So here’s the story: Around the turn of the 20th century, Harold Lasseter, an Australian explorer and stymied inventor, claims to have discovered a geographic reef of gold in the middle of the harsh continent, an unforgiving desert. A reef worth millions (some say billions) of dollars. Cut to 1930 when Lasseter has convinced backers to fund an expedition to find said gold reef. However, soon after setting off, a number of members in the party begin to have doubts about the validity of the claim, and Lasseter was eventually left stalking off with two camels and minimal supplies to fend for himself. His bones were found a year later in a remote cave in the region, but no map, and no gold was found. He left a cryptic diary that hinted at landmarks to the reef, such as a series of three hills that resembled “women in sun-bonnets talking to each other” and a mountain that resembled “a man in a Quaker’s hat.” The gold reef was never found.
A captivating legend to be sure, and one that has drawn many theories, and actor-turned-filmmaker Luke Walker attempts to cohere it all together in Australia’s Lost Gold. Unfortunately, by placing himself at the center of the film, Walker turns what could have been an interesting tale into a muddled, boring film that circles back around on itself so many times that the effect is a bit like Groundhog Day, going through the same motions over and over (he also needed a good editor). Do you like looking at countless maps of the Australian desert? Does the idea of endless theorizing and watching frustrating journeys into a harsh landscape call to you? Would it all be worth it if a third-rate Werner Herzog was there, perpetually narrating and methodically looking over manuscripts and diaries in various libraries? Because that is, alas, the meat of the film, and it is as dry as the landscape the gold is purported to be in. There might be a glimmer of a theme in the film concerning faith, but it all drowns in too many tangents and dull minutiae. Recommended for die-hard fans only, Australia’s Lost Gold is not worth its weight in much of anything.
This article appears in May 27 • 2016.