world made for real historical TV, far more interesting and enlightening than most of what is on the tube today. I never saw it rerun, and apparently it is not sold on video-probably because of the length, but I certainly would like to see it again, and would likely buy a copy if reasonable and available.

Most awesome TV MiniSeries Ever!

[typeo_girl · 10/10 · 29 December 2006]

Rarely do I rate anything this highly, but this one cannot be beat! Captivating, intriguing, educational as well. I saw it as a teen, stayed with me thru adulthood, I was lucky enough to score a copy of it from a very generous soul.

In July 2006, this miniseries became available on DVD, but only available for purchase in Australia. You would need a PAL player to view it.

Go to this website for all the information you could ever want on this phenomenal mini-series. You will also find information there on the audio soundtrack: http://web.telia.com/~u22407796/index.htm

Against the Wind - fan web site

[stevefrommelbourne · 10/10 · 18 August 2005]

I can only echo all the previous comments about "Against the Wind".

I am in the process of putting together a fan-based web page AND chat forum for Against the Wind which will also include some other fantastic Australian Colonial dramas; "Rush", "Cash and Company" and "Tandarra".

I have been researching all 4 shows for some time now and I hope to have something up and running in the next month or so (time permitting).

If anyone has any thoughts on what I should include on the site, please drop me a line.

I am also starting a chat forum for anyone interested in discussing the four shows, their characters, locations etc.

Good acting,which is rare these days.

[grtindale · 6/10 · 15 December 2021]

I am of the opinion that series at the time was very entertaining and portrayied how it was in those harsh times,and the Irish accent of the actors was excellant.

Request for "Against The Wind" from Netflix

[leol7037 · 10/10 · 5 December 2007]

Back in 1978 I was fortunately enough to get a chance to see the mini-series "Against the Wind." Not only was I enthralled by this mini-series, but it incredibly educational. It was all about an English penal colony primarily for Irish thieves, many of them petty, and malcontents, and how these convicts became the founders of a new country, Australia.

Over the years I have often looked for it on DVD without luck. I just discovered it that is now available, so I went on Netflix to rent it. Unfortunately, they currently don't carry it, and they told me that the only way they might is if they get enough requests. So, if you've ever seen it and wish to view it again, or if you've never seen it and want to see an incredible historical drama, I hope you will go to Netflix and request it.

It's a great memory from my youth - where can I get it?

[AngelsFlyHigh · 2 February 2003]

I first saw this tv-series when I was 6 years old and it still fresh in my memmory. The music and story was fantastic as I remembred it. Now when I'm little older it would be nice to see if my memory is corrct. I'w been asking the Swedish televishion to rerun it but without success, sofar.

Right now I'm just hoping for a DVD release.

Excellent

[kazi-1 · 10/10 · 30 November 2001]

One of the best TV mini series ever! I recommend this movie to everyone. If you are reading this and have a copy of Against The Wind, please contact me. I would like to see that movie again.

If you like historical movies, this one's for you.

[gescjs · 10/10 · 22 July 2000]

I enjoyed Against the Wind. I thought it was an exciting, authentic, historical piece. I liked the characters and the music was great. It made you feel like you were in that time period. I believe it was based on historical facts, which made it even more enjoyable... Plus the scenery was great too!

Australian Colonial History

[dlewis-5 · 10/10 · 16 July 2000]

Fine acting, excellent cinematography, good music and a grand vision of Australian history make this a very enjoyable historical "epic" on the small scale.

Told from the point of view of a small group of English and Irish transportees sent abroad on a "one way ticket" to what was then called "Van Diemmens Land" (Tasmania), most transportees ended up at Botany Bay sweating out their terms of indentured labour, serving a corrupt and arrogant military junta of British serving officers. The common belief that "There's no real need for guards here--there's nowhere a whiteman could run to, and the "savages" will eat you alive..." left the transportee's virtually without hope, and left the junta with defacto "absolute power"

Over the course of the series of episodes, the story unfolds of how, after great suffering and revolt, the colonists eventually get their situation fairly reviewed by British senior military command, and the seeds of civilian administrative government solidly germinated.

At times gritty, at times romantic, the early history of Australian colonization by Europeans is laid bare for all to see. The natural scenery of southern Australia is used to great effect to visually frame the story.>

This series has been completely unavailable on VCR or DVD, and greatly deserves to be re-issued, as it is a fine example of the "Australian Film rennaissance" of the 1970's and early 1980's

the BEST period drama of any kind ever!

