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Based on the 1998 memoirs of Australian author and philosopher Raimond Gaita, Romulus, My Father opens splendidly with a scene depicting Rai as young boy and his father attempting to revive a handful of numbed bees with the warmth generated by a light bulb. If only this film about infidelity, madness and isolation could have some life infused by the warmth of a klieg light. 

Eric Bana stars as Romulus Gaita, a Romanian who immigrated to Victoria, Australia early in the 1950’s with his family; German-born wife Christina (Franka Potente) and their young son, Raimond (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Searching for a better life, the Gaita family settled on a farm in the rural town of Maryborough located about one hour from Melbourne.

Life in a rustic town was tough on the fun-loving Christina and she was not up to the challenge of motherhood and “pasteurization”. As a prelude to what was to come later, she abandons her family and runs off with Romulus’ best friend’s brother. This doubles the work of the industrious Romulus, as he dutifully fulfills the role of father and mother, eking out a living as a blacksmith while toiling in the fields.

The unfolding of the tragic events are told through the eyes of Rai, as the peacefulness of his home-on-the-prairie is shattered by the return of his depressive mother. Poor Romulus suffers as he falls under her spell once more. But this love is a match that was not made in heaven.

According to the press notes, director Richard Roxburgh (you may be more familiar with him as an actor, playing the pompous Duke in Moulin Rouge!) read the book about eight years ago and finished reading it in one sitting. He decided right then and there that somehow he would make a film of it. By the time he proposed his idea to Rai Gaita, the writer had already been approached by dozens of filmmakers and his agent told him to forget about it. He was not deterred by the rejection and after several phone calls (one from a satellite phone in the Namibian desert) and a transatlantic flight, his dogged persistence paid off.

The film has been warmly received in Australia, where it received a record setting total of 16 nominations at the Australian Film Institute. It went on to win Best Film, Best Lead Actor (Eric Bana), Best Supporting Actor (Marton Csokas) and a Young Actor Award for Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Eric Bana was a natural for the part of Romulus, being the son of a Croatian immigrant and a German-born mother. He not only loved the script and the book, but was a motorcycle enthusiast (as was Romulus) and a very devoted father. Franka Potente’s performance as the strong-willed but flawed mother was exceptional. But the true star of the film is 11 year old Kodi Smit-McPhee, a young actor with remarkable talent. His pain stays well hidden behind a sweet and expressive face.

I also must make mention of Geoffrey Simpson’s cinematography which captured the bleakness of the landscape without making it look desolate. He managed to make the countryside another character that adds to the theme of alienation.

However poignant the moments were between father and son, it was still not enough to rescue the film. Although I’m not advocating saccharine sweet Hollywood endings (and I can’t change the empirical facts), I had a difficult time watching this family implode. And after hearing what a powerful memoir the book was, I was a little disappointed that the sum of the parts (the fine acting and cinematography) didn’t add up to a better movie.

To quote Mrs. Lillie as she councils Rai in one of life’s lessons, “What you reckon and what you get aren’t always the same thing.” Perhaps that is a lesson I need to learn as well.

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