I never would have picked this film to watch at random because I was somewhat burned by a previous Russell Crowe flick, No Way Back. However, I'm glad I finally took the time to watch this film because despite its average IMDB rating, this film is FAR superior in every way to the nonsensical low-budget action flick, No Way Back.
In fact, I'm not even really sure WHY Heaven's Burning is rated as low as it is, but it certainly belies the film's value as an art piece. You can tell it was lovingly crafted by the film crew thanks to a lot of on-set locations, superb cinematography, and actual character progression for both major and minor characters.
Yeah, you can basically see the outcome coming a mile away, but it's about the journey and how you get there that matters.
In this case, the journey is one part road flick, one part action film, and one part revenge tale. I like the unexpected twists the film takes as well, it's not all by the books, and I think this is what makes it standout among some of its other romantic-thriller peers.
For instance, there's a brooding cruelty that bubbles beneath the surface of Heaven's Burning. Lots of unexpected deaths and turnabouts usually not found in these kind of films, but it certainly adds to the overarching theme about costs and consequences.
Some characters are willing to pay the price, while others... not so much. Even still, I don't regret having watched this. Comparisons to Romeo & Juliet are apt, as are Bonnie & Clyde.
I would say there's a little more irony and existentialism that scours the tale of Heaven's Burning as opposed to the other two aforementioned titles, but it's well worth watching if you're in the mood for a film that really does a fantastic job of capturing some of the more lesser-seen vistas of Australia's exotic locations, while also doing a fine job of keeping the excitement and thrills coming throughout this budding action-oriented romance film.
In fact, I'm not even really sure WHY Heaven's Burning is rated as low as it is, but it certainly belies the film's value as an art piece. You can tell it was lovingly crafted by the film crew thanks to a lot of on-set locations, superb cinematography, and actual character progression for both major and minor characters.
Yeah, you can basically see the outcome coming a mile away, but it's about the journey and how you get there that matters.
In this case, the journey is one part road flick, one part action film, and one part revenge tale. I like the unexpected twists the film takes as well, it's not all by the books, and I think this is what makes it standout among some of its other romantic-thriller peers.
For instance, there's a brooding cruelty that bubbles beneath the surface of Heaven's Burning. Lots of unexpected deaths and turnabouts usually not found in these kind of films, but it certainly adds to the overarching theme about costs and consequences.
Some characters are willing to pay the price, while others... not so much. Even still, I don't regret having watched this. Comparisons to Romeo & Juliet are apt, as are Bonnie & Clyde.
I would say there's a little more irony and existentialism that scours the tale of Heaven's Burning as opposed to the other two aforementioned titles, but it's well worth watching if you're in the mood for a film that really does a fantastic job of capturing some of the more lesser-seen vistas of Australia's exotic locations, while also doing a fine job of keeping the excitement and thrills coming throughout this budding action-oriented romance film.