[rosemaryahearn · 10/10 · 21 May 2015]

I remember watching this with my Mum when it first came out--I was 16 years of age at the time; Mum and I both LOVED it then. It was our favourite! It has stayed with me since--the beautiful, and haunting, music, the wonderful story, the incredible acting. I found myself yearning, and searching, wondering if I would ever be able to see this miniseries again, and also wondering that if I did get the chance to watch it again, would it still be as lovely as I remember it? Would it stand the test of time or would it be dated? A friend who knew I loved Against the Wind so, was kind enough to gift me with a copy of it recently. Though the video is not the best quality, the brilliance and beauty are still there. I am VERY pleased to say that Against the Wind is everything I remember it to be and so very much more even. Still my all time favourite miniseries. Pure magic! Holds up very well with time--all of it: the dialogue, the exceptional acting, the lovely music, the moving and touching story, the scenery. Everything. VERY HIGHLY recommend Against the Wind!

i want to see it again

[breuteler · 10/10 · 5 January 2003]

Back in 1979 i saw this mini-series on the TV. It was wonderful. I have been trying for years to find out how i can see it again. Can anyone advise me. We saw this just before going to Australia with our children and it really helped them to appreciate the early settlement of Australia. We were also able to visit the theme at Old Sydney Town which is just a little north of Sydney, Australia.

Against the Wind never to be on DVD

[magsmom-1 · 10/10 · 28 May 2005]

I did a Google search to find out if there was any hope of Against the Wind ever coming out on DVD. I found a letter from the director that gave the following information. Because this was one of the first mini-series on Australian television and well before the invention of the DVD, no contractual arrangements were made for any other format production. To bring it out on DVD, they would have to go back and contract with every person associated with the production. This is never going to happen so unless it is re-run on television, we'll never see it again. Now, if anyone has any ideas on who owns the copyright to the mini-series, perhaps fans could petition them to run it again on television. I wonder, though, if there is even an intact copy of the series in existence.

favorable review

[ten4him · 10/10 · 28 February 2000]

Against the wind is a moving and well acted series, that depicts both the strengths and weakness of the human spirit.The plot is well constructed and keeps you riveted. The photography is excellent as is the musical score. In short this is one of the best works I have had the privilege of viewing.I viewed Against the Wind in the late 70's on US television and would love to see it again.

A favorite mini-series I'd love to see again

[movieCat-4 · 5 January 1999]

I saw this mini-series in the late 70's and fell in love with the characters and story, which told the tale of English and Irish convicts transported to early Australia. It was extremely romantic and had plenty of adventure for non-romos. If it were available on video, I'd buy it. It is a really g ood story.

Finally out on DVD and as brilliant as I remember

[ykay65 · 10/10 · 16 September 2006]

FINALLY it is out on DVD - all 13 episodes in a 4 DVD set at a reasonable price too. The storyline is as good as I remember. I am so glad that someone actually listened to many, many requests for this to be relaunched as a DVD!! What I cannot understand is why it has never appeared on the TV since it was run the first time. It is great to see some well known names from early in their acting careers. It is hard to believe that this series is almost 30 years old. The acting is superb and the story is timeless. Jon English has done a fantastic job with his music and his acting is excellent. I would love to see some of the other great Australian series, such as Rush, be reproduced on DVD like Against the Wind.

Probably the best!!!

[dana76 · 10/10 · 11 November 2000]

I just love this series, the music, the actors and the plot. You got to love it. Jon English makeup around the eyes, that dark and mysterious look that is given to him. And that he loves her no matter what. And she is so beautiful and it is so sad she has to leave her home but she finds him and true love begins.

Wonderful series, one of the all time best.

[sierra1049 · 10/10 · 13 April 2002]

I was lucky enough to get this on tape when it originally appeared, and have shared it with friends over the years. It is really a captivating film. The cast is universally solid, and it is historically interesting as well as dramatic and moving. If anyone knows whether it is available on tape or dvd, please let me know.

DVD Against The Wind

[spit_firee · 10/10 · 13 November 2006]

This movie is very good. I saw it on TV several years ago and truly enjoyed it. I recently discovered it available on DVD in Australia so my husband and I ordered it. Problem: It won't play on our system. I researched and found a site Digicast Production Pty LTD {digicast.com.au}out of Victoria, Australia. Their article says any DVD's or VHS created for sale in America must be converted to NTSC compatible for viewing on American equipment. I am currently trying to decide on getting a refund from purchaser or seeing if they will convert a copy and forward it to us. My point is - be careful when purchasing something of this nature from other countries unless you know your equipment will play it or you request the seller to make sure your copy is NTSC compatible. This is frustrating mainly because I've wanted this movie for many years and on DVD I can watch it anytime I want to. I copied it to VHS all those years ago but now it is hazy. i'd rather have an original. ES, Ivey,Georgia