Hammers Over the Anvil

"An aristocratic Englishwoman, an Australian horseman and a young boy on a journey towards the exciting but forbidden world of adults."

1994 1h 37m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 16

RomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in the summer of 1910 in Australia the film follows the story of 14 year old Alan Marshall (Alexander Outhread) as he stumbles out of childhood towards the exciting yet forbidding world of adulthood. For Alan, despite the effects of polio, there is only one passion in life - to become a great horseman just like his hero, the reclusive horse trainer East Driscoll (Russell Crowe). Alan is one of East's few friends and also one of the few who knows about the affair between East and the aristocratic English woman Grace McAlister (Charlotte Rampling). Things inevitably take a turn towards the tragic when East becomes determined to force Grace to leave her husband and run away with him. Hammers Over The Anvil is an evocative coming of age film from Australian director Ann Turner.

“An aristocratic Englishwoman, an Australian horseman and a young boy on a journey towards the exciting but forbidden world of adults.”

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Cast

Russell Crowe
East Driscoll
Charlotte Rampling
Grace McAlister
Alexander Outhread
Alan Marshall
Frankie J. Holden
Bushman Marshall
Jake Frost
Joe Carmichael
Alethea McGrath
Mrs. Bilson
John Rafter Lee
Charles McAlister
Frank Gallacher
Mr. Thomas the Preacher

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ann Turner
Writers: Ann Turner, Peter Hepworth
Languages: English
Countries: Australia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ann Turner, shot by James Bartle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Not Drowning Waving. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ken Sallows shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Russell Crowe and Charlotte Rampling and Alexander Outhread carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An aristocratic Englishwoman, an Australian horseman and a young boy on a journey towards the exciting but forbidden world of adults.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0101996 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ann Turner directs. James Bartle behind the camera. Not Drowning Waving scores. Ken Sallows cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Australia. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

132 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Ann Turner, shot by James Bartle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Not Drowning Waving. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Ken Sallows shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Russell Crowe and Charlotte Rampling and Alexander Outhread carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "An aristocratic Englishwoman, an Australian horseman and a young boy on a journey towards the exciting but forbidden world of adults.".
7IMDB entry: tt0101996 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.