Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line

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Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line

2024

1h 45m

Documentary

Music

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7 Reviews

88%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The Hardest Line tells Midnight Oil's trailblazing story for the first time ever on film. Contrary. Passionate. Outspoken. Across their 45-year career, 'The Oils' helped shape modern Australia with anthems like US Forces, Beds Are Burning, Blue Sky Mine and Redneck Wonderland. Featuring unheard interviews with every band member, unseen live and studio footage, alongside signature moments like the outback tour with Warumpi Band, their Exxon protest gig in New York and those famous "Sorry" suits at the Sydney Olympics, this film traces the singular journey of Australia's quintessential rock band.

Stephen Romei

The Australian

None of the above is intended as a huge criticism of this entertaining documentary, which Oils fans (and I’m one) will enjoy. I just think a portrait of such a politically active band should be more politically attuned...

Rated: 3/5

Jul 5, 2024

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Paul Clarke’s documentary biopic of Midnight Oil impresses as a powerful antidote to all those rock ‘n’ roll chronicles featuring internecine rivalries, acrimonious break-ups and drug-induced exploits in trashed hotel rooms.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 3, 2024

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Jim Schembri

jimschembri.com

Worthwhile, if conventional bio-documentary about the unconventional, issue-driven Australian rock band... Some sober reflection on whether Midnight Oil brought any enduring change to the national conversation would have served the film well.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 3, 2024

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

The Hardest Line crafts a fitting tribute to one of the great Australian cultural warriors of all-time, a bloody-minded bunch who stood their ground, made their noise and made a difference.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 26, 2024

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Julian Wood

FILMINK (Australia)

A film like this needs to strike a balance between telling the full story (usually chronologically) and letting us really see the band play for extended sequences. Clarke errs on the side of the former.

Rated: 14/20

Jun 25, 2024

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John McDonald

Australian Financial Review

It’s worth the price of admssion to see Peter Garrett with a shaggy blonde haircut, which gets gradually mown down to the familiar chrome dome that would become his trademark.

Jun 18, 2024

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Michael K

If your a Midnight Oil fan this is a must see documentary about the bands journey during their 45 years of entertaining music fans in Australia and around the world. I have followed their journey from 1979 and this doco shows much unseen footage with good insights into the band members. The bands lyrics to their songs still apply to today.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

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Rod W

A decent enough film to see on a rainy Melbourne day, for $10. The problem with the film is that it lacks any real critical components. It lauds Midnight Oil as a holier than thou group of middle class fellows who thought they could change the music industry and society more broadly by refusing to compromise. For instance, one of them is quoted as saying the music industry they entered in the 1970s was corrupt. Their refusal to appear on Countdown is part of Australian rock music history. But what did their refusal to 'play the game' achieve? One of the most interesting and less familiar parts of the film deals with their appearance at a Canadian timber logging town where they protested the destruction of native forests. This lead to a counter protest by local timber workers in fear of losing their jobs. As the band leave, their car is surrounded by these angry locals, t yelling and rocking the car. One of these locals yells that Midnight Oil have presented their views, but will they listen to the other side? Not likely.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/15/24

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John F

MIDNIGHT OIL: THE HARDEST LINE...this is a fantastic music documentary about the Oils with amazing concert footage and great interviews. The sound is incredible... I was sitting in Row B and it was like being at an Oils concert.. .an awesome film with a killer sound mix. Something that has to be experienced in a cinema!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/24

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Paul Clarke

Director

Midnight Oil

Self

Paul Clarke

Screenwriter

Carolina Sorensen

Producer

Mikael Borglund

Executive Producer

Paul Clarke

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

The Hardest Line tells Midnight Oil's trailblazing story for the first time ever on film. Contrary. Passionate. Outspoken. Across their 45-year career, 'The Oils' helped shape modern Australia with anthems like US Forces, Beds Are Burning, Blue Sky Mine and Redneck Wonderland. Featuring unheard interviews with every band member, unseen live and studio footage, alongside signature moments like the outback tour with Warumpi Band, their Exxon protest gig in New York and those famous "Sorry" suits at the Sydney Olympics, this film traces the singular journey of Australia's quintessential rock band.

Director: Paul Clarke
Producer: Carolina Sorensen
Screenwriter: Paul Clarke
Production Co: Beyond Entertainment, Blink TV
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 45m