Nine
years ago, I was absolutely bowled over by an Australian film by the
name of “Samson & Delilah”; a beautiful and painful love
story between two Aboriginal teenagers, as they attempt to survive in
a world that appears to not want them. It is a dark and at times
brutal film, but at the same time it is full of such beauty and hope
as it shows how love can look past the faults in a person, and be
there for them after they fall and need to be picked up again.
Visually, the film was also something else, exposing Central
Australia's stunning landscapes for everyone to see. The film's
director was Warwick Thornton, and “Samson & Delilah” was
actually his feature debut. Ever since, I have been waiting for this
talented artist's next feature, and while the wait has been long, it
is finally over with the release of “Sweet Country”.
Set
in Northern Australia in the 1920's, “Sweet Country” is the tale
of Sam, an Aboriginal farmhand, who one day in an act of self defence
(for himself and his wife) shoots dead a white man attempting to
aggressively enter the house he is living in. Although the shooting
was just, Sam knows that the fact that he is an Aboriginal and the
man he shot was white, he will be hunted down and made to pay. He
grabs his wife and flees into the Australian outback, before a
quickly arranged posse, led by Sergeant Fletcher, gathers intent on
finding him and making him hang for his crime.
This
is such a simple story sublimely told by Thornton. There are large
chunks of the film that are dialogue free and the images are left to
tell the story. As Sam and his wife flee, we are gifted with
stunning image after stunning image of the Australian outback to the
point that it would not be wrong to say that “Sweet Country” is a
love letter to the landscapes of the outback. The beautiful red
soils, the blue skies that appear to go on forever, and the stunning
and otherworldly salt lakes. I suppose there could be a cynical
viewer that deems the film to be nothing more than a travelogue for
Northern Australia, but there is a whole lot more going on here than
just pretty pictures. However before we leave the topic, let me
mention that Warwick Thornton himself fills the role of the film's
cinematographer, and does a stunning job with it all. He not only
excels with the exposing of Australia's stunning vistas but the
characters themselves are always expertly lit. Watching the film, it
reminded me of something French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung
said in an interview once when he was explaining why he changed his
cinematographer from Benoit Delhomme, who lensed Hung's first two
films, to Mark Lee-Ping for “The Vertical Ray of the Sun”, his
third film. He said that although Delhomme and Lee-Ping were both
fantastic cinematographers, Lee-Ping had the added advantage of being
Asian himself, that gave him almost an unconscious understanding of
how best to light the Asian skin. Warwick Thornton, being Aboriginal
himself, I believe understands that same thing, because the way he
lights his Aboriginal characters especially just brings a light out
in their skin that is so beautiful that I'm not sure that I have seen
before, except in “Samson & Delilah”, his previous film.
What
is interesting about the film is its structure and in the fact that
it is essentially broken down into three parts. The first being the
set up, and lead up to the violent encounter. The second, the
fleeing and hunt through the outback, and finally, the trial, where
not only Sam is being judged but also the racism that exists within
the country town too. However within this relatively normal
structure, Thornton does a strange thing when he introduces
characters to us, in that he gives us brief “flash forwards” to
the character's fates in the future. Initially we, the audience, do
not understand these brief images but we soon come to learn what they
all mean. It was an interesting device, that I actually really
liked, as the images are quite arresting and powerful and almost
juxtaposes what is happening to the character in the present compared
to how they will be by the end.
Essentially
the film is a violent attack on and a call for help against racism
that sadly still exists in Australia even today. It's troubling that
I do not doubt for a minute that if this story was brought to modern
times, it would still work, as I am sure an Aboriginal man would be
looked upon more negatively today if he or she shot a white person,
even if like Sam, it was a just killing. In other words, the film's
story is quite relevant in today's society too. I also think that
the Australian release date of the film, which was January 25th
,
is also indicative about what the film is trying to say. Recent
debate about whether the date of Australia Day should be changed or
whether the day should be celebrated at all, as it is the date that
the country was invaded by white man and stolen from the indigenous
people of the land. “Sweet Country” no doubt showcases the
destructive nature of the takeover of the land by the whites here,
and of the fact that they had no self awareness that they were
invaders, due to their arrogance.
Warwick
Thornton has cobbled together an outstanding cast for “Sweet
Country” and though the big names of Bryan Brown and Sam Neill are
both outstanding (as is Ewan Leslie as the outwardly racist and soon
to be dead rancher Harry March), the film belongs to newcomer but old
timer, Hamilton Morris who plays Sam. It is stunning to think that
this is Morris's first role in a film, as his inexperience never
shows for an instant. He is always believable as this sweet man with
a caring soul, terrified of the fate that appears bestowed upon him
after doing what he needed to do to save himself and his wife. He
doesn't say much, but it is all in this man's eyes. They give away
everything in how he is feeling, not to mention exposing all of his
life experiences. It is a beautifully subtle performance, that makes
you feel for this poor man's plight. The one performance that I was
not a huge fan of, though, was by Matt Day who plays a judge towards
the film's end. While every one else in the film came across so
natural and as part of this world, he stood out and appeared very
“stagey”. You could feel him act more than the other performers.
Overall,
there is so much more I could still say about “Sweet Country” as
this is a stunning Australian film. While it moves at a deliberate
pace, I never once found the film boring, rather I was swept up in
its majestic images and sounds of the Australian outback and
mesmerised by it all. I have failed to mention that the film has no
score, and yet it is never missed. While I would never say that the
film is too violent, I should mention that when violence is
committed, Thornton does not hold back. This is violence that you
feel; it is bloody and messy and it hurts like hell. For mine,
Warwick Thornton has created yet another stunning Australian film
with “Sweet Country” and I hope we do not have to wait another
decade for a follow up to it.
4
Stars.
