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| David Stratton | |
|---|---|
| Name | David Stratton |
| Birth date | 1939-09-10 |
| Birth place | Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England |
| Occupation | Film critic, film historian, broadcaster, writer |
| Years active | 1960s–2017 |
| Notable works | The Movie Show, The Last New Wave, The Avocado Plantation |
David Stratton
David Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-born Australian film critic, historian and broadcaster known for his work promoting international and Australian cinema. He became prominent through film criticism in print and on television, notably as a presenter on Special Broadcasting Service and as a key figure in film festivals and preservation initiatives. Stratton's writing and broadcasting have influenced public appreciation of filmmakers from France, Japan, Italy and the United States, and he has championed Australian directors and film institutions.
Stratton was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and educated in England during the aftermath of World War II. He studied at institutions in Bristol and undertook further drama and film-related study in London, where he encountered the burgeoning film culture of the British New Wave, the influence of critics associated with Sight & Sound, and the resurgence of interest in European auteurs such as Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and Federico Fellini. His early exposure to repertory cinema and festivals such as the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival informed his developing critical perspective and interest in film history.
After moving to Australia in the 1960s, Stratton began contributing to publications and became involved with film exhibition at venues connected to Australian Film Theatre and independent cinémas. He worked as a film reviewer and writer for outlets linked to the growth of national cinema, engaging with figures from the Australian New Wave including Peter Weir, George Miller, Gillian Armstrong and Bruce Beresford. Stratton's criticism appeared alongside coverage of international auteurs like Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Luis Buñuel and Andrei Tarkovsky, situating Australian output within a global context. He developed a reputation for championing both art-house directors such as Michelangelo Antonioni and popular filmmakers such as John Ford, combining historical knowledge with accessible judgement.
Stratton joined the Special Broadcasting Service in the 1980s and became a prominent television voice on The Movie Show, co-presenting alongside fellow critic Margaret Pomeranz. The program, broadcast nationally, provided reviews, festival reports and interviews with directors including Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick and Pedro Almodóvar. Through coverage of events such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, Stratton helped introduce Australian audiences to films from Japan, Hong Kong and France. His televised collaborations with Pomeranz created a recognizable public format that paralleled print critics in publications like The Australian and specialty journals tied to the Australian Film Institute.
Stratton authored books addressing the history of Australian cinema and the international film industry, contributing scholarship on subjects ranging from studio systems to independent production. His works discuss the careers of filmmakers associated with Ozploitation, the evolution of film funding bodies such as Screen Australia and predecessors, and the commercial dynamics faced by distributors like Hoyts and Roadshow Films. He campaigned for film preservation with institutions including the National Film and Sound Archive and supported retrospectives at festivals like the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Sydney Film Festival. Stratton's writing analyzed industry phenomena alongside profiles of creators such as Baz Luhrmann, Jane Campion, Wolfgang Petersen and Yasujiro Ozu.
Over his career Stratton received recognition from film and cultural bodies for his contribution to criticism and cinema advocacy. He has been honoured by organizations including the Australian Film Institute, festival committees such as Melbourne International Film Festival leadership, and governmental arts agencies for services to film. Awards and honorary degrees acknowledged his work promoting directors from Italy, France, Japan and Australia, and institutions like the British Film Institute and the National Film and Sound Archive have cited his role in curation and public education.
Stratton has lived in Australia since emigrating from England and maintained close ties with festival circuits and international cinephile communities in cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, London and Paris. He collaborated with contemporaries including Paul Byrnes, Richard Kuipers and cultural figures associated with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Stratton's personal collection and archives informed programming at institutions like the National Film and Sound Archive and university film studies departments.
Stratton's influence is evident in the growth of public discourse around film in Australia, the expansion of film festival culture and the elevation of Australian filmmakers on the world stage. His television presence alongside Margaret Pomeranz helped shape popular taste and encouraged distribution of international titles through companies such as Madman Entertainment and Umbrella Entertainment. Scholars, curators and filmmakers cite Stratton's advocacy in festivals like Cannes and institutions such as the Australian Film Institute as instrumental in fostering careers for directors like Jane Campion, Peter Weir and George Miller. His combined roles as critic, historian and broadcaster have left a substantive imprint on how Australian audiences engage with national and global cinema.
Category:Australian film critics Category:People from Wiltshire Category:1939 births Category:Living people