In Australia at the turn of the 19th century a part aboriginal man Jimmie, is torn between two different cultures. One being the traditions of his people and the other is adopting the white customs. Though, the racism he confronts from his white employers, he finds it unbearable trying to fit in and commits a massacre on a white family.
This is an adaptation of Thomas Kelly's stimulating novel of the same title. That's actually based on real events. Director Fred Schepisi vision of the story is totally stunning in capturing the detail of the Australian landscape and the friction between two cultures, with such confronting and stirring context and some downright absorbing and strong performances.
The look of the film is incredibly impressive. A boldly effectual music score of emotion captures the harsh bushland and gritty desert landscape beautifully. The film is tremendously well shot, with it holding such a noble aurora. The main leads were excellent and potent in their roles, especially the marvellous Tommy Lewis as Jimmie Blacksmith. As well there were some effective supporting roles from some well known Australian faces.
The violence is brutal; it comes across as uncomfortable to view at times. Especially the scene involving Jimmie in a fist of rage hacking up some young white girls as the injured mother watches. The violence is supposed to be shocking and it comes across as truly powerful in evoking the tension of racism that is fuelled between the Europeans and Aboriginals. The racism is so vivid and it has some fairly shattering dialogue and scenes of confrontations. The drama is a very heated one, especially the further along the film goes. Though, it doesn't try to twist the side of things giving each their own good and bad traits of the two cultures. We feel sympathy for Jimmie because of his treatment, but not pity because of what he has done, but he has become.
The tone of the story is fairly bleak, explicit and uneasy. Though, the emotional effect is never pushed onto you or forced in any way. You just become compelled in the characters and the story, which just sucks you right into the situation at hand. As we see one culture dying because of disease and alcohol and another one being forced upon those. Jimmie is caught between the two ways of life, as he was brought up in his childhood through a white European couple. He can see that his people are losing their identity, him being one. While, he has a stint in doing white customs and achieving his dreams of a job, marriage and own house, but still his treated real badly and at times humiliated by his bosses, in a society that he will never be accepted in. This causes the down ward spiral for Jimmie, as he can't take any more of it.
Like some fellow users had typed, this is one depressing film that will stir up some emotion towards the material and characters. It's a tense and fearless look into racism.
It comes across as one grand epic and a very good one too.
This is an adaptation of Thomas Kelly's stimulating novel of the same title. That's actually based on real events. Director Fred Schepisi vision of the story is totally stunning in capturing the detail of the Australian landscape and the friction between two cultures, with such confronting and stirring context and some downright absorbing and strong performances.
The look of the film is incredibly impressive. A boldly effectual music score of emotion captures the harsh bushland and gritty desert landscape beautifully. The film is tremendously well shot, with it holding such a noble aurora. The main leads were excellent and potent in their roles, especially the marvellous Tommy Lewis as Jimmie Blacksmith. As well there were some effective supporting roles from some well known Australian faces.
The violence is brutal; it comes across as uncomfortable to view at times. Especially the scene involving Jimmie in a fist of rage hacking up some young white girls as the injured mother watches. The violence is supposed to be shocking and it comes across as truly powerful in evoking the tension of racism that is fuelled between the Europeans and Aboriginals. The racism is so vivid and it has some fairly shattering dialogue and scenes of confrontations. The drama is a very heated one, especially the further along the film goes. Though, it doesn't try to twist the side of things giving each their own good and bad traits of the two cultures. We feel sympathy for Jimmie because of his treatment, but not pity because of what he has done, but he has become.
The tone of the story is fairly bleak, explicit and uneasy. Though, the emotional effect is never pushed onto you or forced in any way. You just become compelled in the characters and the story, which just sucks you right into the situation at hand. As we see one culture dying because of disease and alcohol and another one being forced upon those. Jimmie is caught between the two ways of life, as he was brought up in his childhood through a white European couple. He can see that his people are losing their identity, him being one. While, he has a stint in doing white customs and achieving his dreams of a job, marriage and own house, but still his treated real badly and at times humiliated by his bosses, in a society that he will never be accepted in. This causes the down ward spiral for Jimmie, as he can't take any more of it.
Like some fellow users had typed, this is one depressing film that will stir up some emotion towards the material and characters. It's a tense and fearless look into racism.
It comes across as one grand epic and a very good one too.