Remembering David Stratton

This morning, I overheard three tradies in a café reminiscing about news of David Stratton’s death. One lamented, “I don’t go to the movies anymore, I don’t know what to see”. For 28 years on their weekly movie review show, starting on SBS before shifting to the ABC, Stratton, alongside Margaret Pomeranz, was compulsive viewing for a legion of film buffs around the country. The impact of Stratton’s death was far-reaching, even prompting a tribute from the Prime Minister—a rare honour for a film critic. But more than a critic, Stratton was a pivotal presence in Australian film culture for 70 years.

In 1966, as President of the Sydney Film Festival (SFF), Stratton boldly challenged the Australian Classification Board by screening banned films. When censors cut Jonas Cornell’s Hugs and Kisses in 1967, he inserted footage with ‘censored’ on the missing scenes in protest. Known for his calm and affable demeanour, Stratton stood firm on issues like censorship, sparking a crucial public debate which film historian Ina Bertrand credits for ushering in the introduction of an R rating system in 1971, offering an alternative to cutting films. In 2014, it was revealed that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had surveilled Stratton in the late 1960s due to his visit to the USSR while sourcing films for the SFF.

From 1984 to 2003, Stratton earned international acclaim as a reviewer for Variety magazine which also saw him invited on international juries at festivals in Berlin, Montreal, Chicago, and Venice, twice presiding over the international film critics jury at Cannes.

Starting in 1981, film enthusiasts nationwide tuned into his Sunday night classic on SBS, where his introduction would illuminate key aspects of the films he chose to screen. Through him, audiences discovered a diverse range of global cinema, including contemporary directors like Pedro Almodóvar and established auteurs like Vittorio De Sica. Stratton’s insight was equally pivotal to Australian cinema’s development during the 1970s and 1980s. His books, The Last New Wave (1980) and The Avocado Plantation (1990), are key texts on the bookshelves of film buffs and cinefiles around the country. While he was more of a chronicler of film culture than a close-textual scholar (differing himself to Adrian Martin in this regard), his analyses were consistently smart, intelligent, and measured.

As director of the Sydney Film Festival, Stratton organised the “Salute to Australian Film” in 1975, featuring a program of 25 iconic films from The Sentimental Bloke to Wake in Fright, and a premiere of Ken Hannam’s Sunday Too Far Away, complete with a sheep-shearing demonstration in Market Street before the screening.

Stratton’s multifaceted role in the film community will never be replicated, with his death marking an end to a particular type of film personality who could make a movie review show compulsive viewing for the wider public. Even in retirement, Stratton was a familiar presence at film festivals locally and internationally, making his recent absence due to health issues even more noticeable. His passing has prompted widespread acknowledgment of his enduring legacy and contributions to Australian film culture. It’s a remarkable story for a “10-pound Pom,” who initially planned to stay in Australia for just two years after arriving in 1963. Stratton’s impact and legacy continue to echo through both the cinematic world and the hearts of film lovers everywhere. No wonder George Miller calls him the high priest of Australian cinema.

Stephen Gaunson | RMIT University